Astronomy Software on the Internet

Contents

• Introduction
• Source of Cometary Data

• Go to Titles for Windows, MacOS and Unix software,
• Go to Satellite for Satellite Tracking software,

Introduction

When I first purchased astronomy planetarium software and found that it covered the time span for several thousand years either side of now, it seemed that this would be the only program I would ever need. That was not quite correct. Since then I have looked at (and used) several different programs that all have excellent features that I had never envisaged. But astronomy observational information is not static, and is now being updated faster than ever. With the advent of the Internet, this information is now available and in a format that computer software can immediately use. Here we discuss some of the many programs available and where and how to keep them current.

There are two ways that software companies update; the first is to only issue major version upgrades (i.e. TheSky, Redshift), and the second is to also issue minor upgrades (i.e. Guide, Skymap). Companies using the second method respond quicker to suggestions and new events, for example release of RealSky Data. Upgrades of Comet and Asteroid data are handled either by downloading a complete current list from the source, or editing data files to input single elements.

Source of Cometary Data

The primary source of cometary data is: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/SoftwareComets.html. This will give data in the form that your program requires (if the program is registered with the IAU). The programs that are currently supported are: SkyMap Pro, Guide (Project Pluto), Xephem, Home Planet, MyStars!, TheSky, Starry Night Pro, Deep Space, PC-TCS, Earth Centered Universe, Dance of the Planets, MegaStar, SkyChart III, Voyager III, SkyTools, and AutoStar.

Titles