Hi Ryan, I think that you are going to find that this type of software is a very individualistic type of thing - in other words, everyone has their own preferences. I've used Sky Map Pro and TheSky 6 - with good results. Sky Map is no longer being developed and TheSkyX has replaced TheSky6. Many people love TheSkyX - but it is a bit pricey. I've personally being using Cartes du Ciel as of late and I really like it. Like Stellarium it is free. I haven't used CdC for observation planning - but I think it does have that capability. Clear skies, Dale. -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Ryan Simpkins Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 10:30 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Astronomy Software (For Learning Beginners) It is so much fun learning the night sky! One of the tools I've been using is Stellarium (http://www.stellarium.org) because it is a free & open source. Any planetarium software would work. It allows someone to learn during the day (or cloudy weather). Turning off all the labels and removing the horizon leaves only the stars as guides. Simulations like this enhance observational efficiency and removes some of the guesswork. Planetarium only software is very useful, but it is obvious that there are limits to this kind of software. Stellarium doesn't have any observational planning features. It just draws stars. If the name of the game is enhancing efficiency and tracking progress, more is needed. When reviewing astronomy related software it is quite difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. For someone like myself who is used to using very complex software, Stellarium doesn't cut it. Does the group have any recommendations for quality astronomy related software? Is there a clear leader in the industry for something that combines observation planning & logging, planetarium features, and perhaps more? Red Shift (http://www.redshift-live.com/en/about-redshift.html) seems to have a lot of marketing going on, but that isn't always a good measure of quality software. Any and all advice appreciated. -Ryan _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".