January 31, 2013 #131 - Cartes du Ciel

Cartes du Ciel has improved over the last year and I have just  upgraded to beta version 3.7-svn2418. Patrick Chevalley continues to produce, amazing free sky charting software. By downloading the UCAC4 data base and installing the files in the CAT folder you can produce charts  to magnitude 16. There are 4 files in this set: North, Equator, South, and Index. With other available files you can even have charts reaching magnitude 20. These file are enormous though, but you can tailor them to your needs. His site gives clear instructions on what you need to download and how to use this data. Below is an example of the mag. 16 chart.

A control program can be linked to this charting software that also functions well and can be set up to control many GOTO scopes. It goes by the name of RTGUI v9.2. (Real Time GUI + SKY CHART) by Robert Sheaffer.

Both application are well behaved, provide tons of features, and can be downloaded for free.

http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/download

http://www.rtgui.com/


Clear Sky - Rich

July 25, 2008 #008 - Cartes du Ciel, Star Atlas

I use another free Sky Atlas when a little less detail is needed, say for a quick observation with the telescope. It's called Cartes du Ciel by Patrick Chevalley. There is a New Version 3 but I am partial to Version 2.76c. It reminds me more of my old Skalnaté Pleso Atlas. I find that with age change is a little harder to accept. You can add Catalogs and other data to increase the amount of data displayed or simplify. You can download asteroids, comets, etc. You can speed into the future or back to an earlier time. Give it a try I think you will like it.

http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/index.html

Clear Sky - Rich