Cartes du Ciel
Encyclopedia
Cartes du Ciel is a free
planetarium
program for Linux
, Mac OS X
and Windows
. With the change to version 3, Linux has been added as a target platform, licensing has changed from freeware
to GPL
and the project moved to a new website.
The software maps out and labels most of the constellations, planets, and objects you can see with a telescope. It can also download Digitized Sky Survey Charts and superimpose images over these charts. Numerous star charts and indexes can be installed. There are also telescope interfaces and many versatile display options.
According to the programmer, Patrick Chevalley, it was released as freeware because "I’d rather see amateurs spend their money for a new eyepiece than for astronomy software".
Chevalley has also created a lunar atlas program, Virtual Moon Atlas, which is also free software.
Free and open source software
Free and open-source software or free/libre/open-source software is software that is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code...
planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
program for Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. With the change to version 3, Linux has been added as a target platform, licensing has changed from freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
to GPL
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
and the project moved to a new website.
The software maps out and labels most of the constellations, planets, and objects you can see with a telescope. It can also download Digitized Sky Survey Charts and superimpose images over these charts. Numerous star charts and indexes can be installed. There are also telescope interfaces and many versatile display options.
According to the programmer, Patrick Chevalley, it was released as freeware because "I’d rather see amateurs spend their money for a new eyepiece than for astronomy software".
Chevalley has also created a lunar atlas program, Virtual Moon Atlas, which is also free software.
See also
- CelestiaCelestiaCelestia is a 3D astronomy program created by Chris Laurel. The program is based on the Hipparcos Catalogue and allows users to travel through an extensive universe, modeled after reality, at any speed, in any direction and at any time in history...
- Hallo Northern Sky (HN Sky)HNSKYHNSKY or Hallo Northern Sky is a freeware planetarium program for Microsoft Windows to simulate the night sky. It is provided with several non-English language modules, as well as several stellar databases....
- KStarsKStarsKStars is a planetarium program using the KDE Platform for Unix-like computer operating systems. It provides an accurate graphical representation of the night sky, from any location on Earth, at any date and time...
- NASA World WindNASA World WindWorld Wind is an open-source virtual globe developed by NASA and the open source community for use on personal computers. Old versions need Microsoft Windows but the more recent Java version, , is cross platform and provides a suite of . The World Wind Java version was awarded in November 2009...
- Stellarium
- Universe SandboxUniverse SandboxUniverse Sandbox is an interactive space gravity simulator. Using Universe Sandbox, one can see the effects of gravity on objects in the universe and run scale simulations of our Solar System, various galaxies or other simulations, while at the same time, interacting and maintaining control over...
- XEphemXEphemXEphem is a Motif based ephemeris and planetarium program for Unix-like operating systems developed by Elwood C. Downey.XEphem uses* The VSOP87D planetary theory for Solar System ephemeris,...