Mount Wilson Observatory · Digital Systems Division
🔭
Catalog of Collaboration Bodies
Microsoft Teams & Alternative Objects · Observing Season 2026
SESSION LOG 2026-03-21 · 100-INCH HOOKER TELESCOPE · SEEING: EXCELLENT · TRANSPARENCY: 9/10
MST-365 "Teams" · NGC 2026-01
Classification: Gas Giant
Mag: −4.6 (brightest in field)
Right Ascension
19h 45m 12s · Microsoft Constellation
Spectral Class
M365-II — deeply embedded in the Microsoft 365 gravitational system (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive)
Mass
320M+ monthly active users. The most massive collaboration body in the observable universe. Dominates enterprise adoption gravitationally.
Orbital Period
$4–$12.50/user/mo · Essentials standalone to M365 Business Standard. Enterprise bundles custom-priced.
Luminosity
Meetings support up to 1,000 participants (Premium: 1,000+). Live captions in 30+ languages. Recording, transcription, breakout rooms.
Rotation
Copilot AI add-on for meeting summaries, action items, and AI-generated insights. Teams Phone ($10/mo) for enterprise calling.
Atmospheric Composition — Core Elements Detected
Ch Chat — persistent channels + threads + direct messaging
Vd Video — HD meetings, webinars, town halls, Together Mode
Fl Files — native SharePoint/OneDrive storage and co-authoring
Ap Apps — tabs, bots, Power Platform low-code integration
Sc Security — GDPR, HIPAA, ISO, SOC compliance. E5 tier: advanced DLP, eDiscovery
Astronomer's Observation Note · 02:14 UTC
This gas giant dominates the field through sheer gravitational mass — its deep M365 integration creates an orbital lock that makes it difficult for other bodies to escape. Surface features include a cluttered interface that challenges casual observers, and a complex admin surface requiring significant expertise to navigate. However, for organizations already within the Microsoft gravitational system, no other body provides such comprehensive tidal forces across chat, video, files, and workflows. The Copilot AI corona is among the most mature in the collaboration sky.
SLK-HUB "Slack" · NGC 2026-02
Classification: Binary Star System
Mag: −3.2 (very bright)
Right Ascension
06h 22m 48s · Salesforce Constellation (acquired 2021)
Spectral Class
MSG-I — messaging-first architecture. Channel-based communication with threaded conversations. 87% of users report improved collaboration.
Mass
~750K+ paid organizations. Smaller mass than Teams but far higher surface temperature — more intense energy per interaction. Best-in-class messaging UX.
Orbital Period
$7.25/user/mo Pro (annual). Business+ $15/mo. Enterprise Grid: custom. Free tier: 90-day message history limit.
Luminosity
2,600+ app integrations — the widest integration spectrum of any body observed. Slack Connect for cross-org shared channels. Huddles for lightweight audio.
Rotation
Slack AI for channel summaries and search. Workflow Builder for automation. Canvas for collaborative docs. Video/audio huddles (not full meetings).
Atmospheric Composition
Th Threads — best-in-class threaded conversations that keep channels clean
Cn Connect — shared channels across organizations for external collaboration
In Integrations — 2,600+ apps: GitHub, Jira, Salesforce, Asana, Zendesk, and more
Hd Huddles — lightweight audio/video for informal conversations without scheduling
Ai Slack AI — summarize channels, threads, and search with natural language
Astronomer's Observation Note · 02:38 UTC
A binary star — messaging and integration burning together at extremely high temperature. Slack's surface is the most fluid and intuitive in the collaboration sky; observers consistently report cleaner spectral lines than Teams. The 2,600+ integration ecosystem makes it the most connectable body observed. However, the 90-day free-tier history limit is a significant dark spot, and video capabilities remain modest compared to dedicated video bodies like Zoom. Best observed in developer, startup, and cross-tool environments where integration breadth matters more than bundled productivity mass.
ZM-WKP "Zoom Workplace" · NGC 2026-03
Classification: Pulsar
Mag: −3.8 (intense)
Right Ascension
14h 08m 33s · Independent orbit · 55.9% video conferencing market share
Spectral Class
VID-I — video-first architecture. Expanded into Zoom Workplace: chat, phone, whiteboard, notes, clips. Still the most reliable video signal in the sky.
Mass
~300M+ meeting participants daily at peak. G2 rating 4.5/5 (52K+ reviews). The most trusted video body for external guest access — frictionless join experience.
Orbital Period
Free (40-min groups) · Pro $13.33/mo · Business $18.32/mo · Enterprise: custom. AI Companion included at no extra cost on paid plans.
Luminosity
AI Companion: auto-generates meeting summaries, action items, smart recordings. Whiteboard, Clips (async video), and Zoom Phone for unified communications.
Rotation
Zoom Docs for collaborative notes. Revenue Accelerator for sales intelligence. Workvivo for employee engagement (acquired 2023).
Atmospheric Composition
Hd HD Video — best-in-class reliability, quality, and ease of external joining
Ac AI Companion — meeting summaries, action items, smart recordings (free on paid plans)
Wb Whiteboard — collaborative canvas for brainstorming and visual planning
Ph Phone — cloud PBX system for unified calling
Cl Clips — async video messages to reduce live meeting dependency
Astronomer's Observation Note · 03:05 UTC
A pulsar — concentrated, intense, and precisely rhythmic. Zoom emits the strongest, most consistent video signal of any body. Its pulse is unmistakable: "it just works" is the observer's universal remark. External guest access remains the most frictionless in the sky. The expansion into Workplace (chat, phone, docs) adds mass, but these features haven't yet reached the gravitational pull of Teams or Slack in their respective domains. AI Companion included free is a notable advantage. Best for video-first teams, webinars, and organizations with heavy external collaboration.
GWS-MEET "Google Meet + Chat" · NGC 2026-04
Classification: Dwarf Star in Constellation
Mag: −2.4 (steady)
Right Ascension
11h 52m 17s · Google Workspace Constellation (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Sheets, Calendar)
Spectral Class
ECO-III — simplicity-first architecture. Meet for video, Chat for messaging, Spaces for channels. Deeply fused with the Google Workspace gravitational field.
Mass
Included in Google Workspace — from $7/user/mo (Business Starter). Free Meet: 100 participants, 60 min. Ideal for orgs already in the Google ecosystem.
Orbital Period
$7–$18/user/mo Workspace tiers. Free tier generous for video. Chat/Spaces included. No standalone pricing — always part of the constellation.
Luminosity
Inline document collaboration — share a Google Doc in Chat, edit together without switching tabs. Gemini AI for note-taking and summaries. Low-friction, zero-download video joining.
Rotation
Google Spaces for persistent team channels. Gemini AI integration across Workspace. AppSheet for low-code apps. Calendar integration is native and seamless.
Atmospheric Composition
Sm Simplicity — clean, fast, minimal learning curve
Dc Docs — real-time co-editing integrated directly into chat
Gm Gemini AI — meeting notes, summaries, and smart suggestions
Fr Free tier — generous video meetings for startups and schools
Astronomer's Observation Note · 03:28 UTC
A modest dwarf star — but one that emits remarkably clean, efficient light within its constellation. Google Meet + Chat won't dazzle with feature complexity, but for organizations already orbiting in Google Workspace, it provides the least friction of any collaboration body. The inline document collaboration — editing a Google Doc directly inside a chat thread — is a spectral feature no other body replicates as seamlessly. Gemini AI integration is expanding rapidly. Less suited for organizations with complex compliance requirements or those outside the Google gravitational system.
DSC-VOX "Discord" · NGC 2026-05
Classification: Rogue Comet
Mag: −1.8 (variable)
Right Ascension
22h 40m 05s · Independent orbit · 200M+ monthly active users (primarily community/gaming origin)
Spectral Class
VOX-II — voice-first architecture with persistent channels. Originally gaming, increasingly adopted by dev teams, open-source projects, and internal comms for startups.
Mass
200M+ MAU. Server-based organization with flexible text/voice/video channels. Strongest free tier of any body — full-featured with no time limits on calls.
Orbital Period
Free (full-featured) · Nitro $9.99/mo for enhanced streaming/uploads. No per-seat enterprise pricing — radically accessible.
Luminosity
Persistent voice channels — join/leave naturally without scheduling. Screen sharing, Go Live streaming. Bots and webhooks for automation. Forum channels for async discussion.
Rotation
Server organization with roles and permissions. Threads, forums, stage channels for events. Growing enterprise adoption but lacks compliance certifications required by regulated industries.
Atmospheric Composition
Vc Voice Channels — persistent, drop-in/drop-out audio rooms
Sv Servers — flexible organization with granular role-based permissions
Bt Bots — rich bot ecosystem for automation, moderation, and integration
Fr Free — strongest free tier: unlimited messages, history, voice, video
Astronomer's Observation Note · 03:52 UTC
A rogue comet crossing from gaming space into enterprise territory. Discord's persistent voice channels — the ability to simply "be present" in a room without scheduling a meeting — recreate the spontaneity of a physical office better than any other body. The free tier is genuinely full-featured. However, the comet lacks the compliance certifications (HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR enterprise features) required for regulated industries. Best for startups, dev teams, open-source communities, and any organization that values informal, low-friction, always-on communication.
Quick-Reference Catalog — Bodies at a Glance
DesignationTypeMassOrbit $SpecialtyAI
MST-365 TeamsGas Giant320M+ MAU$4–$12.50M365 integrationCopilot
SLK-HUB SlackBinary Star750K+ orgs$7.25–$15Messaging + appsSlack AI
ZM-WKP ZoomPulsar55.9% videoFree–$18.32Video reliabilityCompanion
GWS-MEET GoogleDwarf StarGWS bundle$7–$18Simplicity + DocsGemini
DSC-VOX DiscordRogue Comet200M+ MAUFreeVoice channelsBasic
"The skilled astronomer does not declare one celestial body superior to another — each illuminates its own region of the sky. The art is in knowing which body to observe for the phenomenon you seek."
— Senior Astronomer, Mount Wilson Digital Systems Division
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners · Magnitudes and classifications are editorial assessments as of 2026
For informational purposes only · Not professional procurement advice · No actual celestial bodies were observed
MOUNT WILSON OBSERVATORY · CATALOG OF COLLABORATION BODIES · OBSERVING SEASON 2026
🔭 PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION OF ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE 🔭