When you click Go it will slew to object and keep tracking it on my EXT125. Astroplanner works with many different mounts so you would have check with yours. I think there is a trial that is free. http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/download.shtml
But when i was just starting in astronomy a few years back i was using an application that only had a few catalogs (Messier, NGC). Without having prefect alignment you would look through the scope and see more then one star of the same magnitude and not know witch is the one that i wanted to observe. so i would have to guess. It is not too big of the deal, but when you truing to see a separation on the double star and you not looking at correct one - could be very frustrating.
I use Astroplanner for all of my observing and planning. It will draw the stars as they appear in the eyepieces of you telescope, so you can compare and make sure you are looking at what you think you are looking.
I use Stellarium to get/keep my son interested in astronomy. When i first got my telescope, i called my wife out of the house to show her the Saturn - her response was "Wow, that is nice... couldn't you just look at the pictures on the internet?" It is hard to compete with Hubble and it is hard to get kids to be interested in it. That is why i use stellarium. It is nice eye candy. You can go though stars/planets before you go out. Keeps my son interested in comparing what computer will generate and what you can see with your eyes.
Kstars does look interesting; However from the description it says that it only has 130,00 starts in the catalog. If you compare that to Stellarium with default of 600,000 and available of more that 116,923,084 objects. Or if you willing to spend $40 on http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner AstroPlanner you will get about 609,558,311 objects in multiple catalogs. Unlike Stellarium Astroplanner also you turn catalogs on and off when you need to. You can plan your observation during a day, then print charts or connect the laptop to the scope and drive it. Record you notes.
And for "eye candy" write a script to show what you have seen to your wife on the Projector/HDTV/Computer through Stellarium.
I like Stellarium but it is not a very useful tool of astronomy.
The software. One of the best softwares i have tried is Astroplanner http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/ It allows you to plan your observations or download plans of others. Will control your telescope and help align it correctly. runs both on Mac and PC. They guy is very good at support, and it is not very expensive.
ps: I'm associated with Astroplanner but a very happy user.
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When you click Go it will slew to object and keep tracking it on my EXT125.
Astroplanner works with many different mounts so you would have check with yours.
I think there is a trial that is free. http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/download.shtml
I have not used Kstars.
But when i was just starting in astronomy a few years back i was using an application that only had a few catalogs (Messier, NGC). Without having prefect alignment you would look through the scope and see more then one star of the same magnitude and not know witch is the one that i wanted to observe. so i would have to guess. It is not too big of the deal, but when you truing to see a separation on the double star and you not looking at correct one - could be very frustrating.
I use Astroplanner for all of my observing and planning. It will draw the stars as they appear in the eyepieces of you telescope, so you can compare and make sure you are looking at what you think you are looking.
I use Stellarium to get/keep my son interested in astronomy.
When i first got my telescope, i called my wife out of the house to show her the Saturn - her response was "Wow, that is nice... couldn't you just look at the pictures on the internet?" It is hard to compete with Hubble and it is hard to get kids to be interested in it. That is why i use stellarium. It is nice eye candy. You can go though stars/planets before you go out. Keeps my son interested in comparing what computer will generate and what you can see with your eyes.
Kstars does look interesting; However from the description it says that it only has 130,00 starts in the catalog. If you compare that to Stellarium with default of 600,000 and available of more that 116,923,084 objects. Or if you willing to spend $40 on http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner AstroPlanner you will get about 609,558,311 objects in multiple catalogs. Unlike Stellarium Astroplanner also you turn catalogs on and off when you need to. You can plan your observation during a day, then print charts or connect the laptop to the scope and drive it. Record you notes.
And for "eye candy" write a script to show what you have seen to your wife on the Projector/HDTV/Computer through Stellarium.
I like Stellarium but it is not a very useful tool of astronomy.
I have been doing backyard astronomy for a few years now.
Hear is the list of groups and websites you want to visit or sign up:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DeepSkyImager/?yguid=222412370
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/ETXASTRO/?yguid=222412370
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/astroplanner/?yguid=222412370
http://www.weasner.com/etx
The software. One of the best softwares i have tried is Astroplanner http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/
It allows you to plan your observations or download plans of others.
Will control your telescope and help align it correctly. runs both on Mac and PC.
They guy is very good at support, and it is not very expensive.
ps: I'm associated with Astroplanner but a very happy user.
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