When did Stellarium become the know all see all of star gazing?

reply to post by busterbunni

I use all available rescources I can find to answer a question when I have one. The question comes first and I try to look at many sites, as well as other peoples observation to arrive at a conclusion that I find to be plausible at that time. That doesn't mean my question is answered because I continue to observe and take into account other sources. I try to keep an open mind because I don't have the knowledge of absolute certainty, and I also assume other people use some of the same techniques as myself. I believe in the existence of things we can hear and see as well as things we can't. The only thing I can say with absolute faith is that I don't know everything and everything I do know I try to question. I'm glad other people feel the same way because the speed of light has been broken and without that constant questioning it never would have been.

If you use all available resources, what is your objection to using Stellarium? You can always cross check it with countless other resources, and they will always check out. My question to you now is: why do you think the speed of light has been broken? Have you designed and performed an experiment yourself? Have you thoroughly reviewed the protocols and data from CERN and Argonne? Have you at least reviewed the peer generated critiques? Or did you just seize on a single news story because it confirmed your preconceived beliefs? You might want to ponder the following thread before you answer:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Bun,

Here is the reality of the situation:

Mankind has been looking at the stars for thousands of years. The orbits of the planets, and the apparent motion of the stars are well known, mathematically anticipated, and carefully observed by thousands of trained observers every single night.

Any software is going to use known calculations which have been tested and proven for hundreds of years.

If you think Google is up to something, then get yourself a volume of pre-Google start charts and a planisphere, and compare. Use non-Google software to calculate where a planet ought to be. Then, when you have found a variation, go check the sky for yourself. If you find a discrepancy, let us know.

But you have not found a discrepancy, or else you would have mentioned it.

Thus, I (and apparently others) suspect your real purpose in posting was to make a FUD post about Google. FUD = a persuasion technique of casting Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt without making any specific allegations. It is a nice way of saying, "making up a lie without being held accountable."

I'm calling you on it. "Pictures, or it didn't happen."

reply to post by busterbunni

I don't think Stellarium is the "the know all see all of star gazing". There are better programs out there that observatories use, but they aren't as user friendly, and they aren't free. Here's partial list of some programs if you want to try something other than Stellarium, but I left the Stellarium listing in the quote so you can see what comments they make about it (it may be a little dated but should show other programs are available:

Astronomy software

there are MANY astronomy programs out there, especially for the Windows platform. I don't have time to review them all, and the links here are to those that I have checked out recently. I will post mostly freeware listings, but will include some links to pay software that is exceptional and not advertized. The listings will probably grow (slowly) over time.

Celestia

Celestia is a free real-time space simulation that lets you experience our universe in three dimensions. Unlike most planetarium software, Celestia doesn't confine you to the surface of the Earth. You can travel throughout the solar system, to any of over 100,000 stars, or even beyond the galaxy. All travel in Celestia is seamless; the exponential zoom feature lets you explore space across a huge range of scales, from galaxy clusters down to spacecraft only a few meters across. A 'point-and-goto' interface makes it simple to navigate through the universe to the object you want to visit. It has recently been ported to Darwin/Unix/Mac OS-X (and a pure Cocoa version is well underway). For the Mac OS-X version, go to: redivi.com...

Stellarium

Stellarium is a free software available for Windows 95/98/2000 and Linux. It renders 3D photo-realistic skies in real time. With Stellarium, you really see what you can see with your eyes, binoculars or a small telescope.

Partiview

Partiview (Particle View) is a software package that allows one to navigate through three dimensional data sets. These data sets are not limited to astronomical data, but can be particle data of any type. Partiview is also able to display 2-D images as well as play prerecorded flight paths. The user interface is command line style, with tabs to click to enable/disable display options. MilkyWay object data is provided. Partiview is available for Linux or Windows. A port to Darwin/Mac OS-X may be in the works, but is not available as of August 2002.

Cartes du Ciel

Cartes du Ciel comes in a number of languages, and is a highly configurable and very useful planetarium program that can also produce observing charts. External catalogs can be added and the display configured to suit the user. It also connects to several popular telescope controllers. Well worth a look.

Hallo, Northern Sky

This is a fairly user friendly and very complete planetarium/star mapping program. Here you will find the planetarium program for Windows 95/98/2000/NT/ME/XP and an older version for Windows 3.1. It is complete with the SAO, PPM, Tycho-2 star databases, up to date deepsky database containing 25500 objects , Realsky (r) images and access to the GSC 1.1, 1.2, and USNO CDROM databases. Also a LX200 control program, a Realsky viewer (incl. source) DDE controlled from HNSKY and a BMP/ JPEG to FITS conversion utility.

C2A

C2A (Computer Aided Astronomy) is planetarium software that allows you to build detailed views of stellar fields. An important objective of this software is to take into account the main catalogues available to professional and amateur astronomers in order to prepare observations on small fields as well as astrometry works. C2A has numerous functions including planetary positions, asteroid and comet path display, ephemeris, and more.

XEphem

Ephemeris for X-windows. A 'scientific grade' astronomy package with a more daunting interface, but powerful enough to be in service at major observatories around the world. XEphemeris will do amazing searches and has many features that will take some time and work to take advantage of. Available for free to compile under Linux/FreeBSD/Solaris/Unix, or for purchase for Mac OS-X and Unix/Linux at $59.95 and for Windows at $166.95. My limited experience is with an RPM under Red Hat Linux, so you're on your own for the source code compile.

XEphemeris may not be the know all of astronomy, but it's probably closer to that than Stellarium is, because observatories use it. It's also not free and not even cheap.

There are also links to sites that review astronomy programs. I actually have more than one astronomy program.

The reason they can block part of the Earth in Google Earth is, they can impose no fly zones, and pass laws on what satellite imaging companies can release. There are no such restrictions on what you can look at in the sky, that I know of.

Originally posted by Ha`la`tha

Originally posted by busterbunni
reply to post by NoNameBrand

 

The same reasons that things on Earth are hidden from view, I don't completely understand why but apparently some of our Earth's terrain is need to know. That couldn't be true for the sky then right, only for Earth?

What are you talking about?

What parts of the earth are 'need to know' except for private government places by which the ability to see from above can give nefarious persons a possible manner to attack?

Please please please do not tell me you think that the stitching methods used, the image capturing methods used and the fact that some areas have not yet been captured at full resolution, is evidence that something is being covered up.

Perhaps google street view is also hiding something, because I can't see the blue lines depicting street view capabilities on that dirt road leading out to an old shack in the middle of the outback.. must be a coverup!!!

I was walking to work when a little Google Earth car turned the corner with the cameras spiking out from the unit on top-- taking pictures for street view.

When they updated, I, of course, went to the "street view" where I was when the car went past. To my astonishment-- I am not there!

The only explanation is that the government, in league with Google, is trying to deny my existence-- that is, until the time for me to be revealed comes.

I have more to say but, just now, I have a hankering for a locust sandwich and I need to put my camel hair shirt in the dryer.

Originally posted by Frira
I was walking to work when a little Google Earth car turned the corner with the cameras spiking out from the unit on top-- taking pictures for street view.

When they updated, I, of course, went to the "street view" where I was when the car went past. To my astonishment-- I am not there!

My aunt is on Google Street View, she's in her yard talking to her neighbors over her short wall.

How would I come to know this? Well I was discussing them replacing an upstairs window bay and it was questioned if it was a bay window or not. So remembering on Google Street View the window was under construction I decided to look again, I became aware Google updated the imagery of their street, and the window was finished and there she was in the yard.

Maybe you just have to wait a bit for them to incorporate the imagery they took that day, or maybe it just simply wasn't taking images at that time.

Anyway, small world, seemingly, sometimes. Catching my aunt on Google Street View.

Originally posted by Illustronic

Originally posted by Frira
I was walking to work when a little Google Earth car turned the corner with the cameras spiking out from the unit on top-- taking pictures for street view.

Maybe you just have to wait a bit for them to incorporate the imagery they took that day, or maybe it just simply wasn't taking images at that time.

Right. That is the cover story we are now using.

Originally posted by Frira
Bun,

Here is the reality of the situation:

Mankind has been looking at the stars for thousands of years. The orbits of the planets, and the apparent motion of the stars are well known, mathematically anticipated, and carefully observed by thousands of trained observers every single night.

Any software is going to use known calculations which have been tested and proven for hundreds of years.

If you think Google is up to something, then get yourself a volume of pre-Google start charts and a planisphere, and compare. Use non-Google software to calculate where a planet ought to be. Then, when you have found a variation, go check the sky for yourself. If you find a discrepancy, let us know.

But you have not found a discrepancy, or else you would have mentioned it.

Thus, I (and apparently others) suspect your real purpose in posting was to make a FUD post about Google. FUD = a persuasion technique of casting Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt without making any specific allegations. It is a nice way of saying, "making up a lie without being held accountable."

I'm calling you on it. "Pictures, or it didn't happen."

I shouldn't even be responding to this because of the content but I feel the need to say opinions are not lies, questioning what you know is a good thing, and Google Earth is not completely upfront for some obvious reasons and some not so obvious reasons but this knowledge is world wide I don't care to cause "FUD" about anything, we should all live free of fear and anxiety. The only thing you have to fear is yourself. This is my last response to this thread, sorry I thought this was an open forum I didn't realize it was a popularity contest or a way of persuading others to conform to my beliefs. On with my life on with yours. Thank you all for your time.