So here it is, a couple of days from the start of a new semester and the good folks at Google decide to release a new version of Earth that includes an ability to explore the stars. We have been working very hard on course materials for a course called Astronomy 001: the Astronomical Universe. It's essentially intro astronomy, and is very popular among undergraduates.
I've only been playing with the new Sky features for a few hours, and already I can see the potential for several of the topics Astro 001 covers. The sections on constellations & views from different parts of Earth can currently be handled using software like Starry Night, but Google Earth has that whole "free" thing in its corner. But you can also animate the motion of the moon (phases) and motion of the planets (for concepts like retrograde motion, etc). With GE Pro, one can record movies of tours. It's also possible to add image overlays (including Google SketchUp 3D models) over the Sky view.
Unfortunately, most of the lessons that would benefit the most from Sky come early in the semester, so it's not likely we can do much with it for the fall semester. But I'm excited about thinking through its potential with the Astro faculty, and perhaps we can plan for its use come spring.