Where's Mars gone now?

That is COOL.

Im not 100% sure what it is, but it looks great. It says on the download page that it is for use with projectors, can you use it with just a monitor?

Is it like a virtual constellation that you can rotate etc?

All the above is correct Conor. I think when they say "It is being used in planetarium projectors" they mean that (semi) professional insitutions are using Stellarium as part of their public astronomy displays in planetariums etc.

Seanie.

Wow - that Stellarium software is amazing, isn't it???! Thanks a lot for pointing me in that direction!

Dean (my 6 yr old) got a Celestron FirstScope 60 AZ from Santa, btw, a pretty modest 'scope I know, but it'll get us started.

He also got a subscription to Astronomy & Space, so we've been reading a few pages here and there and he's really enjoying it. Wait till he sees Stellarium, he'll love that!!

For a 6 year old, he won't know what hit him - and I mean that in a good way!

I dont know of any 6 yr old who starts off with such a set up. By the age of 15 he will be on to a telescope such as Hubble,LOL.

Stellarium really is the dogs dangly bits. I love it. Mind you i was looking at Google Sky today (ive had it for weeks but never looked at it). It really is a great program also.

Yeah, he has designs on Hubble alright!

He loves Stellarium, and so do I. (And I've discovered that if I zoom in in one long continuous motion I feel like I'm on the Entreprise... :lol: How sad am I???)

I downloaded Google Earth and had a look - my initial impression is not as good as Stellarium, but that's only based on a very quick look. (A very quick look at Stel though was enough to blow me away.)

Damn clouds, we're not getting a chance to look at stuff up there at all.