Heliocentric view
Sky map
Peter's projection
Azimutale projection
Mercator's projection
Conjunctions ofJupiter's or Saturn's satellites
Saturn 3D
Conjunctions graph
Planet dance
Planet position
Ephemeris
Prevision of interesting phenomena
Heliocentric view : shows the solar system in perspective, with the sun in the centre, seen from the north. It's possible to animate the planets and see them gravitate around the sun, they are on an ellipse that represents their trajectories : dark north of the ecliptic, fair south, the colours change at the ascendants and descendants nodes. This view is on the scale ( spatial and temporal) .You can zoom in and out with the mouse buttons, and move the place of the beholder with the arrows.
Sky map : this proposes different projections of sky maps, with stars, planets, asteroids, comets, and deep sky objects. It's possible to animate and see the sky changing with hours. Eclipses are easy to see (try on 12 October 1996, or 11 August 1999). The colours of the background indicate daylight (blue) or night (black), and melt at dawn and dusk. You can use many options. Display stars according to their magnitudes (with more possibilities for the Guide Star Catalogue). You can display constellations to recognise the sky lore easily, all the Messier objects are also available, and the most interesting NGC (nebulosity, galaxy, cluster) . The colour of the stars is white by default, but you can give the real colour (i.e. the colour that corresponds to the spectral type). Their area is function of their magnitude. At the bottom right of the screen, the names number in Messier catalogue, constellations are displayed. When you point at a star all the other stars that belong to the same constellation are illuminated. A right click on a star, planet or asteroid gives many other items of information.
· Circular projection : often the only projection of many planetarium software, very classical. All the sky visible from the place you indicate is displayed on the disk. The distance to the centre is proportional to the highness, and the angular position is proportional to the azimuth and time.
Azimutal projection : interestion to see the sky as it is near the horizon.
Peters' projection : is quite the same as the projection of usual maps. It doesn't get out of shape around the pole, but a lot close to the equator. The white ellipse represents the horizon, what is out of this ellipse is invisible. If you chose a place close to the equator this view is not adapted. The distance to the centre of the map is proportional to the declination. The angular position is proportional to time and right ascension.
Mercator's projection : does not warp around the horizon, but a lot around the pole. You can zoom in by clicking right on the mouse and thus make a rectangle appear, the rectangle is the new zoom windows. This projection gives declination in on the y axis and right ascension on the x axis.
Mercator + trajectories : the planets draw their way through the map. This allows to see retrograde effects, visualise the ecliptic, and help understand why planets always are in the same constellations (and never in Ursa Major for example).
Conjunction : relative position of the sun and planets : on the x axis the difference between the right ascension of the sun and the planet, on the y axis the time. When there is a conjunction the trajectories cut one another. The reciprocal is often true but you have to check the declination. When a planet is on the side it is visible all night long. You can also find the maximal elongations, find that those of Mercury are unequal…You can also zoom with the mouse or had the groupof the moon…
Dance : this function is mainly useful for inner planets, with that you can check the best period to watch an inner planet (i.e. when it is far from the sun). The first day is indicated by a red circle. Every month the colour changes (green or blue). It is fair when the planet is on our side of the sun, dark when it is behind. It indicates the angular position from the sun (red cross in the centre). Angles are in degrees.
Satellites and great red spot (Saturn and Jupiter) : these planets have very big satellites, we replace them in three views. View from the pole, view of the equator (the earth in the back), and a graph to determine the conjunctions. It's possible to animate. For Jupiter we work out the position of Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede, and we replace the great red spot of Jupiter in the second view ; it shows Jupiter as you would see it from a telescope without a prism. For Saturn we give the position of Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion. Iapetus is not displayed by default (non equatorial orbit). As all these satellites have a very short period of rotation(about one day to one week), you should set the time carefully.
Saturn 3D : shows Saturn, its ring and its satellites as you see it from a telescope without a prism. The planet, the ring, the distances of the satellites to the centre, the division of Cassini, everything is on the same scale. The size of the Satellites is directly related to their magnitude. In a 115-900 you an easily see Titan and sometimes Rhea.
Position : indicates the position of the planet in declination and right ascension. Also give the distance from the earth in Astronomical Units. Positions are topocentic.
Ephemeris : save in a text file the ephemeris of a planet. You have a great deal of information : co-ordinates, magnitude, angular diameter..
Prevision : gives informations about phenomenae to observe during night meteor shower, informations about each planet...