Eracore.Net, Astronomy Programs

Thursday 11th of March 2010

CeBIT 2009 sparks new optimism

KStars -

KStars is a simulation of a planetarium. It shows a chosen segment of a celestial chart and the associated stars, planets, galaxies, and planetoids. Additionally, it contains a lot of nice tools, such as a time calculator and a solar system diagram.
Stellarium -

This is a sky simulator. It shows not only stars in the point forms, but also views of the sky in close to real time. There are options that allow for fog effects or change in sky illumination during the day. The sky is shown not as an independent creation, but as a background for a chosen location, and this gives it a more real impression.
Celestia -

This is a 3D simulator of outer space. Not leaving home, we can see how various objects in the universe, from the closest to us, the Moon, to a nebula far away in the cosmos appear in the sky. This application possess a rich database about many celestial bodies and I believe the best way to view them is moving inside the 3D environment. Maybe it’s a good time for a ride towards the Andromeda galaxy?
Sun Clock -

This application is a map of the world that shows it lighted and unlighted by the Sun as it travels across the earth. The map is very scalable so we can see how the dawn starts in any corner of the globe in every detail and watch as night falls in another part of the world at the same time. Additional options in the program allow us to show the local time in different cities, their coordinates, and the time of sunrises and sunsets.