SkyTools 2

[Albireo380]

I just got a copy of SkyTools 2 software. It seems like a very useful piece of software. It has three main sections, a planning section, a chart section and a logging section.

The software allows you to configure for your location, telescope(s) apertures focasl lengths etc and eyepieces. So in the planning and chart sections, you can use this info to produce planning lists and charts that match your location and equipment.

In the planning section you can produce observing lists based on location, equipment, object type and position - any combination of these. So you can tailor your observing list to your location, equipment and atmospheric condition (full moon, poor seeing etc). The lists can be dropped down into spreadsheets and printed as such, embeded in WORD documents etc - so very useful for planning observing sessions for yourself and for small groups. No more saying "What will we look at next?"

In the chart section, you can produce fairly detailed (but nowhere near as realistic as Starry Night) charts. It isnt really a piece of planetarium software, more for sky chart production - and as such is perfectly good. It is primarily to produce observing charts to take out with you, not to view on a screen.

The logging section does exactly what it says - it provides you with a place to log the details of your observing sessions - and perfectly good it is too.

I only got the software loaded this evening (it is raining outside - so no observing) and it looks a pretty useful for planning purposes.

The software is available from Skyhound.com , and costs $99 + $10 P+P.

Hope this quick post is helpful to those who may be looking for this type of software.

Tom

[OXO]

Thanks for sharing Tom, i will check this out tommorow i remember the orignal Sky tools being very good

James

[daz]

Shame they don't do a trial version, but it looks good though.

Let us know how you get on with Tom