Re: ideal planetarium & charting software?

From: Paul Lawler (stargazer_at_kilolaniDOT.net)
Date: 10/10/04 

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 21:33:00 GMT

"Craig" <caheaton@netzero.net> wrote in
news:y_mdnVIUBZkx0vXcRVn-gw@adelphia.com:

> Hello...I know this subject has been posted many times before, and
> I've been reading past threads but am still undecided. I'm in the
> market for a good sky charting and planetarium program (prefer to
> combine both into one application if I can.) Ideally, I'd like a
> program that offers all of the following:

Ideally I'd like a telescope with 15" of aperture, a rock stable mount,
no collimation required, variable focal length, GoTo capability, and no
central obstruction that I can carry on an airplane.
 
> ~ Visually realistic...a program that can produce a night sky and
> other images on my screen that look much as they would out under the
> sky and through a small telescope and binoculars. Detail of planets
> and moons should likewise be realistic. (For taking armchair journeys
> through space and time).
> ~ Can reproduce the sky from any location on Earth, other planets and
> nearby (or even relatively distant) stars. Also would like the option
> to do this both backwards and forwards in time by a few thousand years
> or so.

Starry Night Pro / Starry Night Deep Space Explorer.

> ~ Can chart and track artificial satellites and space probes.
> (Charting of satellites would be mostly used for amateur radio
> use...transmitting an uplink and listening to downlink of satellites,
> so real time positioning would be required.)

I don't know of any that do "real time" positioning.

> ~ Can produce accurate charts for use with a telescope and
> binoculars. Would like charts to show an area as small as half a
> degree (or even 15' if possible). Charts should show all objects down
> to about 12th magnitude. (Charts are to be used for star hopping with
> telescope and binoculars.) ~ Ability to mirror above charts to
> display sky as it would appear through my telescope.

Sky Tools 2. Hands down best.

> ~ Ability to overlay field of view circles onto the sky to show what
> would appear through the eyepiece.

Most of them can do this. Telrad circles, too.

> ~ Provides accurate data about stars and celestial objects (e.g.,
> catalog numbers, magnitude, spectral type, distance, coordinates,
> etc.)

Accurate becomes a problem. A lot of "data" is speculation anyway (e.g.,
how far away is Deneb? How many stars are in the Milky Way?).

> ~ Easy to use, intuitive interface.

Does not exist, IMHO.

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