Windows
Students may have seen pictures of the famous Horsehead Nebula or Andromeda Galaxy, but where does one look in the sky to find these objects, and what can one expect to see when viewing these objects through the eyepiece of an amateur telescope?
Designed for introductory astronomy courses, Observational Astronomy re-creates a night sky observing session on the computer. Using specialized astrophotography, Observational Astronomy explores the night sky revealing the deep-sky objects hidden within the constellations. Nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters are first located and then observed in a setting similar to that of a night lab.
Students are initially presented with a naked-eye view of the stars with the option to superimpose constellation lines. Students then zero-in on the location of a deep-sky object and progress through various telescope viewing options:
i) View through the eyepiece of an amateur telescope (14" aperture). ii) Time-exposed image with an amateur telescope. iii) Time-exposed image with an observatory telescope or the Hubble Space Telescope.
This progression bridges the gap between what is seen through the eyepiece of an amateur telescope and the time-exposed observatory images seen in textbooks. After students have studied the constellations, Observational Astronomy can be operated in quiz mode where students are tested and scored on their ability to properly identify constellations.
Software Features:
Full coverage of the northern hemisphere sky, including 53 constellations and over 70 deep-sky objects. Based entirely on actual photos of the sky and specialized astrophotography. Includes special sections on the moon and planets. Ideally suited to provide a night lab experience when such sessions are difficult to schedule, or to prepare students for an actual outdoor session. Operates in observing mode or quiz mode. Option to superimpose constellation lines. Choose from more elaborate lines that provide insight as to how the constellation derived its name, or basic lines that include only the brighter stars (often used on star finders). Information provided on each constellation and deep-sky object. Option to access deep-sky objects by Messier number.
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me/XP, 486 or Pentium class processor, 16MB RAM.
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