Starry Night Pro Plus 5.0 Astronomy Software Win/Mac [DVD]

Other products by Imaginova

Product Features

• New in-the-field features and equipment checklists to help the serious stargazer
• Go online for up-to-date images of sunspots, auroras and weather patterns around the globe
• Upgraded observation and planner logs
• Navigate and open your saved Starry Night files more easily, through the simple task panel
• Powerful search tools locate any mapped planets, satellites, comets and asteroids

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002VKR4G
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,705 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

Product Description

Amazon.com

If you're looking for a complete desktop planetarium solution, look no further than Starry Night Pro Plus 5.0. With this powerful software you can see how the sky over your house looks right now, or use it to see how the sky will look tonight, tomorrow or far into the past or future. You can even change your position and see how the heavens appear from the other side of the earth, or from other planets.

From any place on Earth, see the real night sky in full-color photographic detail.

Enhanced telescope control on supported scopes makes Starry Night even easier-to-use for unsurpassed astronomical observations.

SkyCalendar alerts you to and simulates rare celestial events like this double shadow transit on Jupiter.

Delve deeper into the mysteries of the universe with the integrated SkyGuide.

Stunning views from a variety of celestial bodies are just a few clicks away; witness a total eclipse from the Moon, watch the Sun set from the surface of Mars, or even ride a comet. Starry Night Pro is also a valuable educational tool with more than 100 interactive, multimedia tours that reveal the fascinating science and history of stars. An elegant, easy-to-use interface lets you quickly tap into a new and improved suite of features. Key new features of Starry Night Pro Plus include integration with jaw-dropping "AllSky" star photograph imagery, connectivity with MaxIM DL telescopic imaging software (Windows Only), and enhanced computerized telescope controls. You'll also enjoy all the new features of Starry Night Pro Plus' companion product, Starry Night Pro, features like an enhanced SkyCalendar, a built-in Ephemeris Generator, and advanced observation aids. You haven't seen the heavens until you've seen the exclusive photographic imagery that ships with Starry Night Pro Plus. Take your observations to the next level with AllSky, the first-ever, full-color photograph of the entire night sky viewable from Earth. Quickly and easily navigate and zoom-in on the full-color CCD image mosaic, which is comprised of about 20,000 individual images taken with a 6 mega-pixel CCD camera and a custom-built optical system. The full-color, photographic detail of these images will knock your socks off! The Windows version of Starry Night Pro Plus also includes a plug-in for compatibility with MaxIM DL (sold separately), a complete CCD image-capture solution for telescopes. Now you can capture images with MaxIM DL and import them into Starry Night for viewing and navigation.

With Starry Night Pro Plus, you can take control of your computerized telescope like never before. This version features compatibility with these telescopes:

• Orion SkyQuest Intelliscope series (XT6, XT8, X10 and X12)
• Meade LX200
• Meade LX200 GPS
• LX200 Compatible Scope
• Meade ETX Autostar
• Autostar V2.2 or later (ETX, LX90, LXD55)
• Celestron NexStar 60, 80, 114 GT
• Celestron NexStar 5 or 8
• Celestron NexStar 8 GPS
• Celestron NexStar 11 GPS

Enhanced telescope control options are now available, including "Home Scope" which moves your scope to its home position for easier computer-to-star alignment. "Sync Gaze" synchronizes the scope's internal gaze direction with Starry Night and "Park/Unpark" lets you set the position of your scope when you're not using it. This is ideal for scopes placed in a permanent location or in one position over several days. Simply unpark your scope and start observing immediately without having to perform a star alignment again or recalibrating. Meanwhile, "Slew Limits" prevents the telescope from moving outside a user-defined horizon in both altazimuth and equatorial configurations. This helps to protect your valuable equipment by preventing the telescope from hitting the mount or tripod. You can also display your slew horizon in the Starry Night sky. The "Quick Center" function immediately centers Starry Night on the telescope position indicator. And for Macintosh users, the "Telescope Handbox Simulator" allows you to push the direction arrows in the Starry Night interface to move your scope.

The telescope controls also allow you to align your computer star maps with your telescope's viewfinder. You can even customize Starry Night's field-of-view indicators to match your telescope's eyepiece. A host of great activities await you when you have such powerful software at your fingertips. For instance, you could plan a night under the stars with the observational planner, track the sky with your telescope, and store comments and images on individual targets in Starry Night's observation log. And when the sun comes up, you can still enjoy the heavens by printing full sky (180-degree) star charts of any area in the sky.

With access to 55 million stars and 1 million galaxies, an enhanced SkyCalendar, a built-in Ephemeris Generator, and advanced observation aids, Starry Night Pro Plus is packed with new features that make it a must-have upgrade. The SkyCalendar is now seamlessly integrated with the observation planner and logs so you can more easily plan and record your stargazing sessions and receive alerts about upcoming celestial events. High-precision satellite tracking makes it easy to identify orbiting objects while the built-in Ephemeris Generator lets you calculate the position of heavenly bodies at a time of your choosing. Meanwhile, high-resolution illustrations let you enjoy panaramic views of your favorite constellations. You can also choose horizon panoramas to simulate surface conditions on earth or other planets and moons. Lastly, a new joystick-supported spaceship mode lets you maneuver around the Universe freely and expansively. Use this tool to see the sky from any location in the universe up to 700 million light years away.

If you're looking for valuable educational tools Starry Night Pro Plus delivers. Call up more than 100 multimedia tours to deepen your exploration and understanding of the universe. Enjoy high resolution exclusive constellation illustrations and images from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, as well as the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. You'll also get a library of imagery that lets you zoom in and explore the surface of Mars and Earth in unprecedented detail with new higher resolution surface maps. There's even a dictionary of common astronomy terms, plus a Record Holders database of astronomy trivia. And with an Internet connection you can direct Starry Night to send you automatic updates about new discoveries and orbital data of satellites, comets and asteroids.

Product Description

Starry Night Pro Plus lets stargazers ger more out of their hobby. The comprehensive astronomy software will help any lover of the night sky explore the universe more effectively Breathtaking images and a powerful suite of features make this software the brightest star in the world of astronomy!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars save your cash, October 5, 2005

By	D. Frank (Anchorage, AK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Please be aware that this program is not nearly as stable as version 4.5. Here are the issues I have with this new version, besides the crazy price:

1.) After repeated attempts to install the program from the provided DVD, I had to copy the contents to the hard drive to get the installation to work.

2.) Registration is now FORCED. In the past Imaginova provided the registration number with the product, not anymore.

3.) I have the latest video card on the market, yet any attempt to view the Milky Way results in a program crash.

4.) The new interface takes up too much space...and what happened to the slider bar on the zoom!? Poor handling of how to adjust time and date.

Generally I suggest that this software is significantly overpriced. Add to that the take-it or leave-it attitude with the Imaginova staff, and your better off saving your cash. Get the cheaper version or just go to the now updated RedShift.

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not yet there, March 5, 2006

By	imu ilu "143" (the world of hope) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

don't buy this yet. it's harder than heck to install--had 3 shots trying to install with everything else (virus programs, etc.) turned off. Oh, it shouldn't be this tough.
Finally once it somehow did install, I see it has lots of foreign locations to designate your home location, but not much good for cities over 100,000 in the US. Want to install in Russia or Kazaksta or Ghana or Egypt or Peru (Talara Peru for example) or Argentina, go right ahead. But, for example, no locations in Indiana US such as Gary, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Terre Haute, Evansville. So they've left out a lot of US people. You can install in Evora in Portugal and Horsens in Denmark (nothing personal, I just wonder how may purchasers there may be in Evora (55,000) or Horsens (55,000), versus Fort Wayne (220,000)or South Bend (160,000) or Evansville (120,000).

This is not a trivial issue, because this product should show the night sky above where you are. So where you are is very important here, unlike other products where nobody cares if you use your vacuum cleaner in Massachusetts or Michigan or Montana--with this product you want the sky where you are. Also, registration of the product is difficult. So US purchasers, be aware that this is not necessarily US-friendly, and it is not easy to install. I had hoped for better understanding of a US customer base, but maybe they are looking up into the skies instead of at who might likely buy their stuff. I have purchased earlier versions of this software but current install issues plus poor US locations (uh, to explain once more, you put in your location so the software shows your own night sky, thus your location is very important for useability, it's not just a trivial registration information type of thing) show this is not yet ready for the big time. It's a shame because they otherwise might have a very good product.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plan to spend time mastering the software ..., July 20, 2006

By	G. Halac (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very comprehensive program w/seemingly countless options. Gorgeous rendering of sky. Lots of detail about virtually anything in the sky, including satellites. Haven't spent the time needed to be a pro with the program, but it has done everything I can think of trying (so far). Great deal w/the rebate (assuming it gets honored). Installation trick: DO NOT attempt free upgrade to v5.8.2 until after you've run and exited the program at least once - otherwise you get a fatal Windows XP error.