Hi,

I am doing research for reviews of Astronomy Charting Software, i.e. Programs like:
Guide
Sky Map Pro
Megastar
TheSky
Cartes du Ciel
Hallo Northern Sky
Starry Night

but not restricted to them. Please comment (if possible) on the latest version and not a cut-down edition.


I am not interest (at this time) in any Planetarium Functions (i.e. all sky simulation) these programs might have.


If anybody has opinions on whats good and needs improving, what they like and dislike. I would like to know! Don't forget to include things like
help and support as well as features and easy of use.

I gave talks a few years back to the IAS, IAA and CAC on this topic and I am updating it.

thanks
John

Hi John,

Are you also interested in non-Windows products like KStars for Linux/Unix/Mac or Equinox for hte Mac?

If so I could do a wee review of those for you.

Bart.

Hi John,

I use an online database called Aladin Sky Atlas. It is free and links in to numerous online databases from universities and research centres.
A nice point as well is that it by default generates maps black objects on a white background , and so does not kill your ink cartridge.

vizier.cfa.harvard.edu/viz-bin/nph-aladi...1&-server=Aladin

Click on the Help button to start finding your way. I have not come across anything yet that was not listed in there. It was recommended by the university , we used it during our project work in the observatory.

Regards
Inge

Bart & Inge,
Thanks for your notes. Yes, its not restricted to Windows. Also it can include on-line Charing Software (but not including static graphics),

John

Hi John,

My vote is for MegaStar - its' dual and quad pane printing options alone make it worth while (you can print 2 or 4 charts on a single page - great for star-hopping and zooming in on a target).

Steve

John, I'm finding it hard to make a start on these reviews for you, do you have a list of criteria that you have used for the otehr software you have looked at? If so could you post it here and then I'll run those criteria against KStars and Equinox.

Bart.

Hi,
Bart, its not so much a review, as just points (like Steve's liking of the Megastar print panels).

Some points I have come across with regards user interface:
1. Some right-click menus do not live up to their name as context menus
2. Various long-winded menus to go to e.g. a Messier, NGC object or Asteroid.
3. Lack of hot-keys to turn off "Constellation Lines" (although is more important in "Planetarium" Prgrams).

John

I only use Xephem. www.clearskyinstitute.com/xephem/

It is a program for unix systems, though I have got it running on windows also. As with many unix programs it is very functional but not very intuitive.

As SunCrazy pointed out Aladin is also very good. For doing research work, comparing databases and images etc. its the best I've come across, again I was recommended it by the university. It's of limited use as a planetarium/ephemeris program though.

Hi,
Bart, its not so much a review, as just points (like Steve's liking of the Megastar print panels).

Some points I have come across with regards user interface:
1. Some right-click menus do not live up to their name as context menus
2. Various long-winded menus to go to e.g. a Messier, NGC object or Asteroid.
3. Lack of hot-keys to turn off "Constellation Lines" (although is more important in "Planetarium" Prgrams).

John

OK, in that case:

Equinox (Mac OS X only):
==================

The Good:

---

- You get a great view of things because all your panels go semi-transparent when you're not using them.
- You can very quickly get info on any object by just clicking on it and there is a lot of info there
- You can move around by just grabbing hold of the sky or by moving a circular dial that always shows where you are looking in the sky (N, S, E, W) and moving it to where you want to be.
- There are also nice sliders for moving your altitude and your field of view

The Bad:

---

- You have to get used to a lot of key combinations while clicking. Not much happens when you right click. Example: to get info just click, to move the screen shift+click, to centre what you clicked on cmd+shift+click. So see what you would ecpect to see in the eyepiece in a little popup cmd+click. To measure angular separation option+click then drag. These are all very powerful features and once you get used to them very easy but not at all intuative!
- You can't Zoom by selecting a region. You zoom by centering what you want and then moving the zoom slider.
- The scroll-wheel does not zoom like it would on most skymapping software but pointlessly scrolls down.

KStars (Linux & Max OS X):
==================

The Good:

---

- a very nice nightvision mode
- very easy to navigate around. Click and drag to move the sky and scrollwheel to zoom in and out.
- Does everything you would expect pretty much in the way you expect

The Bad:

---

- IT doesn't do anything special or anything particularly advanced. It just draws maps of the sky and lets you zoom around and see what's what. No special features you won't see elsewhere, no neat little tricks, just simple and to the point and very intuative
- Has too few star names in my opinion.

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.

Al. I have used XEphem. Actually the MS Windows version, but now the license has expired, not great for a fairly expensive program.

I know there a free Unix source code, but it does not have the large databases.


Bart. I will digest your experiences

John

I know there a free Unix source code, but it does not have the large databases.

The HGSC is free via internet lookup.
You can download the USNO SA catalogue for free and use that with it also.
The proper motion catalogues are the one thing that I might use that I'd have to pay for.

I see your point about Xepem being a bit expensive , however you can download the main program for free and the necessary additional files can also be downloaded from the University of Mainz ftp site in Germany. the big databases such as Tycho 2 and ppm.xe are also available for download at various sites , just google it. I have been using Xephem for about 10 years and have had many e-mail contacts with Elwood Downey the author , I like it so much that I actually offered to buy the cd rom set just to support him even though I have virtually the the whole public domain installation, he said he couldn't be bothered worrying about exchange rates etc for a UK cheque.
As regards the windows software I think I have just about all of it, Skymap always leads the field , it's the main contender against Xepem for accuracy.
Cartes du Ciel is another good option, freely downloadable and also given free with some Meade gear . I'm pleased to tell you that I wrote The Irish Language configuration file for this, it's now very slightly out of date and needs a very small re-write. Perhaps surprisingly for some , for educational purposes I strongly recommend
Redshift, version 5 is now available, it does great simulations of phenomena such as eclipses and "dangerous" asteroid and comet orbits etc. PD

I like portable so I use PocketStars on a Dell Axim Pocket PC. Take it anywhere, very useful for answering questions at Star Parties etc.

www.nomadelectronics.com

Hi,
A futher update. XEphem is no longer available for MS Win, it appears the interface is no longer available.

I gather the source if free for compiling under Linux/Unix and the Mac.

A binary version with extra data is avialable as a paid CD.

Yes Elwood is very helpful, my old 3.5 CD (MS Win) got corrupted and he gave me the 3.71 binary free.

As for accuracy I might just mention Guide 8 from Project Pluto.

Thanks for your comments

John

Without a shadow of doubt, the best astronomy program for Windows is celestia www.shatters.net/celestia/

Not only can you draw star charts, you can travel to the planets, ride alongside comets, follow spacecraft, and even travel to other stars to see what their constellations look like! I spent much of last night "reviewing" the Voyager 1 and 2 missions.

If you download it, make sure to check out the celestia motherlode www.celestiamotherlode.net/

And, it's free!

The only thing that it doesn't do that well is "what's up tonight".