Search filters can be applied: minimum and maximum altitude, period of time per observation etc...
Version: 1.0.0.41 Filesize: 132.00 Kb
Added on: 23-Jan-2005 Downloads: 630 Rating: 9.6 (5 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Virtual Moon Atlas  
Description: «This software can visualize the Moon aspect for every date and hour. It permits also to study lunar formations with unique database and pictures library compiled by Christian Legrand.

It's conceived to be easily usable "in the field" according to an observing session needs, but also to study "at home" the Moon and its relief. It's interfaced with "Sky Charts" freeware (above). This set is certainly now one of the most complete released.

It's possible to choose the language used by the software and database.

Files have been cut in several packages.

New features introduced in version 2 included :
- Introduction of "Moon complete globe" with Far Side;
- Simulation of a spatial flight orbiting the Moon;
- VMA is now separated in 3 modular versions;
-- AVL "Light”: 2D software for less performing hardware;
-- AVL "Basic”: Basic software presenting the "3D with librations" mode;
-- AVL "Expert”: Advanced software presenting the "3D complete globe" mode;
- New texture of complete globe realized with Clementine high resolution photos by professor Mark S. Robinson and his team of the "Northwestern University";
- More than 600 new Far Side craters and formations descriptions;
- Database corrections for some bad entries;
- New pictures library: "Moon Stars" 130 LOPAM pictures of the most famous lunar formations

News functions introduced with 2.1 included :
- Computerized goto mount support;
- Moon phase calendar.

Recently, version 3 brought:
- New Dual-Window interface;
- Colorful lunar globe;
- Applying scientific overlays to the virtual globe. This includes the results from the Clementine and Lunar Prospector probes (altimetry, colorimetry, gravitational anomaly, high and low energy neutron, iron, hydrogen, potassium, thorium repartition);
- New "Farside indiced craters" database (1667 entries); - New pictures libraries from the "Lunar Astronautical Charts" and"Lunar Maps" (800 pictures);
- The "Consolidated Lunar Atlas" has been completed (2300 pictures);
- The "Pro" version is now available on CD-rom that include the software, databases, textures, overlays, LOPAM, Apollo, Probes and LAC/LM pictures libraries.
Version: 3 Filesize: 14.31 MB
Added on: 01-Aug-2003 Downloads: 3401 Rating: 9.4 (20 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Taiyoukei  
Description: "Taiyoukei" is software written in embedded Visual Basic 3.0 which provides abundant data about the Solar System, such as ephemerides, simulations and photo galleries.

A «must have».

Note: Installer for StrongARM, MIPS and SH3. Unzip and use ActiveSync to install with "setup.exe".
Version: 0.9 Filesize: 7.63 MB
Added on: 30-Aug-2003 Downloads: 974 Rating: 9.2 (5 Votes)
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Category: Pocket PC

  Sky Charts  
Description: Who said you needed to buy an expensive Cd-rom to have a quality sky atlas ?

Sky Charts (a.k.a. Cartes du Ciel) computes and prints customized charts of the heavens. When you download the program ("basic package") it comes with the Bright Star Catalogue (featuring stars down to mag. 6.5) and a database of 10'000 nebulae from SAC 7.2. Optionally, you may choose to download the "complete package", including also Sky2000, version 3, with 300' 000 stars to magnitude 9, high precision planetary satellites positions and Realsky support.

Anyway, the point is for you to later get additional free catalogues from its homepage, according to your interests and specific needs. For instance, Tycho-2 with more than 3 millions stars, down to mag. 12.1; a catalogue of 68'179 variable stars from GCVS, NSV and EVS; a database of 193'898 galaxies from PGC1999 catalogue etc, etc...

Main features offered include:

• about 30 catalogues of stars, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies;
• ability of demanding portions of star catalogues online so as to plot charts until mag. 20;
• facility of self-updating online, from different sources, the comet and asteroid elements databases;
• option to request from SkyView - Digital Sky Survey, and similar sources, real sky images of the region drawn on the chart - with the ability of superimposing and easily editing, filtering and chromatically juggling them;
• DDE interface allowing the joint use with VAROBS - another freeware by Patrick Chevalley, consecrated to variable stars;
• interface for telescope control;
• additional support of Real Sky and USNO Cds etc, etc...

This is the Windows version. Add-ons, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and Linux versions are also available.
Version: 1.3.2 Filesize: 10.95 MB
Added on: 01-Aug-2003 Downloads: 3546 Rating: 8.9 (25 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Orbiter  
Description: «ORBITER is a realistic space simulation using proper physics for the modelling of planetary motion, gravitational fields, free space and atmospheric flight etc. As such, it is more challenging to master than an arcade game - you should at least have some basic idea about mechanics and planetary motion to get the most from it.

You can land your ship at a space port on a planet surface, or dock to an orbital station; High resolution planetary maps provide some nice visual effects; Configurable environment. Users can add planets, space ships and space stations to the existing universe, or design a completely new solar system from scratch.» The two minimum installation files will include the «Base» and «Textures» packages. Additional Earth, Moon, Mars etc... texture files and patches are also available.
Version: 050126 Filesize: 5.82 MB
Added on: 01-Aug-2003 Downloads: 1902 Rating: 8.9 (41 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Planetarium for Palm  
Description: Planetarium is an application for the Palm Connected Organizer that plots star charts and offers some unique, useful features for the beginning star gazer as well as for the professional astronomer.

Features: Draws a sky map; Compass view for easy location of objects in the sky; Can be used as a compass when the sun or the moon are visible; Connects to telescopes via the serial port; Comes with a location data base of 600 major cities; Can be used as world clock; Observation log to take notes of your observations; Can be used in the northern and shouthern hemisphere; The whole date range of the Palm is supported (1904 to 2030); Accuracy: 0.1 degrees typical; Memory requirement: 144 KB min; Depends o­n the amount of installed options and data.

Calculations: RA/Dec, Az/Alt of any object; Julian date and sidereal time; Rise and set time of any object; Twilight times; Moon phases; Solstices; Jupiter's moons; Angular size of Saturn's rings; Phase and elongation of the planets; Distance and magnitude of planets; Angular size of the planets; Graphical representation of the phase of the moon and the inner planets; Magnetic declination; Meteor showers

Objects: All planets, sun and moon ; 1600 or 9000 stars (can be determined at installation) ; 88 constellations; Deep sky objects data base expandable; (Data sets available for 110 Messier objects and 110 Caldwell objects, 280 double stars, 400 Herschel objects and over 1000 additional deep sky objects); Comets and asteroids (data base expandable)

Compatibility: Runs o­n PalmOS 2.0 or higher; Uses grey shades o­n PalmOS 3.0 or higher; Uses colours o­n colour devices.
Version: 2.2.5 Filesize: 292.97 Kb
Added on: 11-Oct-2003 Downloads: 850 Rating: 8.6 (5 Votes)
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Category: Palm OS

  CNebulaX  
Description:

Freeware charting software oriented to deep sky astronomy, including 25 million stars (GSC1.2), 1.25 million deep sky objects, 2300 comets and 300,000 asteroids (all the additional databases are available in the link indicated above). The full instalation requires around 250 Mb HD space, depending on the additional databases selected. It can link image files to show them as one navigate in the maps. Multitabbed interface easy to use. Controls Meade LX200 classic telescopes. Includes some basic ephemerids calculation (more facilities currently under development) and prediction of visibility of stellar and nonstellar objects. It also includes annotations of the visual appearance of thousands of DSOs, and the user can introduce his/her own notes. It can overlay the maps on digital images to identify deep sky objects. It also includes a library with tables listing deep sky objects that can be used to jump to the maps clicking on them. From panoramic planetarium views to powerful maps exceeding 15 magnitude in stars and galaxies up to 18th magnitude. Comets and asteroids ephemeredes. Full VSOP87 theory for planets (accuracy ca. 0.05 arc seconds). Local updates (EXE file) 1.05.65 with fast DSOs picker downloadable from the complements webpage and paralax corrections for the situation of the observer on the Earth. Full setup files are now in MS Windows Installer 1.1

Note: a «LITE» freeware version is also available (v.1.3f2)
Version: 2 Filesize: 5.72 MB
Added on: 02-Sep-2003 Downloads: 1081 Rating: 8.3 (6 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  World Time  
Description: Program entirely devoted to time counting. Displays a configurable number of clocks with current time in selected locations worldwide (database including thousands of cities and respective time zones and daylight saving time rules); plots a world map (allowing to zoom in and out and to choose among three types of projection) with the progression of the sunlit face of the Earth and other utilities; permits automatic synchronisation of the computer's internal clock with atomic clock servers, through internet; shows a table of astronomical ephemerides (Sun, Moon, day length etc...); includes several tools to make time calculations easy (days, hours and seconds since or until a particular event, time zone discrepancies etc...); offers a chronograph; sounds chimes on the hour and enables alarms.

Useful, educational and fun to use.
Version: 600941 Filesize: 3.06 MB
Added on: 03-Aug-2003 Downloads: 1794 Rating: 8.3 (7 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Stellarium (Windows)  
Description: Stellarium renders 3D photo-realistic skies in real time. With Stellarium, you really see what you can see with your eyes, binoculars or a small telescope.

Features:

• Over 120000 stars from the Hipparcos Catalogue with name and infos for the brightest ones.
• Planets and major satellites in real time, with a powerfull zoom mode to see them like in a telescope.
• Planet position computation now accurate enough for eclipse or transit simulation.
• Drawing of the 88 constellations with their names.
• Textured displaying of more than 70 nebulas (Orion, M31 etc..).
• Photorealistic Milky Way.
• Ground, fog, and landscape.
• Ultra fast realistic atmosphere rendering.
• Automatic eye adaptation to luminance.
• Star twinkling.
• Smooth real time intuitive navigation.
• Equatorial and altazimutal mode.
• Fisheye projection mode (e.g for planetarium dome).
• Grids in Equatorial and Azimuthal coordinates.
• Time control (real time and accelered time modes).
• Graphical menu for simple utilisation.
• Clikable stars, planets and nebulas with informations.
• Ecliptic and celestrial equator lines.
• Windowed and fullscreen modes.

Etc, etc... (just get it!)
Version: 3.0.1 Filesize: 878.91 Kb
Added on: 03-Aug-2003 Downloads: 2170 Rating: 8.2 (6 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  C2A - Computer Aided Astronomy  
Description: C2A (Computer Aided Astronomy) is a French stellar cartography program which plots detailed views of star fields. The purpose of it is to take into account the major databases available so as to prepare observations of faint fields as well as works in astrometry.

C2A allows one to access the SAO star database (included in the installation package), Guide Star, Tycho-2, USNO-SA1.0 and USNO-A2 (these catalogues are not included in the program due to their massive size), it is also able to display field images transferred from the ESO DSS (Digitized Sky Survey) server over the Internet.
Regarding the deep sky, C2A is offered with two catalogues: the Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue as well as one catalogue of deep sky objects based on RNGC and NGC2000. It also allows reading and plotting the pictures of the B-T Atlas, a unique catalogue of 6600 deep sky objects with 4649 associated images (not included with the program).

C2A possesses numerous functions (planetary positions, asteroid and comet tracking/plotting, ephemeris tables, local visibility conditions/graphic for any given object etc?).

It was conceived to offer great precision regarding the calculation of planetary positions in astrometric coordinates (and not in apparent coordinates), a facility required to compare the position of solar system objects with background stars. This is particularly useful for observing occultations.»

The author also offers separate downloads of updated orbital elements files (for comets and asteroids) and a few tools (such as compilers of the Guide Star Catalogue and of the Tycho-2 Catalogue, for those owning the CDs).

This is a neat application, still in development, promising to progressively get even better. A DOS version is furthermore available for those owning old machines/computers with few resources.
Version: 2..X.X Filesize: 9.54 MB
Added on: 01-Aug-2003 Downloads: 1502 Rating: 8.2 (9 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Galiléo  
Description: Software whose features include: calculation of Jupiter's ephemeris; displays the shadows and the four main satellites; the Great Red Spot; Magnification for Jupiter and its satellites; automatic calculating of next transit.
Version: 1.02 Filesize: 1.15 MB
Added on: 30-May-2005 Downloads: 788 Rating: 8.2 (5 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Mobile Planetarium  
Description:

A MIDP1.0/2.0 midlet for most Java-enabled mobile phones (cell phones). Simulates whole sky at any point on earth with constellations, stars up to 6 mag, solar systems and some other celestial objects. It may be a useful tool when you are bathed under star lights with your cell phone in the pocket. This also gives you a serious and detailed guide of current sky above your head at your location.

The full version of the program is supplied with a collection of over 16,000 pictures of deep sky object
Version: 11 Filesize: 7.30 MB
Added on: 01-Aug-2003 Downloads: 931 Rating: 8.0 (6 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Satscape  
Description: «Produces real-time displays of where any Satellite is, and predicts passes for your locale. You don't have to use or have access to the satellites, as it will even predict when the 150 'Brightest' satellites pass over, so you can SEE them.

It can currently track 500 satellites simultaneously, with various graphically rich Map Views with ground tracks and footprints, Horizon view, tabular list and more. It?s highly graphical, and has optional speech to announce satellites as they come into range. Tracking Data known as "Keplerian Elements" are used to work out their positions. Updating the Keplerian elements couldn't be easier, just one click from the menu, and it will connect via your Internet connection, and update them.»
Version: 2.02 Filesize: 5.91 MB
Added on: 08-Aug-2003 Downloads: 1427 Rating: 8.0 (5 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Practices on Observational Astronomy  
Description: A program designed for the academic teaching of Astronomy. It was born with the idea of filling a hole in this area and with the aim of being used in all possible universities. For this purpose, the program is completely free and it has been developed with a certain care so that its hardware requirements are as low as possible.

Features/modules include:

• Eclipse, saros cycle. Has two main parts: the study of the saros cycle with the help of a program written in language BASIC, and the study of sequences and maps of visibility of eclipses.
• Firmament. Allows to represent the firmament from any town and date.
• Disks and coordinates. Simulates the apparent aspect of the Sun, the Moon, planets and satellites like they would be observed from a certain town.
• Solar system I. Represents the trajectories in the sky of the planets, comets, and asteroids, in order to identify the dates of the opposition, conjunction, stationary points, and quadratures...
• Ephemerides. The objective is double: 1) to study the code of a program of ephemerides calculation in language FORTRAN 90; 2) to carry out a practical calculation of ephemerides to obtain the apparent equatorial coordinates of a planet, using the subroutines of the code .
• Solar system II. This practice allows to study the heliocentric Solar System. The program presents the planets, and some comets and asteroids.

You may get the program from the link above or you can use the Emule network/P2P client (edk2 link): Prácticas De Astronomía Observacional v1.2 (Software Gratuito De Astronomia Ideal Para Escuelas Y Universidades).zip

Note: The title/download and homepage links are pointing to the English version; if you are interested in the Spanish counterpart check this page instead.
Version: 2.0 Filesize: 25.75 MB
Added on: 16-Apr-2004 Downloads: 1256 Rating: 7.8 (11 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  WinEclipse  
Description: Free graphical solar/moon eclipse program to forecast any solar or lunar eclipse by using a earth map with central line.
Version: 3.4 Filesize: 683.59 Kb
Added on: 22-Jan-2005 Downloads: 1143 Rating: 7.7 (5 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  AstroCalc  
Description: AstroCalc enabled you to :
- To calculate the position of planets and give their appearance.
- To calculate hours of Rising/Transit/Setting
- Visualization of the apparent diameter of planets ones compared to the others…
- Visualization of the position of planets on the ecliptic.
- Visualization of planets in heliocenric position.
- Positions of the satellites around Jupiter, as seen from Earth.
- Calculate the position of comets...
- Download the appearance of the sun directely on web ( SoHo ).
- And many other possibilities.....
The calculations are based on algorithms from Jean MEEUS
("Calculs Astronomiques à l'usage des amateurs") as well as personal adaptations for special events.
The accuracy is of course limited, however this accuracy is sufficient for every amateur astronomer.
Compatible with Win 98/ME/NT/2000/XP
Version: 2.81 Filesize: 976.56 Kb
Added on: 24-June-2006 Downloads: 2990 Rating: 7.5 (11 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  Gravity3D  
Description: Gravity3D simulates galaxy collisions using the gravity equation F=G*M1*M2/R^2 It displays hundreds of thousands of stars in realtime using OpenGL. Various parameters can be changed including the number of galaxies and stars.

 

 

Version: 1.55 Filesize: 191.41 Kb
Added on: 03-Sep-2003 Downloads: 3950 Rating: 7.5 (8 Votes)
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Category: Windows

  EfeCalc  
Description: EfeCalc is a Windows program that produces highly accurate astronomical ephemeris, including: rise, transit and set times for the Sun, Moon and Planets and ecliptic, equatorial and horizontal coordinates; mean and apparent positions of the Stars; lunar and solar eclipses (with maps); Moon phases and age, perigee and apogee; elements for the observation of solar physics; equation of time (with graphic); parallax of the Moon, stars and planets; illuminated fraction of the planets; calendar events (Easter, seasons, Chinese New Year etc..); extensive database of locations around the world; database with more than 400 stars et cetera.

If you want to learn more about Astronomy, this program also has an on-line extensive Help.

It exports the results to .html, .csv (spreadsheet) and .txt formats.

Version 2 also includes an on-line automatic update feature and a basic sky simulator.

The title/name above links to the English installation file. You can get the Portuguese version here.
Version: 2.2 Filesize: 2.67 MB
Added on: 03-Sep-2003 Downloads: 2355 Rating: 7.2 (6 Votes)
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Category: Windows