How accurate is Stellarium?

[Manok101]

I've been getting frustrated looking for DSO's, and I thought about using something like stellearium zoomed in to practice what it might look like through the eyepiece, and I was just wondering how accurate stellarium was for the smaller harder to see stars?

[dobbie]

hi manok101 i use stellearium and distant suns ipod software all the time both give same alt/az readings and i find most things with no problems at all,,.

[astroimpulse]

If you want it to look like it would through an EP then you need to initiate 'Ocular' via 'settings'/'plugins'

Once setup it's decent enough to get an idea. Ctrl and [ or Ctrl and ] changes the EPs (you need to set them up). Shift and [ or Shift and ] changes the OTAs (you need to set them up too).

HTH

[JamieH]

Now that's a good idea. So we need the Ocular Plugin. Hi Manok101, dobbie & Astroimpulse Great thanks.

[astroimpulse]

Yeh, the cool thing is it's already there ready. just initiate it and restart. At least I'm sure it is. Can't remember downloading it

Need to uncheck 'scale image circle' in the config once it's ready. Also, left Alt and O gets you straight into the config settings rather than dancing through menus.

[lukebl]

Do you mean that when you look at DSOs, they look nothing like the image in Stellarium? If so, it is because the images in Stellarium are long-exposure images, and bear little relation to what the human eye can see.

Realistically, most DSOs look just like a faint grey fuzzy blur. A lot of newcomers get very disappointed with that and that's perhaps why a lot of us are into astroimaging, but for me it doesn't detract at all. The challenge is seeing them at all and training your eye to tease out the detail. Plus the realisation of the sheer distance and scale of the thing you're looking at.

[HappySachs]

I've been getting frustrated looking for DSO's, and I thought about using something like stellearium zoomed in to practice what it might look like through the eyepiece, and I was just wondering how accurate stellarium was for the smaller harder to see stars?

I can't comment on its accuracy, but I've used it in this way with my binoculars to find Uranus and M82. I set the FOV to that of my binoculars and then memorised a sequence of star hops to find my target.

[E621Keith]

Do you mean that when you look at DSOs, they look nothing like the image in Stellarium? If so, it is because the images in Stellarium are long-exposure images, and bear little relation to what the human eye can see.

Realistically, most DSOs look just like a faint grey fuzzy blur. A lot of newcomers get very disappointed with that and that's perhaps why a lot of us are into astroimaging, but for me it doesn't detract at all. The challenge is seeing them at all and training your eye to tease out the detail. Plus the realisation of the sheer distance and scale of the thing you're looking at.

I totally agree with lukebl. What scope do you (op) have? Because, even through my 6 inch, the M31 still looks like a fuzzy blob from my suburban garden.

[glowjet]

A short while ago one of our club members introduced us to a publication entitled : "Observing the Deep Sky by Darren Bushnall", quite a remarkable paperback of some 170 pages of how to find, observe and e.ven sketch DSO, the only draw back, it will cost you a large sum of money.......10P. Available through Amazon with "supersaver" at an all in cost of £2.75.

John.

[Doc]

Even with a 16" scope from a light polluted back garden they still look like grey smudges only larger. Takes dark skies to tease out detail in galaxies.