The sky in your computer

Programs for MSDOS and Windows

Planetariums and celestial charts (and events)

Adastra: It shows a realistic Vista of the nocturnal sky from any Earth place. It is possible easily to be manipulated the sky in real time with the direction functions, rotation, zoom lens… a simple click of mouse in any visible object shows a report with information of this object. Also it includes a window for graphs JPEG, with an automatic connection to the stellar objects and a finder to find stars, planets or constellations. It contains guides of planets in format HTML. In English. 2.6 MB (freeware, Win9X/NT/2000).

Allstar: Astronomical map complete and easy to use. It includes options that allow to choose the latitude and length and the hour of the observation. Controls simple to use allow to increase or to diminish the size, to move freely by the space and to go quickly to a cardinal point. Choosing any object, the coordinates are obtained automatically and a complete report. In English. 1.37 MB (program) + 2 MB (catalogues) + 761 Kb (Tycho catalogue) + 600 Kb (other extensions) (freeware, Win9X/NT/2000).

AlphaCentaure: Planetarium with many options. The organization of the menus is specially innovating and her options in the graphical section very flexible. The negative point is its slowness. In the graphical aspect it offers the classic representation of the celestial sphere, the situation of the sky on the local horizon, elongaciones and heliocentric position of planets and a tool to register the observations of sunspots. But also it has a section of events with an ample set of utilities that offers all type of calculations: conversions between twenty calendars, eclipses, conjunctions, stations, distances, phases of the Moon, conversion of coordinates… and do not finish the thing here: it has surroundings to record the personal observations. The basic package (3 archives) includes a data base of 600 asteroids, 108 I commit and stars until 8ª magnitude, but in the direction of the page 15 optional archives with catalogues of celestial objects can be more (stars until 10ª magnitude, elements of 50,000 asteroids, parts of catalogue NGC, etc.), in addition to conversion tools that allow to create own data bases. In French, with English support of optional. 2 MB + 2 MB + 2 MB + 1 MB (English module of optional) (freeware, Win9X).

Astronomica: Planetary program that offers very realistic views of the sky from any Earth place. Astronomica has an interface easy to use that it helps to sail and to look for celestial bodies easily and of fast form. Information of the celestial bodies with only a click of mouse can be obtained. Also it supports the animation of bodies of the Solar System, to create celestial charts in the printer and to show photographic images in screen. 1.3 MB (shareware, Win9X).

Cartes du Ciel/Sky Charts: With difference the best program for the representation of celestial charts and in Spanish and many other languages. This program allows to draw celestial charts, using the data of 16 catalogues of stars and nebulas. Also it shows the position of planets, asteroids and I commit. The intention of this program is to prepare different maps from the sky for an observation in individual. Through a great number of parameters it helps to choose specific or automatically what catalogues to use, the color and the dimension of stars and nebulas, the representation of planets, the appearance or not of legend and coordinates, the superposition of images, the visibility conditionses and other characteristics. All this does to this celestial atlas more complete than a conventional planetarium. The data of additional catalogues are simply overwhelming: Sky2000 catalogue v3, 300,000 stars until 9ª magnitude; Tycho-2 catalogue (first part), 900,000 stars until 11ª magnitude; Tycho-2 catalogue (second part), 1.600.000 stars between the magnitudes 11ª and 12ª; variable stars, 68,179 seizures of catalogues GCVS, NSV and EVS; multiple stars, 83,211 seizures of catalogue WDS 2000, including the index search; nebulas, 40,000 seizures of six catalogues (NGC+IC, LBN, RC3, OCL, GCM, GPN); galaxies, 193,898 seizures of catalogue PGC1999. and, in case outside little, allow the additional catalogue import. 3.2 MB (basic program) + 0.5 MB (planetary satellites) + 1.5 MB (planetary satellites with high precision) + 10.6 MB (complete package without catalogues) + more than 60 MB (joint of catalogues; + can unload) 18 MB (indices separately search; also they can unload separately) (freeware, Win9X/NT/2000).

Celestial Maps: It produces precise maps of the sky in five types different from projection. It executes a small data base of stars and/or two professional catalogues of stars, SAO and PPM. In English. 931 Kb + 426 Kb (catalogue NGC) + 7 MB (catalogue SAO) + 7 MB (catalogue PPM) (freeware, MS-DOS/Win9X).

Coeli Stella 2000: Program with animated simulations of stars, as they are seen from the Earth. To any latitude or Earth length can be selected, and the program will show in real time the location of planets, stars, and other objects. This Integra program also a dictionary of 2,000 astronomical terms and one encyclopedia with articles as "What is the stars", "To choose telescope", "Cosmology", "dark Matter" or "History of Astronomy". Speech uses the called technology of Microsoft Agent to help the pronunciación of the names of stars. Unfortunately for that they do not understand the language of Shakespeare, in English. 4.08 MB (shareware, Win9X/NT/2000).

CyberSky: It shows stars, constellations, objects of deep sky, the Sun, the Moon and planets from any Earth location in a while given with optional animation. In English. 995 Kb (shareware, Win9X/NT).

DeskNite: Dynamic Vista of the nocturnal sky in the writing-desk. The Vista changes in real time reflecting the configuration of skies at every moment. From one it lists drop-down is possible to be selected the position, or to be introduced the latitude and length, so that therefore the visualization agrees with the reality. Sample more than 3,000 stars, the planets, the Sun, the Moon and objects NGC in different styles. In English. 1.36 MB (freeware, Win9X/NT/2000).

Eclipses of the Galilean Jupiter satellites: Its own one names says everything to it; remarkable graphs. In English or Italian. 70 Kb (freeware, MSDOS).

ECU (The Earth Centered Univer): Program of planetarium and control of telescope for become fond of astronomers. It simulates the characteristics of the nocturnal sky in color. In English. 750 Kb (shareware, Win3.1/9X/NT).

EmapWin: The more important characteristic of this sofware is that simulates solar eclipses from year 3000 to C. to the 3000 is than it provides a complete map of the eclipse (central line of umbra, North and South limits of umbra and penumbra); it shows a table with the limits of umbra by length, graphical representation of the circumstances of local observation and simulation. In English. 405 Kb + 7.7 MB (data) (freeware, Win9X).

Encyclopedia Galactica: Program of celestial charts and graphical events; three characteristics call the attention: a graph of events of the Jupiter satellites, the capacity to produce a graph of visibility of an object for a date and hour given and to the possibility of association of text files and images for determined celestial objects, allowing the user to create a customized data base. The program contains deep sky objects and stars until 8ª magnitude, but a complete star catalogue is available also PPM for its use with the program. In English. 2.6 MB + 7 MB (images and catalogue, approximately) (freeware, Win9X).

Galilean Moon Plotter: Program easy to use that it allows to represent the positions of the Galilean Jupiter satellites. A monthly letter of the relative movement around Jupiter can be drawn. These diagrams are similar to which they appear forms in astronomical magazines and yearbooks. In English. 141 Kb (freeware, Win9X/NT).

Hallo Northern Sky: Planetarium very easy to use. It is needed to separately unload stellar catalogues (for example, catalogue PPM until magnitude 10ª or the catalogue Tycho 2, with more than 2.500.000 of stars) and the data bases of deep sky objects (10,607 objects). In English. 400 Kb (program) + 4.7 507 MB + Kb (catalogues) (freeware, Win9X).

Home Planet: Excellent application with multiple functions: it begins with an animation in which it shows the progression of the solar light on the Orb. It includes an option to visualize the orbit of an artificial satellite, seizure of an ample data base, the Earth in real time from the Sun, a planetarium, and great amount of options more. In English. Brief version (or Lite): 1.4 MB; complete version (or Full): 7.2 MB (freeware, Win9X/NT).

Jovian Satellite Simulator: JupSat95 graphically calculates and shows the position of the Galilean Jupiter satellites, Galilean calls. In English. 753 Kb (shareware, Win9x/NT).

LCSTARS: Planetarium with which firmament objects of and astronomical phenomenon and more interesting movement can be contemplated to 28,695. The sky can be observed from any Earth place, in the date that determines (from the 0 hours of day 1 of January of the year 4799 to C. to the 23 hours and 59 minutes of day 31 of December of 27900 year d. C.), selecting the type of objects that wishes to see and the minimum magnitude that they must have to be in screen. Also it is possible to consult the position and other data relative to 3,654 celestial objects, to locate them in the sky at every moment, to animate the images to study the movements of the objects, to present/display inverted the image of the sky as it appears in the viewfinder of a telescope, to print any image of the screen.... In Spanish at reasonable price. 549 Kb (shareware, Win9X/NT/2000).

Meridian: Graphical events of the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. It allows menus in Castilian. 1.62 MB (freeware, Win9X).

MyStars!: Simple program that generates precise letters with stars, planets, I commit and asteroids. Its views as planetary they make it useful like tool for education. 1.46 MB (shareware, Win3.1/9X/NT).

Nuit: Conceived to combine simplicity and effectiveness, it is directed to the astronomical observation at first and shows to stars until 5ª magnitude, the planets most shining and most of the objects of the catalogue of Messier. In English. 366 Kb (freeware, MS-DOS/Win9X).

Planet's Orbits: Precise digital planetarium with a great functionality. The USA orbital elements for the calculation of the planetary positions, except for Pluto. Its better precision is obtained for a rank of between +/- 4000 years. The specification of the date (past or future), the orbital animation in three dimensions, the orbits of more are their more remarkable functions than 7,000 asteroids and their windows of information and statistic. It has available for his unloading great amount of optional data files with orbital elements. In English. 5.6 MB (freeware, Win9X).

SkyMap: Excellent program oriented as much to the astronomers noveles as to the experts. It provides a map of the sky seen from any Earth point in any date between the 4000 to the 8000 Cs and d. C. can be selected with facility the observing point by means of the list including, or be introduced the length and the latitude of the same one. There are two types of different maps: Vista horizon or Vista of area, in which is the zone of the selected sky. The level of detail with which can be determined to show the map of stars, constellations, planets and objects of the deep space. Simply it is necessary to press on an object to obtain data of him. It varies the bottom of the map selecting the hour of the day. By means of his options search it is possible to locate any star, constellation, planet or object in the map. Extremely precise, it has the possibility of printing in black and white or color, with expandible aid, a tool for lunar phases and other options. As the requirements of the program are quite great, they continue existing in some directions and servants FTP versions previous to the 7, that he is the present one to date of January of 2001. In English. 9.8 MB (shareware, Win9X/NT/2000).

SkyView: Simulator of planetarium, able to represent the sky with a field of vision from 360 degrees 20 arcosegundos. It supports the identification of objects by means of the mouse and has animation possibility. It includes following catalogues: SAO, BS with up to 260,000 stars (magnitude limit 11,9ª) and catalogue of objects nonstellar RNGC (7,000 objects; I commit and asteroids online). In English. 11.6 MB (shareware, MSDOS 3,3).

Spica: Celestial charts with several ways of projection, events, graphs of planetary conjunctions, information style almanac, status boards of the Saturn ring and the Jupiter satellites. In English or French. 1.26 MB + 6.32 MB (images of the catalogue Messier) (freeware, Win9X).

StarCalc: More express is the program of astronomical cartography and easy use. It allows to obtain from instantaneous form an image of any celestial area to any hour and in any Earth place. In English. 676 Kb + 6 MB (celestial catalogue and other objects) (freeware, Win9X/NT/2000).

StarCat: A tool of stellar catalogue visualization designed to be used with catalogues Bright Star, Hipparcos and Tycho. It provides access to the complete data of any single star with selecting and doing click. In English. 317 Kb (freeware, Win9X/NT/Linux).

StarMap: Program that presents/displays a map on scale of the next Space around our Sun, in an approximated radius of 80 years light. It offers complete information of 3,800 stars, like, for example, the position that occupy in the system, the name or names by which they are known, the distances to which are of others, etc. In Castilian. 606 Kb (freeware, Win9X/NT).

Starry Night Backyard: It simulates the aspect of the sky from any location of the Solar System. Of easy use, express and fluid, the photorealistic renderizadas scenes are of an incredible beauty. In English. 15.5 MB (shareware, Win9X/NT).

Virtual Sky: Editable maps of the celestial and local horizon; the graphs show the situation of the celestial equator, the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, eclipses, views from nine planets of the Solar System and zones by day and night in the Earth. It calculates the visibility of planets during the day, conjunctions, phases of the Moon, stations and up to 24 events for each planet. It shows to a map of the present phase of the Moon, offering the possibility of looking for accidents by name. It can incorporate stellar catalogue SAO. In English. 3.7 MB + 3.8 MB (catalogue SAO) (shareware, Win9X/NT/2000).

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  Copyright © 2003 Javier Sánchez Quirós