Available for

MSDOS (will run in an MSDOS window [click here for MSDOS NOTES] under Windows).

"I have run the Celestial Basic programs and am overawed by the work and skill that must have gone into them."

- Ascent to Orbit, by Arthur C. Clark, John Wiley & Sons.

So much for the praise; now for the contents-

Moon and Planet Programs

o Right Ascension and Declination - provides the approxi- mate right ascension and declination of the moon for any date and time.

o Umbral Eclipses - for a start date of any year, this program tells you when the next umbral eclipse of the moon occurs, gives the magnitude of the eclipse, the local time of mid-eclipse, and the rise and set times of the moon for the day of the eclipse.

o Dates and Times of Lunar Phases - provides a table of lunar phases for any month with the choice of local or universal time for the phase.

o Right Ascension and Declination of the Planets - is divided into three parts. The first gives the right ascension and declination based on the 1960 epoch and using the equation of the center. The second gives more accurate right ascension and declination based on the 1980 epoch and uses Kepler's equation. The third gives hard-copy printout of the 1980 epoch data. Each also provides angular distance from the sun and distance in astronomical units from the Earth.

o Planets/Sun/Moon Finder - This program helps you locate the planets, sun, and moon relative to the stars for any date. The program calculates the position of the object and selects a star map for the appropriate part of the sky, shows the constellations, and plots the chosen planet (or the sun or moon). It also plots other planets in the same region of the sky. You may plot a series of intervals to show the motion of the planet across the star field.

o Planets/Sun/Moon Rise and Set Times - provides times when the planets, sun, and moon rise, transit, and set for any location on Earth, for any date.

o Mars Oppositions - This program offers two alternatives: The first finds the next opposition of Mars. The program asks for a start year and month, displays a plot of sun, Earth and Mars seen from above the solar system, counts off month by month and in smaller time intervals as opposition approaches, until the date of opposition, and then provides details such as angular size, constellation Mars is in, distance from Earth, and so on. The second alternative provides observational data about Mars for any date.

o Mercury and Venus - has three sections: The first tells you when the next eastern or western elongation of either Mercury or Venus occurs after a selected date, and provides information about the planet selected. The second shows graphically how Mercury and Venus swing from side to side of the sun. The third is used to find out when it is best to observe Mercury and Venus at any date and for any locality by indicating the rise times before and after the sun.

o Jupiter's Satellite Configurations - For any date, and time, this program provides data on the configuration of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter and makes a graphic display of the configuration.

o Worldwide Horizon Plots - An advanced graphics program which allows you to display the night (or day) sky on the monitor of your computer for any time and date and any location on Earth. In addition, the program displays Halley's comet for the 1910 and 1986 apparitions for times when it is expected to be visible in amateur telescopes. The tail is sized and oriented as expected. A planetarium-type horizon silhouette is displayed on each skyplot. You can select north, south, east, or west horizons, each of which overlaps those on either side and covers 180 degrees of azimuth. This is the most advanced and realistic skyplot program available today and it is updated to 1980 coordinates.

Time and Tutorial Programs

o Sidereal and Mean Time Conversion

o Julian Day from Calendar Day

o Updating Star Coordinates - provides right ascension and declination for any epoch given the right ascension and declination of another epoch.

o Transits of Pole Star - provides the time for any date when Polaris transits the meridian and is at eastern and western elongation.

o Astronomical Conversions - provides rapid conversion of astronomical measurements including: light years, parsecs, astronomical units, telescope resolving power, and metric units.

o Dates of Meteor Showers - provides details of annual meteor showers and shows a graphic star chart for you to identify the point from which the meteors appear to radiate (the radiant).

o Solar System Data - a long program, loaded with information about the solar system, its planets, and their rings and satellites.

o Recognizing the Constellation - a tutorial program which teaches you to recognize the constellations in the night sky. Bright stars in many constellations are also presented for you to identify.

o Photographing the Planets - You are asked to identify your photo configuration - camera at prime focus, camera with eyepiece, or projection with eyepiece - focal lengths involved, and aperture of objective mirror or lens, film speed, and planet being photographed. The program provides advice on size of image obtained and exposure needed.

Requires graphics capability.

Price: $79.95