3D Visualization of Astronomical Data with Blender

We present the innovative use of Blender, a 3D graphics package, for astronomical visualization. With a Python API and feature rich interface, Blender lends itself well to many 3D data visualization scenarios including data cube rendering, N body simulations, catalog displays, and surface maps. We focus on the aspects of the software most useful to astronomers such as visual data exploration, applying data to Blender object constructs, and using graphics processing units (GPUs) for rendering. We share examples from both observational data and theoretical models to illustrate how the software can fit into an astronomer's toolkit.