Technology does not stand still - there are new projects, new versions of existing programs. And with the development of web-based technology, a host of online planetarium and maps of the solar system and nearby neighborhoods. Here is a short overview of online resources and programs that must be installed on the local machine. And a couple of words about the mobile planetarium for Android.
Online Resources h4> Simple and very functional
If you need a simple and functional online planetarium, it is probably the most suitable resource - heavens-above.com . Here you can find a lot of useful information - ISS visibility, bright satellites, Iridium flare, maps of the sky and the solar system, comets visible location. By the way, despite several archaic interface, developers are not standing still, they released a cute animation ISS WebGL:
Also released an application for Android (very good about it in the appropriate section). A map of the sky now interactive - by clicking on the dot shows an enlarged portion of the sky:
For those who want something more technologically advanced - there planetarium pivotally view direction with the mouse, for example, times , два or three .
Meeting astrofoto
If you're wondering what it looks like, for example, the Andromeda nebula "eyes" of the Hubble and VLT, and no matter where she is in the sky above your head, in this case, you will appreciate the resource sky-map.org :
The site is a collection of photographs of various telescopes at different scales, from the photo of the entire sky to point objects. Mosaic different picture a bit like Google Maps:
There is a similar resource Google Sky and the site SkySurvey with a common photo, but faster navigation
The Solar System and surroundings
If you are interested in inner circle of the sun, that is an excellent resource 100000 Stars with an interactive map:
The solar system is given in the scale, for a better understanding of huge distances. And for some nearby stars provides information from Wikipedia:
If you only have one solar system, that is pretty Russified resource Solar System Scope with the scheme of the solar system, the ability to rewind time and Star Map :
There is one more of the same resource SunAeon , a similar, but slightly different.
Software for PC h4> Planetarium for every day
In my opinion, the best planetarium for normal use - Stellarium . Free, cross-platform, with powerful functionality - the visibility of the ISS and satellites, the ability to add a comet to know what to look for on a particular day, the simulator eyepieces. The program is mandatory for installation, even if you are not fond of astronomy. It's funny, Stellarium stood on my work machine on one of the last works and even handy once in a completely working for ...
It also makes sense to mention WorldWideTelescope . The developer is the company Microsoft - it is the strength and weakness of the program. The latest version does not support Windows older than Win 7, and Web browser clients need Silverlight. But the program is free, and it is the strongest party - plenty of virtual tours to places of interest, which allow passive mode to "go on tour" across the sky in the company of a professional astronomer.
The Universe as a sandbox
Fabulously beautiful project SpaceEngine . It's not quite a planetarium, besides the known stars, nebulae and galaxies, the universe is filled with procedurally generated star systems, which can move freely. Text to explain a little sense, it should be easy to see, in good quality and expanding to fill the screen:
In December 2014 released version 0.9.7.2, it added support for 3D glasses, monitors and Oculus Rift, lava (lava from volcanoes and planets), City Lights, thermal heating and a lot of interesting things smaller. Unfortunately, due to a bug fell off compatibility with Windows XP, and stability still leaves much to be desired. In my outside perspective, the project would be highly useful volunteer testers. I hope they will attract the breathtaking beauty of the program:
For purely realists have Celestia , in which there is only really existing objects and graphics much easier. But it works stable.
Mobile planetarium h4> From several free planetarium for Android, which I tried, I really liked the Star Chart , free functionality is enough for everyday use. The only nasty bug - the program is updated to the clock in Russia ago, and now ahead of local time on the hour.
A real discovery was the mobile app from the Heavens Above. It is designed primarily to show that it will be interesting to fly over his head (ISS, bright satellites, Iridium flare), and perfectly complements conventional planetarium:
Information Sources h4> Initially, I just wanted to write news about the release of a new version of Space Engine. Thank group inContact «Astronomical Education» and «It works | Science" for post , bumping into the idea of making a more detailed review.
As an illustration, Space Engine used screenshots from the official forum .
Source: geektimes.ru/post/244061/
