Astronomy Software - Professional Recommendations

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for professional astronomy software, focusing on features for visualizing celestial bodies and events, including historical positions of planets and the sun. Participants explore various software options and their capabilities for both casual and professional use.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks software to visualize planets as they appeared centuries ago, emphasizing the need for precise date and time inputs.
  • Another suggests that a simple planetarium software package would suffice, indicating that professional-grade software may not be necessary for the stated needs.
  • Several participants recommend specific software, including Starry Night and Stellarium, with one expressing dissatisfaction with Starry Night and favoring Stellarium for its user-friendliness and open-source nature.
  • World Wide Telescope is mentioned as a favorite for its capabilities in viewing various wavelengths and providing actual images of celestial objects.
  • Participants inquire about the ability to recreate astrological events and whether specific software can display the sun's position in constellations by degrees.
  • There is discussion about the limitations of certain software in terms of going back in time and the ability to see coordinates of planets at specific times and locations.
  • One participant raises a question about the Earth's position in the zodiac, leading to a discussion about the precession of the equinoxes and its effects on astrological interpretations.
  • TheSkyX is mentioned as a powerful software option that allows users to input historical dates for star chart visualization.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the best software for astronomy, with no clear consensus on a single recommendation. Some favor Stellarium for its accessibility, while others advocate for World Wide Telescope or TheSkyX for more advanced features. Disagreements arise regarding the necessity of professional software versus simpler options.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations in software capabilities, such as the ability to accurately calculate planetary positions over long periods due to gravitational effects and the historical context of astrological signs not aligning with current celestial positions.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for amateur astronomers, students of astronomy, and anyone interested in software for visualizing celestial events and positions.

mreq
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Hy. I'm looking for a professional astronomy software. Anybody knows ?
Thanks!
 
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To do what? Nobody can give you an answer unless you can frame the question.
 
Too see the planets how they were some centuries ago, and the sun. The moore details the better.
I want to give a precise hour and date and to see how the planets where on the sky (distance, degrees etc).
 
Then you need a simple planetarium software package - nothing designed for professionals. Just Google "planetarium software" and see what you come up with.
 
turbo-1 said:
Then you need a simple planetarium software package - nothing designed for professionals. Just Google "planetarium software" and see what you come up with.

I think i need to be profesional because there would be more things that i want to do.
 
russ_watters said:
I use Starry Night: http://store.starrynight.com/

I hate this progam. I recommend Stellarium, its free and open source and much less clunky to use than starrynight.
 
I want to recreate astrological events with it. Can it do that ?
 
mreq said:
I want to recreate astrological events with it. Can it do that ?
Definitely.
 
  • #10
Mu naught said:
I hate this progam. I recommend Stellarium, its free and open source and much less clunky to use than starrynight.
It is a processor hog, that's for sure. I'll give Stellarium a try.
 
  • #11
russ_watters said:
Definitely.

Can i see the sun in constelations (by degrees) ? How ?
 
  • #12
World Wide Telescope by Microsoft is my favourite astro software. for planets it will do what you are asking for just fine, but where it really shines is in viewing the universe in IR, Radio, Xray and visual.
 
  • #13
mreq said:
Can i see the sun in constelations (by degrees) ? How ?
Well if you want to do it now and cheap, just download Stellarium and try it! I've already done it since this morning - I'm surprised you haven't! In Stellarium (or most other programs) you just enter your location and date/time and just click on the sun and it'll tell you where it is.
 
  • #14
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/"

That is another awesome one, which shows more than just planets, and let's you view something from another thing. (very descriptive)
 
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  • #15
KalamMekhar said:
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/"

That is another awesome one, which shows more than just planets, and let's you view something from another thing. (very descriptive)
How do i go back in time ?
 
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  • #16
That one seems to have limited ability to go back in time.
 
  • #17
As already suggested, World wide telescope will work for what you want.
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx

For instance, here is a screen shot of the program showing the Feb 26, 1979 total solar eclipse as seen from Portland, Or.
 

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  • #18
On a side note, I use WWT to help me discern what I am looking at. It is much easier to use WWT because it is actual images, instead of simulated stars. I was completely lost on what I was looking at between Denebola and Vindemiatrix with all of the galaxies there, but I was able to know all of them.
 
  • #19
Janus said:
As already suggested, World wide telescope will work for what you want.
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx

For instance, here is a screen shot of the program showing the Feb 26, 1979 total solar eclipse as seen from Portland, Or.

How do i see the coordinates of the planets (in degrees) in constelations, for a specific time and location ?
 
  • #20
Click the "view" menu and enter the location and time. Then double click on the object you want to look at to center it: the RA and DEC coordinates are at the bottom right corner of the screen.
 
  • #21
What about the time ? Is it gregorian ? Can it be switched ?
 
  • #22
mreq said:
What about the time ? Is it gregorian ? Can it be switched ?
Yes. If you want to use a different one, you'll have to make the conversion yourself.
 
  • #24
What about the moon position and the other planets from a certain point from Earth ?
 
  • #26
How ?
I don't know how to use it.
 
  • #27
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/experienceit/experienceit.aspx"

May I suggest just opening WWT up and fiddling with it for an hour or two?
 
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  • #29
Why the Earth is in Gemini constelation. Shouldn't be in Cancer ?
 
  • #30
There are perturbative [interactive gravitional] effects that make it extraordinarily difficult to precisely calculate planetary positions over long periods of time - even without factoring in the occasional rogue comet or asteroid.
 

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