Sky software

Hi to all,

Just thought I would ask what sky software everyone is using. I have Carte Du Ciel and Autostar Suite. I use CdC to pick imaging targets but I was on the starlight express yahoo group website and found this image by Charlie Warren
www.astrofx.com/H16/Simeis147/simeis147.htm

Its a supernova remnant in Taurus but acording to CdC there is nothing there unless I need to download another catalouge. The image is amazing though.

Kieran

For Planetaria/Event Prediction, I use;

Skymap Pro
Starry Night Pro Plus
MICA 2.0
Win Occult (free) predicts occultations by the Moon and other solar system objects.
Some home written software for providing positional info on primarily solar system objects.

For astrophotography, I use;

Images Plus v2.8
Maxim DL v4.56
DSLR Focus
Guidemaster (free) for autoguiding (used to use guidedog, also free, for this.
Various proprietory capture programs (for CCD imaging)
Paint Shop Pro v7
Neat image Pro (for noise reduction)

I have collected some other software too, but the above are the ones I use all the time.

For Planetaria/Event Prediction, I use;

Skymap Pro
Starry Night Pro Plus
MICA 2.0
Win Occult (free) predicts occultations by the Moon and other solar system objects.
Some home written software for providing positional info on primarily solar system objects.

If you want the very best in target acquisition software the something like 'The Sky' professional by software bisque would be the one to go for. Expensive but amazing piece of software!

For astrophotography, I use;

Images Plus v2.8
Maxim DL v4.56
DSLR Focus
Guidemaster (free) for autoguiding (used to use guidedog, also free, for this.
Various proprietory capture programs (for CCD imaging)
Paint Shop Pro v7
Neat image Pro (for noise reduction)

I have collected some other software too, but the above are the ones I use all the time.

I'm a Mac user and I use a combination of the free software KStars ( www.bartbusschots.ie/blog/?p=278 ) and the pay software Equinox ( www.microprojects.ca/equinox6.html ).

Kstars is great for just seeing what's up quickly but Equinox has more features and looks much shinier.

Bart.

I use AstroPlanner for planning and recording observations. I also use it to drive the scope from time to time, but I usually don't take a computer out with me.

There are 138 catalogues available, with a total of some 600 million objects. I use about 15 of them (M, NGC, Abell, Aitken, ASCC, GSC, Hickson, Herschel, HerbigHaro, AGN, Markarian, Palomar, Struve, etc.)

Windows and Mac versions. You can check it out for free at: www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/ . Great program, great support.

For cross-referencing IDs, I use Simbad. It's an online database, available here: simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-fid

-- Jeff.

Hi jeyjey, that AstroPlanner thing looks simply superb. Will give that a go, thanks!

Bart.