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FILE2604.TXT
Disk No: 2604
Disk Title: SkyGlobe
PC-SIG Version: S2.5
Program Title: SkyGlobe
Author Version: 2.5
Author Registration: $15.00
Special Requirements: Graphics card.
SkyGlobe is a very fast, fun, and easy-to-use Shareware astronomy
program. The splendor of the heavens comes to life on your computer
screen, especially on a color EGA or VGA system. The program also runs
on CGA and Hercules systems, and creates printouts on Epson compatible
printers. See up to 15,000 stars displayed, over twice as many as are
visible to the naked eye. Turn the constellation lines on or off with a
single keystroke in a fraction of second. Change viewing direction or
location just as quickly. Use the Automatic mode to watch the movement
of the stars throughout the night. Since the planets, Sun, and Moon are
also displayed, SkyGlobe is the best way to learn about the wonderful
show that goes on in our skies every night.
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1991 PC-SIG, Inc.
SKYGLOBE.DOC
S K Y G L O B E 2.5
A Shareware Product of Klassm Software
Copyright (c) 1991 Mark A Haney
Congratulations! You have a trial Shareware copy of SkyGlobe,
the fun and easy educational astronomy program. SkyGlobe is
distributed as Shareware to reach the widest possible audience,
so let's take care of the legalities first.
SkyGlobe is copyrighted material. You are granted permission
to try SkyGlobe, for the purpose of deciding if you wish to
keep it.
You are encouraged to distribute copies of SkyGlobe, subject
to the following conditions:
1) All files are distributed together and unaltered.
2) No charge is made for the software.
(A small fee for media and handling is permissible.)
If you decide to keep SkyGlobe in your software library, you
should register your copy by using the order form on the next
page. Anyone who receives a copy of SkyGlobe from you should
register their copy if they decide to keep it and use it.
SkyGlobe was developed with registered Shareware. Thank you for
supporting the Shareware concept by registering your copy of
S K Y G L O B E ! ! !
April 5, 1991
SKYGLOBE 2.5 ORDER FORM
You can use this form to register SkyGlobe 2.5, or whatever the newest version
is when your order arrives. You may also use it order extra planetary data
disks. Please note that registration includes data for the years 1990-2009.
Registration ($15) will entitle you to the following:
1) A copy of SkyGlobe with your Home Town as the default city.
2) A Handy SkyGlobe Reference Card.
3) Data for a total of 25000 stars.
4) Planetary data for a total of 20 years. (1990-2009)
Shipping Address: Name:
........................................................
Street:
......................................................
City, ST, ZIP
................................................
Home Town(s):
(up to 3) ................................................................
Disk Type: 5 1/4" 3 1/2" 5 1/4" HD Laser Printer???
(circle one) |
Y / N
Default Video Mode: Hercules CGA EGA VGA
(circle one)
Extra planetary data: If you would like to order extra planetary data, other
than the normally included years of 1990-2009, use this
form. Please specify 17 years for each 5 1/4" disk, or
35 years for each 3 1/2" disk. The years must be between
1900 and 2099, and will work with your current program.
Please enclose $5 per disk.
EXTRA
Years: 1 disk after 2009 -or- 1 disk before 1990 -or- specify:................
.......................................................................
Make checks Mail to: Klassm Software Registration: 15.00
payable to: 284 142nd AVE Extra Data Disks: _____
Klassm Software Caledonia, MI 49316 MI users add 4% _____
Total: _____
No extra charge is necessary for international shipping, but I like to
encourage international users to purchase at least 1 extra Data Disk.
I can accept payment in the following forms, in rough order of desirability:
| PLEASE |
A US funds check drawn on a US bank Also acceptable: | NO EUROCHEQUES! |
International Money Order Foreign currency |__________________|
VISA/MasterCard charge authorization Foreign check on a foreign bank
US currency -Please restrict to major currencies-
For your convenience, I now accept VISA and MasterCard. THANK YOU
Card # __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ FOR
Signature:_________________________________________________ REGISTERING
Amount:_________ Exp. Date:_________Today's Date___________ !!!!!!!!!!!
-3-
Quick Starting Instructions
These instructions will enable you to get SkyGlobe up and
running as quickly as possible. Then you can return to the
manual to learn about SkyGlobe's advanced features.
SKYGLOBE.COM and SKYGLOBE.DAT are the only files that are
absolutely necessary in order to run SkyGlobe. If you wish to
view the planets for years other than 1991, or you wish to see
more than 7000 stars, you will need the appropriate .DAT files
as well. Make certain these files are in the currently active
directory, type SKYGLOBE, and press the Enter key.
When the program is started, you will be prompted to select
the appropriate video mode for your system. Use the cursor keys
to make your selection, and press Enter.
Now it is time to select your viewing location. SkyGlobe has
pre-defined coordinates for almost 240 locations, on two pages.
The first page contains choices for US and Canadian locations.
Use the cursor keys to choose a location, and press Enter. If
you choose the last spot on the menu, (use the End key), the
international menu will appear. The cities are grouped by region,
more or less, with a few more Canadian cities leading off. Use
the last spot again to return to the US menu.
When SkyGlobe is first started, it comes up in Auto-Increment
mode. The Time and Date are initially set to the current system
time and date. The Time is then continually incremented by five
minutes, the program default, as fast as SkyGlobe can update the
screen. You can increase or decrease the amount of increment by
pressing 'F' or 'Shift-F'. You can change the increment direction
by pressing 'Shift-A', or toggle the increment type between Time
and Date by pressing 'Alt-A'.
Let's try a few of the commands. First press 'A' to stop the
Automatic increment of time. Press 'B' for Brightness a few times
and watch more stars appear. To check the value of the Brightness
Index, look at the parameter display on the left-hand side of the
screen.
Most actions in SkyGlobe are reversed by using the Shift key.
Press 'Shift-B', and watch the dimmest stars vanish. Try 'Z' and
'Shift-Z' to Zoom in and out.
Want to change the time? Try 'M', 'H', 'D' and 'T' for Month,
Hour, Day and Time (in minutes). Increase the number of Constell-
ation Lines displayed by pressing the Space bar, then delete some
by pressing 'Shift-SPACE'. (Make sure to hold down the Shift key
for this until you're done deleting lines.) Use the cursor keys
to change the Viewing Direction and Elevation. And if you ever
need to use your computer for something besides SkyGlobe, press
'Q' to return to DOS.
I hope this quick introduction has gotten you well started
with SkyGlobe. More detailed descriptions of the commands appear
in the following pages. Have fun!
-4-
SkyGlobe Command Descriptions
If you decide to register SkyGlobe, you will receive a Handy Refer-
ence Card that will remind you of SkyGlobe commands. The inside of the
Reference Card contains two lists of the 300 brightest stars, as well as
lists of the constellations and Messier Objects. These lists will help
you when using the Object find command. This .DOC file contains similar
information as its last few pages.
Time and Date Commands
SkyGlobe provides many ways to change the Time or Date of the
displayed sky view. You can change the Time forward or backward by a
minute, an hour, or half an hour. The Date can be changed forward or
backward by a day, a month, or half a month. For viewing the planets,
you may also change the year. Use the table below:
Forward Backward
1 Minute Press 'T' Press 'Shift-T'
1 Hour 'H' 'Shift-H'
1/2 Hour 'Alt-H' 'Alt-Shift-H'
1 Day 'D' 'Shift-D'
1 Month (30 days) 'M' 'Shift-M'
1/2 Month (15 days) 'Alt-M' 'Alt-Shift-M'
1 Year 'Y' 'Shift-Y'
One of SkyGlobe's most useful features is the Auto-Increment mode.
This gives you the ability to simulate the passage of time on your com-
puter. To enter or exit this mode, press 'A'. The sky view will begin
to change in a manner that depends on the Auto-Increment parameters. To
see these parameters, press 'F2' until they are visible on the left-hand
display. Use 'Alt-A' to change the increment type from Time to Date and
back. Use 'Shift-A' to change the direction of increment from Forward to
Backward and back. You can also change the speed of increment. Press 'F'
to increase the speed, and 'Shift-F' to slow back down. Only the active
increment type, either Time or Date, is affected by the 'F' key.
V2.5 of SkyGlobe adds two new features to the Auto-Increment mode.
Press 'R' to enter (or disable) Real-Time mode. This will synchronize
the Time and Date to the system clock. You still have control over all
commands except those related to Time and Date. Press 'Shift-R', and
the Increment speed will be set to one Sidereal day, or 1436 minutes.
This has the effect of seeming to freeze the star and constellation
display, while allowing the planets to continue their progress along
the ecliptic. This is useful for learning about retrograde motion, as
well as teaching something about the relative speeds of motions of the
planets.
SkyGlobe uses Daylight Saving Time where and when it thinks it is
appropriate. This is denoted by an upper-case 'AM' or 'PM' in the Time
display. An asterisk is also displayed near the time, when daylight time
is active. You can defeat or reinstate the use of Daylight Time by press-
ing 'V'. While you can turn off Daylight Time, there is currently no way
to force its use for a particular date, so if SkyGlobe is off by a few days
in its estimate of Daylight Time use, you will have to allow for it. I plan
to improve this soon.
-5-
Where Are We Looking?
Now let's learn about how SkyGlobe interprets directions. The
program assumes you are standing outside and that your eyes are
facing the direction your feet are pointing. This is the View Dir-
ection. The display shows this direction in degrees, ranging from
0 for due north, through 180 degrees for due south, to 350 degrees
for 10 degrees west of north. The View Direction is also indicated
along the Horizon line by initials.
The View Elevation ranges from 0 degrees to 180. The Horizon
appears as a straight line at the 0 degree setting. It might help
to imagine that you are extremely short for this one, so that the
ground covers the lower half of your eyes, but is transparent. The
90 degree setting is like looking straight overhead at the Zenith.
SkyGlobe also permits you to bend over backwards, figuratively speak-
ing, and pretend that you are viewing the sky behind you. Since the
View Direction still stands for your feet, moving around might be
little confusing when you view the sky this way.
Lines And Labels
One of the most useful features of SkyGlobe is its ability to
quickly and easily change the lines and labels that help our eyes
and minds make sense of the vastness of the sky. This can be very
helpful to the novice just learning the stars. Use the Space bar
to increase the number of Constellation Lines displayed. As always,
use the Shift key to reduce the number of lines. The Constellation
Lines have been grouped by importance, with some constellations
having several classes of lines. The constellations also have
abbreviations available for display. Use 'C' to display more of
these, 'Shift-C' for fewer. The abbreviations are in the same
groupings as the lines. The 300 brightest stars can be labelled
by using 'L' and 'Shift-L' to see more or fewer labels.
V2.5 of SkyGlobe has added the capability to show an approximate
outline of the Milky Way and galactic equator. Press 'F5' to scroll
through the 3 levels of display.
Messier Objects
There are two levels of display for the Messier Objects. The
most interesting 16 objects, as chosen by me, show up first when
'F4' is pressed. One more 'F4' turns on display of all the objects.
Unfortunately, the labels tend to crowd each other at low zoom
levels. Use the list at the end to learn the names of the objects.
-6-
Moving Around
SkyGlobe provides many convenient methods for rapidly changing
the sky view. The up and down arrow keys change the View Elevation
by 5 degrees. The right and left arrow keys work with the View
Direction. When the View Elevation is near the Horizon these keys
work about as you expect, but nearer to the Zenith they rotate the
view more than they move it. This is correct when you remember that
the View Direction stands for where your feet are pointing. PgUp and
PgDn change Elevation in multiple jumps, while Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-
Right do the same for Direction. The End key jumps you directly to
the Horizon, and the Home key goes to the Zenith. Finally, you can
change the View Direction instantly to compass points by pressing
'N', 'S', 'E' or 'W'.
What Do We See?
Lots and lots of stars! You can change the number of stars
displayed by pressing 'B' for Brightness to increase the number, or
'Shift-B' to decrease it. The table below shows the correspondence
between the Brightness Index and the number displayed.
1-200 5-350 9-750 13-3000 17-15000
2-225 6-400 10-1000 14-4000 18-25000
3-250 7-500 11-1500 15-5000
4-300 8-600 12-2000 16-7000
SkyGlobe allows you to adjust the magnification of your sky
view. At a nominal magnification of 1, half of the celestial sphere
is visible. Since the eye can focus on far less area than this, a
certain amount of distortion is evident at low magnifications. Still,
you can use these views to quickly find areas of interest. The center
of the screen is always the most accurate portion. Use 'Z' to increase
the magnification and 'Shift-Z' to decrease it. The table shows the
correspondence between the Zoom Index and the magnification.
1-1.00 5-1.20 9-1.60 13-2.25
2-1.05 6-1.30 10-1.70 14-2.50
3-1.10 7-1.40 11-1.80 15-3.00
4-1.15 8-1.50 12-2.50 16-3.50
-7-
The Planets
You can use SkyGlobe to learn something about the way the
planets move around the Sun. The very word 'Planet' is derived from
the Greek word for wanderer. The ancients, who spent more time out-
of-doors than we do, noticed that a few bright 'stars' seemed to
move against the 'fixed' background of the rest of the heavens.
(Here I mean fixed with respect to each other; they were acquainted
with the slow progression from one season to the next of the whole
'sphere'.) They soon worked out the repetitive patterns the diff-
erent 'stars' followed. We will learn how to simulate this motion
shortly, but first we need to talk about some SkyGlobe features that
are relevant.
Although the stars don't really change from one year to the next,
the planets do. Notice the year displayed on the Date display in the
upper left-hand corner. If this Time and Date are not displayed, press
'F2' to turn this display on. Use 'Y' or 'Sh-Y' to increase or decrease
the year. Make sure the current directory contains the .DAT files for
the years you wish to view. (More planet data is available from Klassm
Software for $5 a disk. 5 1/4 disks hold 17 years, 3 1/2 disks twice as
as many. Please specify the years you wish.) If the proper data is
available, you should be able to see the planets. You can use 'F3' to
turn on the planet display, and to turn on planet labels. EGA/VGA
color users see the planets in more or less appropriate colors. You
may need to change the Time or Date to see your favorite planet.
Now that we have seen the planets, let's see how they move. Change
the Viewing Direction to South and the Time to 12:00 noon. Turn off
Daylight Time by pressing 'V'. Set Auto-Increment Type to Date by
pressing 'Alt-A' if needed. Now press 'A' and watch the show. Try
speeding things up by pressing 'Alt-F1' and 'Alt-B'. Press 'F5' to
see the how the planets stick near the Ecliptic. Since your location
may not fall exactly on the Standard Time meridian, the Sun may not
be due South for you at Civil noon. Also notice how it wanders from
side to side throughout the year.
Notice how Mercury and Venus stay close to the Sun. Mars has
positively weird behavior, since it is outside the Earth's orbit, but
relatively close by. It also has an eccentric orbit. The other outside
planets drift more slowly against the background of the stars. You
may see more clearly how the moon goes through its phases, being al-
ways in New Moon phase when near the Sun. Move to Midnight, and the
Moon will be in Full phase when it shows up in the South. Since the
orbit of the Moon is inclined at about 5 degrees to the ecliptic, it
wanders above and below it each month. This motion, which rotates
through an 18 year cycle, accounts for the periodicity of eclipses.
V2.5 of SkyGlobe uses interpolation to give more accuracy to the
plotted planet positions. For instance, take a look at the solar
eclipse of July 11, 1991. Slowly step through the hours, and watch how
the moon gradually overtakes the Sun. This interpolation is disabled
for the first and last days of the year, and leap day is not observed.
Still, it is fun to look for events such as the eclipse, or the close
conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Venus on June 17, 1991. Pluto, since
it is invisible to even large binoculars, is plotted for only 4 positions
a year.
-8-
Keeping Track
SkyGlobe has two handy on-screen displays to help the user. The
left-hand display will help you keep track of settings such as the
Zoom Index, and will remind you of the Viewing Location. By pressing
'F2' you can see the Auto-Increment parameters. If you press 'F2' again
the final settings screen will display Print parameters and other
miscellaneous information. This display can be blanked by pressing
'F2' yet again, or use 'Shift-F2' to peel off one screen at a time.
A Help screen appears on the right-hand side of the screen. This
display will remind you of the single-key commands of SkyGlobe. Press
'F1', and the function key assignments appear. One more 'F1', and the
display vanishes. Pressing ESC will display all available help sections.
What Is A Toggle?
Many of the display features in SkyGlobe can be instantly
turned off or turned back on by pressing a single function key.
A list follows.
F6-Ecliptic line dots F8-Horizon, Elevation and Zenith
F7-Right Ascension/Declination F9-Constellation Names and Star Labels
coordinate line dots F10-Constellation Lines
Using Alt along with the function keys provides for several
useful short-cuts and special features. To reduce the display to
stars and constellation line, press 'Alt-F1'. Stars alone can be
displayed with 'Alt-F2'. To maximize display elements with one
keypress, try 'Alt-F3', and watch the sky become crowded. Color
users can switch the background color and constellation line star
color with 'Alt-F4' and 'Alt-F5', respectively.
SkyGlobe allows you to artificially brighten the stars that
make up the constellation lines by pressing 'Alt-F10'. This conforms
to the same groupings as the lines themselves, so you may need to
press the key enough times to pass the number of lines displayed.
Use 'Alt-Shift-F10' to reduce this Cheat Index.
To save time in paring down the display, you may use the 'Alt'
key in conjunction with several letter-key commands to reduce the
chosen parameter to the minimum. Try this with 'Space' for lines
or 'Z' to Zoom all the way out. Also supported are 'B', 'L', and 'C'.
We haven't yet discussed a few features mentioned in the above
function key list. SkyGlobe can display Right Ascension, Declination
and Ecliptic lines to help you orient yourself on the celestial sphere.
Notice how the Ecliptic passes through the constellations of the
Zodiac, and how Orion lies right across the celestial equator. Try
looking north with Auto-Increment mode on. Watch how the sphere
appears to rotate, and how Polaris, very near the celestial pole,
seems almost motionless.
-9-
Finding Stars And Constellations
The 'O' and number keys provide a useful feature. Pressing
'O' enters the Object find mode. The top line of the display tells
us that we can ask SkyGlobe to find either Sirius or Andromeda.
If you press Enter at this point, SkyGlobe will attempt to find
the best Spot to display Sirius. The current Time and Date will
be used for this find attempt. The display will shift to place
Sirius as close to the center of the screen as possible. If Sirius
is visible in this view, it will be labelled with its full name on
the screen. Even if Sirius is not visible in this view, the display
will shift to get to the closest Spot.
It is also possible to choose the best Time or Date for the
current viewing Direction and Elevation. If we had pressed 'S'
instead of Enter before, the effect would have been the same. To
choose the best Time to see Sirius, without changing the View, we
would have pressed 'Shift-S'. 'Alt-S' will give us the best Date
for the current Direction and Elevation.
The same choices will work for all the 300 named stars. Just
use the cursor keys to pick the star you wish to find, and use
Enter, 'S', 'Shift-S', or 'Alt-S' as before. For constellations
instead of stars, just use 'C', 'Shift-C', and 'Alt-C'. For example,
press 'O' to enter the Object find routine, and press 'Shift-C'.
Andromeda will appear at the center of the screen, and the Time
will have changed to the best choice for our current View.
Alternatively, you could enter the number directly. The
proper numbers for the stars and constellations can be found on the
Handy SkyGlobe Reference Card, but since this is an unregistered
copy of SkyGlobe, use the list at the end of this file. It is often
best to change the View Direction to south before searching for the
best Time or Date to view objects. If an object is not visible, try
changing the Time or Date if searching by Spot, or changing the View
Direction or Elevation if by Time or Date.
I would like to say a few words here about nomenclature. The
names of the constellations are well standardized. Many of the
strange names in the southern sky are Latinized names of scientific
implements, since these constellations were named, (by the Western
world, that is), in the beginning of the Industrial Age. Most of the
northern constellation names go back much further. We use the genitive,
or possessive, form of the constellation name to denote star names.
For example, Alpha Centauri means the first star of Centaurus. The
stars were generally enumerated in order of brightness. Since star
brightnesses change with time, this correlation is not always exact.
Many stars also have popular names, which are not standardized nearly
as well as constellations. Most of the names are Arabic in origin.
This reflects the fact that the Arabic world maintained and developed
astronomical knowledge while Europe was struggling through the Dark
Ages. You may want to take my lists with a grain of salt. Fifty-seven
stars have been chosen for celestial navigation purposes by the various
authorities, and labels for these stars appear in a different color
in EGA and VGA color modes.
-10-
Changing Viewing Locations
One of the most popular pastimes for new astronomers is seeing
what the sky looks like from other places. Perhaps you're thinking
of moving, and want to make sure the stars will still be interesting
to view from your prospective new home. (They will be!) Rather than
quitting the program and choosing a different location from the menu,
simply press 'G'. Once you make your new choice you will return to
the program with all your other parameters just the way you left them.
Since SkyGlobe 2.5 now has twice as many locations, there are two
pages of locations to choose from. Use the 'End' key to quickly go
to the spot that changes between pages.
If you wish to move a small amount in a compass direction, try
'Alt-N', 'Alt-S', 'Alt-E' or 'Alt-W'. Then you can change locations
without ever taking your eyes off the current display. The east and
west moves simply have the effect of changing the local time by 1
minute. The north-south changes are 1/4 degree, about 17 miles. You
may instantly change your location between the North and South Hemi-
spheres by pressing 'Alt-F' to Flip between the two. When you make
any of these choices, the city name will have its first character
Xed out, to remind you that it will no longer be accurate.
Use of the 'K' key allows for the saving of current program
settings. Up to 11 different settings may be saved, since you will be
prompted to press Enter or one of digits 0-9. These keys will create
the file SKYGLOBE.KFG, or SKYGLOBE.KF#, where # is a digit 0 through 9.
When SkyGlobe is started, it looks for the .KFG file to get its initial
settings. If you would rather use the default settings, start the program
with SKYGLOBE/N. If you want to use one of the other files, just use
SKYGLOBE/#, such as SKYGLOBE/4 to use SKYGLOBE.KF4. This scheme allows
for the use of batch files, such as ECLIPSE.BAT=SKYGLOBE/0, where
SKYGLOBE.KF0 has been set up for July 11, 1991. Program settings saved
include such things as Zoom Index, Brightness Index, etc., as well as
location and Time and Date. Thus, you could create a file for your date,
time, and place of birth, if your birthplace is on the menu. As a tip,
use 'A' and 'R' to quickly get back to current time, if you have loaded
a .KFG file, and wish to use the settings, but not the old time and date.
Use 'I' to reset the program to the way it would start up if you used
SKYGLOBE/N.
If you decide to register your copy of SkyGlobe 2.5, it will come
with a customized SKYGLOBE.REG file. This file will contain your name,
registration number, and date of registration, as well as your desired
Home Town, and up to two other locations. These locations will replace
the two Caledonias and the Roscommon on the location menu, but as a
registered user you won't even need to bother with the location menu.
SkyGlobe will automatically start up with your Home Town, and use the
video adapter choice you made when you sent in your registration. Thus,
all you will need to do is type 'SKYGLOBE', and the program will start
displaying the stars! If you specify other viewing locations, you will
be able to access them from the 'G' command and the location menu. If
you move, you will be able to edit these locations yourself. Since regis-
tration is only $15, what are you waiting for? You might even receive a
newer version of the program!
-11-
Printing The Screen
Since VGA monitors can be a bit cumbersome to carry to a star-
watching party, or even into your back yard, SkyGlobe allows you to
print the contents of the screen. Those of you with dot-matrix printers
can obtain printouts by using 'P', 'Shift-P' and 'Alt-P'. The first two
of these are landscape views, the last is a portrait display. If there
are problems with printing, such as double-spacing, you may need to
change the Print Parameters. Use 'F2' to view the current settings, then
use 'Alt-Shift-P' to roll through the different combinations until you
get one that works for you. Pressing any key during printing stops the
process, although most printers have buffers that will hold several lines.
SkyGlobe 2.5 now supports LaserJet-compatible laser printers.
The program defaults to dot-matrix printing, so the first thing to
do is to change to laser printing. Make certain you can see the
print parameters on the left-hand side of the screen. Press 'F2' if
you need to display more parameters. The print parameters are near
the bottom of the left-hand display, when they are all turned on.
When you can see the parameters, use 'Alt-Shift-P' to scroll through
the different combinations of settings. Don't stop just because it
says Laser, you need to have the proper combination of ports and
Line Feed settings as well. For most systems, this means Laser, Add
Line Feeds, and LPT1. When you get the proper combination of settings,
you are ready to print. 'P', 'Shift-P', and 'Alt-P' will all give a
landscape screen shot. The Laser and other print parameter settings
are included in the configuration file created by the 'K' command,
so you can make the change once, and have it apply for the future.
Registered users can specify that they have a laser printer on their
order forms, and this will make laser printing the default for them.
If you register now and get a laser printer later, you will be able
to change this default setting yourself.
Tidbits
For users with telescopes that produce a reversed image, you
can press 'X' to force SkyGlobe to similarly reverse the display.
To return all program settings to their defaults, press 'I'.
Finally, press 'Q' to return to DOS.
Thanks For Your Support!
I hope you enjoy SkyGlobe! Even if do not decide to become a fully
registered user, you are encouraged to please pass it on to anyone who
may find it interesting. Registered Users will automatically hear about
future updates. The next update is (very) tentatively scheduled for mid-
1991, and should include SuperVGA support, more deep-space objects, mouse
support and point and shoot capabilities, and high-resolution printing.
The user will have more control over color selection and the like, and
I also plan to add some celestial navigation features. Lines such as the
Milky Way and constellation lines will always extend to the edge of the
screen, and VGA mode might even be faster, at least for complex displays.
Any suggestions you may have will be greatly appreciated. I can be reached
on CompuServe as 76207,3377, or in care of the address on the order form.
Thanks, and have fun learning about the stars!
-12-
SkyGlobe and the Stars - Some Background Information
Why do we see different stars at different times? The
Earth makes one complete rotation every day. If there were no
Sun we could see that the stars appear to make one complete
revolution at the same time. The North Star, Polaris (#51), is
almost directly above the North Pole on the Earth's axis of
rotation. So the stars near the North Star (about halfway up
the northern sky in mid-northern latitudes) make tiny little
circles every day. Farther away from the North Star the stars
and the constellations they form wheel across the sky in huge
arcs before they disappear below the horizon.
Why do we see different stars at different dates? Imagine
midnight in April. The Sun is behind the Earth, and you are
facing away from it if you face due south. Now imagine
midnight in October, six months later. You are still facing
away from the Sun. But because the Earth has moved halfway
around the Sun in its yearly orbit, you are looking in exactly
the opposite direction to the one you were in April. So
different stars are visible at midnight, and the ones near the
North Star have made half a revolution. If there were no Sun,
you could see that at noon the October sky is the same as the
midnight sky in April.
Before Standard Time Zones were instituted, the Sun was
due south at noon everywhere. That was what noon meant. Now
that is true only if you happen to live near the center of the
time zone. If you live in Michigan, the Sun is due south
around 12:30 or so. In New York City, which is in the same
time zone, the Sun reaches due south a few minutes before
noon, over a half hour earlier than in Michigan. The Sun reaches
due south somewhat later in Chicago than in Michigan, but be-
cause Chicago is in the Central time zone this occurs before
12:00PM. This has to be allowed for to make the display correct,
and is unique to each location. Daylight Saving Time is handled
in a similar manner, and is indicated on the Time Display by an
upper case 'AM' or 'PM'.
The sky can be viewed as a sphere with the Earth at the
center, and the stars as fixed points on the sphere. Any
attempt to represent this 3-dimensional space on a 2-dimen-
sional surface inevitably introduces some distortion. SkyGlobe
uses a stereographic projection that can be calculated very
rapidly and is quite accurate at the center of the screen. Al-
though the edges of the screen suffer significant distortion,
SkyGlobe is so fast that any desired view can be located
almost instantly. The illusion that the stars form a sphere
with the viewer on the outside is a result of the projection,
and it is just that, an illusion.
-13-
Background Continued
Another issue that must be dealt with is double stars.
Perhaps as many as half of all stars are actually multiple
star systems. The naked eye frequently interprets two dim
stars close together as one brighter star. Many 'stars' that
serve as end-points on constellation lines fit into this
category. If these stars were left dim and separate they would
appear 'invisible' at low brightnesses and make constellation
shapes unrecognizable. At higher brightnesses and low magnif-
ications these stars would be plotted on top of one another as
points, still artificially dim. The solution is to combine
magnitudes for these stars. The ordering of stars in SkyGlobe
reflects this combination, so at medium brightnesses and
magnifications the display is as realistic as possible. The
dimmer star is retained at its actual brightness, so at very
high magnifications and brightnesses you will see one
artificially bright star and one accurate dim star.
SkyGlobe contains coordinates for 7000 stars in the file
SKYGLOBE.DAT. This represents all the stars visible to the
naked eye. These coordinates were obtained from Sky Catalogue
2000.0 with permission from the publisher, Sky Publishing
Corp. This permission is gratefully appreciated. The files
SKY8000.DAT and SKY10000.DAT contain another 8000 and 10000
stars, respectively. SKY8000.DAT is included with the unreg-
istered program, while SKY10000.DAT is added for registered
users. This is not 'Crippleware', since the operation of the
program is identical for both, but an attempt to keep the un-
registered program to one 360K disk.
SkyGlobe was programmed entirely in assembly language for
maximum speed. As much processing as possible was done before-
hand and the results placed in tables. Since there is necessarily
a tradeoff between speed and accuracy, the precision of the star
coordinates was carefully matched to the resolution of the graph-
ics display and the projection algorithm chosen. The code was
hand-optimized for speed, without regard for size or ugliness.
Of course, no program is perfect. Any suggestions or bug reports
would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for supporting Shareware and...
S K Y G L O B E ! ! !
-14-
Some Frequently Asked Questions
How can I speed up SkyGlobe?
There are really two answers to this question. SkyGlobe
always does what you ask it to do as fast as it can. (We think
it's pretty fast!) The trick is to ask it to do things in a
way that seems faster.
The first method involves asking SkyGlobe to do less work.
The easiest way is to turn off the Help Menu by pressing 'F1'.
Then turn off everything else you can do without: ecliptic,
right ascension and declination lines; extra constellation
lines; dim stars.
The second method applies only to Auto-Increment mode.
SkyGlobe starts off changing the view five minutes at a time.
You can increase this rate by pressing 'F'. Another way is
to change the increment type to Date mode by pressing 'Alt-A',
Then increase the Date increment rate by pressing 'F'.
Why doesn't Caps Lock have any effect?
To avoid confusion it was decided to ignore Caps Lock.
Why doesn't the Shift-key always work?
This applies only to Shift-SPACE and Shift-Alt functions.
For those keys the computer only checks the Shift condition
when the SPACE or Alt-letter key is finally processed. If you
let up on the Shift key before the computer is ready to
process the SPACE or Alt-letter key, the Shift state you had
intended goes un-noticed. So you end up adding constellation
lines that you just deleted. Either hold the Shift key down
for a while on multiple Shift-SPACES, or use 'F10' to kill all
constellation lines at once. This method leaves the line
display index unchanged, so a subsequent 'F10' will display
the same number of lines. To reset the line display index to
zero immediately, press 'Alt-Space'.
Why doesn't anything happen when I press 'V'?
Either the date is not appropriate for Daylight Saving
Time, or you chose a location that does not use it.
I get lots of blank pages and garbage on my laser printer.
SkyGlobe 2.5 defaults to dot-matrix printing. To change to
laser printing, press 'Alt-Shift-P' until the print parameters
reflect your system. This will probably be: Laser, Add Line
Feeds, LPT1. Use 'F2' until you see the choices on the left-
hand side of the screen, near the end of the display.
There are blank lines when I try to print.
Your printer adds line feeds when it receives a carriage
return character. Use 'F2' to display the Print Parameters.
Then press 'Alt-Sh-P' to change to 'No Line Feeds'.
-15-
Common Questions continued, Plus Constellation List
How can I make SkyGlobe use the minimum amount of memory?
REName or DELete the file SKY8000.DAT, and use EGA
graphics. You will still be able to display 7000 stars and
the planets. CGA and VGA graphics both require extra memory.
My location is not near a choice on the location menu.
You can make your city or town the default choice on the
location menu by obtaining a registered copy of SkyGlobe. If
you wish to obtain a registered copy of the latest version of
SkyGlobe, send $15 to:
Klassm Software (MI residents please
284 142nd AVE include sales tax.)
Caledonia, MI 49316
A complete order form is the second page of this file.
List of Constellations
1 And Andromeda 31 Cyg Cygnus 61 Pav Pavo
2 Ant Antlia 32 Del Delphinus 62 Peg Pegasus
3 Aps Apus 33 Dor Dorado 63 Per Perseus
4 Aql Aquila 34 Dra Draco 64 Phe Phoenix
5 Aqr Aquarius 35 Equ Equuleus 65 Pic Pictor
6 Ara Ara 36 Eri Eridanus 66 PsA Piscis Austrinus
7 Ari Aries 37 For Fornax 67 Psc Pisces
8 Aur Auriga 38 Gem Gemini 68 Pup Puppis
9 Boo Bootes 39 Gru Grus 69 Pyx Pyxis
10 Cae Caelum 40 Her Hercules 70 Ret Reticulum
11 Cam Camelopardalis 41 Hor Horologium 71 Scl Sculptor
12 Cap Capricornus 42 Hya Hydra 72 Sco Scorpius
13 Car Carina 43 Hyi Hydrus 73 Sct Scutum
14 Cas Cassiopeia 44 Ind Indus 74 Ser Serpens Caput
15 Cen Centaurus 45 Lac Lacerta 75 Ser Serpens Cauda
16 Cep Cepheus 46 Leo Leo 76 Sex Sextans
17 Cet Cetus 47 Lep Lepus 77 Sge Sagitta
18 Cha Chamaeleon 48 Lib Libra 78 Sgr Sagittarius
19 Cir Circinus 49 LMi Leo Minor 79 Tau Taurus
20 CMa Canis Major 50 Lup Lupus 80 Tel Telescopium
21 CMi Canis Minor 51 Lyn Lynx 81 TrA Triangulum Australe
22 Cnc Cancer 52 Lyr Lyra 82 Tri Triangulum
23 Col Columba 53 Men Mensa 83 Tuc Tucana
24 Com Coma Berenices 54 Mic Microscopium 84 UMa Ursa Major
25 CrA Corona Australis 55 Mon Monoceros 85 UMi Ursa Minor
26 CrB Corona Borealis 56 Mus Musca 86 Vel Vela
27 Crt Crater 57 Nor Norma 87 Vir Virgo
28 Cru Crux 58 Oct Octans 88 Vol Volans
29 Crv Corvus 59 Oph Ophiucus 89 Vul Vulpecula
30 CVn Canes Venatici 60 Ori Orion
-16-
Star Names in order of Brightness
1-Sirius 56 Saiph 111 Ruchbah
2-Canopus 57 Gamma Centauri 112 Muphrid
3-Arcturus 58 Mizar 113 Mu Velorum
4-Alpha Centauri 59-Kochab 114 Alpha Muscae
5-Vega 60-Rasalhague 115 Lesath
6-Capella 61 Almach 116 Iota Aurigae
7-Rigel 62 Beta Gruis 117 Kaus Media
8-Procyon 63 Algol 118 Pi Puppis
9-Achernar 64-Denebola 119 Tarazed
10-Betelgeuse 65 Sadr 120 Yed Prior
11-Hadar 66-Lambda Velorum 121 Porrima
12-Altair 67-Schedar 122 Iota Centauri
13-Aldebaran 68-Alphecca 123-Zubenelgenubi
14-Acrux 69-Eltanin 124 Iota Orionis
15-Antares 70 Mintaka 125 Kornepheros
16-Spica 71 Zeta Puppis 126 Cebalrai
17-Pollux 72 Aspidiske 127 Gamma Lupi
18-Fomalhaut 73 Caph 128 Rastaban
19 Mimosa 74 Epsilon Scorpii 129 Cursa
20-Deneb 75 Epsilon Centauri 130 Beta Hydri
21-Regulus 76 Alpha Lupi 131 Delta Crucis
22-Adhara 77 Eta Centauri 132 Cor Caroli
23 Castor 78 Delta Scorpii 133 Zeta Herculis
24-Gacrux 79 Merak 134 Kaus Borealis
25-Shaula 80 Izar 135 Rho Puppis
26-Bellatrix 81-Enif 136 Tau Scorpii
27-Elnath 82-Ankaa 137 Alcyone
28 Gamma Velorum 83 Delta Centauri 138 Algenib
29-Miaplacidus 84 Kappa Scorpii 139 Vindemiatrix
30-Alnilam 85 Scheat 140 Iota Scorpii
31-Al Nair 86-Sabik 141 Nihal
32-Alioth 87 Phecda 142 Beta Triangulum Australis
33 Alnitak 88 Alderamin 143 Beta Arae
34-Dubhe 89 Aludra 144 Atik
35-Mirfak 90 Epsilon Cygni 145 Alpha Hydri
36 Theta Scorpii 91 Gamma Cassiopeiae 146 Alpha Tucanae
37-Kaus Australis 92-Menkar 147 Theta Tauri
38-Alkaid 93-Markab 148 Delta Cygni
39 Delta Canis Majoris 94 Zeta Centauri 149 Deneb Algedi
40-Avior 95 Kappa Velorum 150 Mu Geminorum
41 Algieba 96 Graffias 151 Gamma Triangulum Australis
42 Menkalinam 97 Zosma 152 Pherkad
43-Atria 98 Zeta Ophiuci 153 Pi Scorpii
44 Alhena 99 Arneb 154 Sigma Scorpii
45-Peacock 100-Gienah 155 Pi Sagittarii
46 Delta Velorum 101 Ascella 156 Epsilon Persei
47 Mirzam 102 Theta Carinae 157-Acamar
48-Alphard 103 Zubeneschamali 158 Gomeisa
49-Hamal 104 Theta Aurigae 159 Sadalsuud
50-Nunki 105 Beta Lupi 160 Albireo
51 Polaris 106 Sheratan 161 Gamma Persei
52-Deneb Kaitos 107 Phact 162 Tau Puppis
53-Alpheratz 108 Beta Corvi 163 Matar
54 Mirach 109 Unukalhai 164 Algorab
55-Menkent 110 Eta Draconis 165 Alpha Arae
-17-
Star Names by Brightness (cont)
166 Zaurak 211 Theta Ursa Majoris 256 Zeta Virginis
167 Sadalmelik 212 Alpha Circini 257 Epsilon Lupi
168 Upsilon Carinae 213 Pi-3 Orionis 258 Omega Scorpii
169 Mebsuta 214 Epsilon Leporis 259 Atlas
170 Epsilon Leonis 215 Kappa Ophiuci 260 Delta Virginis
171 Alnasl 216 Zeta Cygni 261 Epsilon Cassiopeiae
172 Zeta Aquilae 217 Alpha Reticuli 262 Epsilon Hydrae
173 Epsilon Aurigae 218 G Scorpii 263 Rho Persei
174 Epsilon Corvi 219 Errai 264 q Carinae
175 Gamma Hydrae 220 Adhafera 265 Homam
176 Beta Trianguli 221 Theta Aquilae 266 Gamma Phoenicis
177 Zeta Tauri 222 Alfirk 267 Nu Centauri
178 Psi Ursa Majoris 223 Yed Posterior 268 Zeta Lupi
179 Gamma Gruis 224 Sulafat 269 Alpha Trianguli
180 Delta Perseii 225 Gamma Hydri 270 Eta Lupi
181 Dabih 226 Meissa 271 Mu Herculis
182 Furud 227 Sigma Puppis 272 Beta Pavonis
183 Segihus 228 Eta Serpentis 273 Beta Tucanae
184 Omicron Canis Majoris 229 Zeta Sagittarii 274 Eta Cephei
185 Mu Centauri 230 Delta Andromedae 275 Eta Cassiopeiae
186 Mu Scorpii 231 Pi Hydrae 276 Lambda Aquilae
187 Mira 232 Theta Ophiuci 277 Omicron Cygni
188 Tania Australis 233 Skat 278 a Carinae
189 Beta Muscae 234 Alpha Doradus 279 Tania Borealis
190 Rasalgethi 235 Alpha Pictoris 280 Eta Ceti
191 Altais 236 Propus 281 Sheliak
192 Algedi 237 Sigma Librae 282 Sigma Canis Majoris
193 Nu Hydrae 238 Edasich 283 Delta Bootis
194 Eta Sagittarii 239 Delta Gruis 284 Gamma Sagittae
195 Alpha Indi 240 Psi Geminorum 285 Psi Aquarii
196 Zeta Hydrae 241 Beta Phoenicis 286 Gamma Ceti
197 Wazn 242 Megrez 287 Gamma Tauri
198 Lambda Centauri 243 Mu Leporis 288 Chi Carinae
199 Kappa Centauri 244 Omega Carinae 289 Alula Borealis
200 Zeta Arae 245 p Carinae 290 Sadalbari
201 Alpha Lyncis 246 Tau Sagittarii 291 Upsilon Librae
202 N Velorum 247 Eta Scorpii 292 Delta Pavonis
203 Delta Herculis 248 Chertan 293 Epsilon Gruis
204 Talitha 249 Gamma Arae 294 Tau Ceti
205 Delta Lupi 250 Nu Ophiuci 295 Nekkar
206 Pi Herculis 251 Psi Puppis 296 Pi-5 Orionis
207 Zeta Draconis 252 Zeta Cephei 297 Theta Ceti
208 Phi Sagittarii 253 Delta Aquilae 298 Delta Muscae
209 Eta Aurigae 254 Eta Orionis 299 Alpha Telescopii
210 Nu Puppis 255 Muscida 300 Eta Leonis
The 57 Navigation Stars are indicated by a dash between
the Star number and the name. This Star brightness order
often represents the combination of two or more stars
that are inseparable to the naked eye.
-18-
Star Names Alphabetically
157-Acamar 026-Bellatrix 170 Epsilon Leonis
009-Achernar 143 Beta Arae 214 Epsilon Leporis
014-Acrux 108 Beta Corvi 257 Epsilon Lupi
220 Adhafera 062 Beta Gruis 156 Epsilon Persei
022-Adhara 130 Beta Hydri 074 Epsilon Scorpii
031-Al Nair 105 Beta Lupi 215 Errai
160 Albireo 189 Beta Muscae 209 Eta Aurigae
137 Alcyone 272 Beta Pavonis 275 Eta Cassiopeiae
013-Aldebaran 241 Beta Phoenicis 077 Eta Centauri
088 Alderamin 176 Beta Trianguli 274 Eta Cephei
222 Alfirk 142 Beta TriangulumAustralis 280 Eta Ceti
192 Algedi 273 Beta Tucanae 110 Eta Draconis
138 Algenib 010-Betelgeuse 300 Eta Leonis
041 Algieba 002-Canopus 270 Eta Lupi
063 Algol 006-Capella 254 Eta Orionis
164 Algorab 073 Caph 194 Eta Sagittarii
044 Alhena 023 Castor 247 Eta Scorpii
032-Alioth 126 Cebalrai 228 Eta Serpentis
038-Alkaid 248 Chertan 018-Fomalhaut
061 Almach 288 Chi Carinae 182 Furud
171 Alnasl 132 Cor Caroli 218 G Scorpii
030-Alnilam 129 Cursa 024-Gacrux
033 Alnitak 181 Dabih 249 Gamma Arae
165 Alpha Arae 230 Delta Andromedae 091 Gamma Cassiopeiae
004-Alpha Centauri 253 Delta Aquilae 057 Gamma Centauri
212 Alpha Circini 283 Delta Bootis 286 Gamma Ceti
234 Alpha Doradus 039 Delta Canis Major 179 Gamma Gruis
145 Alpha Hydri 083 Delta Centauri 175 Gamma Hydrae
195 Alpha Indi 131 Delta Crucis 225 Gamma Hydri
077 Alpha Lupi 148 Delta Cygni 128 Gamma Lupi
201 Alpha Lyncis 239 Delta Gruis 161 Gamma Persei
114 Alpha Muscae 203 Delta Herculis 266 Gamma Phoenicis
235 Alpha Pictoris 205 Delta Lupi 284 Gamma Sagittae
217 Alpha Reticuli 298 Delta Muscae 287 Gamma Tauri
299 Alpha Telescopii 292 Delta Pavonis 151 Gamma TriangulumAustralis
269 Alpha Trianguli 180 Delta Perseii 028 Gamma Velorum
146 Alpha Tucanae 078 Delta Scorpii 100-Gienah
048-Alphard 046 Delta Velorum 158 Gomeisa
068-Alphecca 260 Delta Virginis 096 Graffias
053-Alpheratz 149 Deneb Algedi 011-Hadar
012-Altair 052-Deneb Kaitos 049-Hamal
191 Altais 020-Deneb 265 Homam
089 Aludra 064-Denebola 116 Iota Aurigae
289 Alula Borealis 034-Dubhe 122 Iota Centauri
082-Ankaa 238 Edasich 124 Iota Orionis
015-Antares 027-Elnath 140 Iota Scorpii
003-Arcturus 069-Eltanin 080 Izar
099 Arneb 081-Enif 199 Kappa Centauri
101 Ascella 173 Epsilon Aurigae 215 Kappa Ophiuci
072 Aspidiske 261 Epsilon Cassiopeiae 084 Kappa Scorpii
144 Atik 075 Epsilon Centauri 095 Kappa Velorum
259 Atlas 174 Epsilon Corvi 037-Kaus Australis
043-Atria 090 Epsilon Cygni 134 Kaus Borealis
040-Avior 293 Epsilon Gruis 117 Kaus Media
278 a Carinae 262 Epsilon Hydrae 059-Kochab
-19-
Star Names Alphabetically (cont)
125 Kornepheros 152 Pherkad 233 Skat
276 Lambda Aquilae 208 Phi Sagittarii 016-Spica
198 Lambda Centauri 206 Pi Herculis 224 Sulafat
066-Lambda Velorum 231 Pi Hydrae 204 Talitha
115 Lesath 118 Pi Puppis 188 Tania Australis
091-Markab 155 Pi Sagittarii 279 Tania Borealis
163 Matar 153 Pi Scorpii 119 Tarazed
169 Mebsuta 213 Pi-3 Orionis 294 Tau Ceti
242 Megrez 296 Pi-5 Orionis 162 Tau Puppis
226 Meissa 051 Polaris 246 Tau Sagittarii
042 Menkalinam 017-Pollux 136 Tau Scorpii
092-Menkar 121 Porrima 221 Theta Aquilae
055-Menkent 008-Procyon 104 Theta Aurigae
079 Merak 236 Propus 102 Theta Carinae
029-Miaplacidus 285 Psi Aquarii 297 Theta Ceti
019 Mimosa 240 Psi Geminorum 232 Theta Ophiuci
070 Mintaka 251 Psi Puppis 036 Theta Scorpii
181 Mira 178 Psi Ursa Majoris 147 Theta Tauri
054 Mirach 245 p Carinae 211 Theta Ursa Majoris
035-Mirfak 264 q Carinae 109 Unukalhai
047 Mirzam 190 Rasalgethi 168 Upsilon Carinae
058 Mizar 060-Rasalhague 291 Upsilon Librae
185 Mu Centauri 128 Rastaban 005-Vega
150 Mu Geminorum 021-Regulus 139 Vindemiatrix
271 Mu Herculis 263 Rho Persei 197 Wazn
243 Mu Leporis 135 Rho Puppis 223 Yed Posterior
186 Mu Scorpii 007-Rigel 120 Yed Prior
113 Mu Velorum 111 Ruchbah 166 Zaurak
112 Muphrid 086-Sabik 172 Zeta Aquilae
249 Muscida 283 Sadalbari 200 Zeta Arae
202 N Velorum 167 Sadalmelik 094 Zeta Centauri
286 Nekkar 159 Sadalsuud 252 Zeta Cephei
141 Nihal 065 Sadr 216 Zeta Cygni
267 Nu Centauri 056 Saiph 207 Zeta Draconis
193 Nu Hydrae 085 Scheat 133 Zeta Herculis
250 Nu Ophiuci 067-Schedar 196 Zeta Hydrae
210 Nu Puppis 183 Segihus 268 Zeta Lupi
050-Nunki 025-Shaula 098 Zeta Ophiuci
244 Omega Carinae 281 Sheliak 071 Zeta Puppis
258 Omega Scorpii 106 Sheratan 229 Zeta Sagittarii
184 Omicron Canis Majoris 282 Sigma Canis Majoris 177 Zeta Tauri
277 Omicron Cygni 237 Sigma Librae 256 Zeta Virginis
045-Peacock 227 Sigma Puppis 097 Zosma
107 Phact 154 Sigma Scorpii 123-Zubenelgenubi
087 Phecda 001-Sirius 103 Zubeneschamali
The 57 Navigation Stars are indicated by a dash between
the Star number and the name.
-20-
Alphabetical Command Summary
A Toggle Auto-Increment Mode On/Off
Sh-A Toggle Auto-Increment Direction Forward/Backward
Alt-A Toggle Auto-Increment Type Time/Date
B/Sh-B Increase/Decrease Brightness (Number of stars shown)
Alt-B Reset Brightness Index to 1
C/Sh-C Increase/Decrease Constellation Label Display Index
Alt-C Reset Constellation Label Display Index to 0
D/Sh-D Add/Subtract 1 day from Date
Alt-D/Sh-Alt-D Add/Subtract 1 day from Date speed
E Change View Direction to EAST
Alt-E Move location 1 minute east
F/Sh-F Faster This command adjusts the Auto-Increment speed.
The change only affects the Type of Increment
currently in effect.
Alt-F Flip between North and South hemispheres
G Goto New Location Menu
Use this command to change the Viewing Location
H/Sh-H Add/Subtract 1 Hour from Time
Alt-H/Sh-Alt-H Add/Subtract 1/2 Hour from Time
I Initialize all program parameters to defaults
K Save current program Konfiguration as .KFG or .KF0-KF9
L/Sh-L Increment/Decrement Star Label Display Index
M/Sh-M Add/Subtract 1 Month from Date
Alt-M/Sh-Alt-M Add/Subtract 1/2 Month from Date
N Change View Direction to NORTH
Alt-N Move location 1/4 degree north
O Object find To find Stars and Constellations, press O.
Then use the cursor keys to choose the object
to find. Then press one of these:
S or Enter=Find Best Spot to display Star
Sh-S =Find Best Time to display Star
Alt-S =Find Best Date to display Star
C =Find Best Spot for Constellation
Sh-C =Find Best Time for Constellation
Alt-C =Find Best Date for Constellation
Pressing any Number Key (0-9) also enters this mode.
P/Sh-P/Alt-P Print screen, either to dot-matrix or laser printer
Laser printouts are identical landscape displays
For dot-matrix printers, P and Shift-P are landscape
displays, while Alt-P is a portrait display
Sh-Alt-P Change print parameters, (use F2 to see), including DOT-LAS
Q Quit Exit to DOS
R Real-Time Set Auto-Increment Type to Real-Time
Sh-R sideReal Set Auto-Increment Speed to 1 sidereal day
S Change View Direction to SOUTH
Alt-S Move location 1/4 degree south
T/Sh-T Add/Subtract 1 minute from Time
Alt-T/Sh-Alt-T Increment/Decrement Auto-Increment Time Speed
V Toggle Daylight SaVings Time flag In Summer/Never
W Change View Direction to WEST
Alt-W Move location 1 minute west
X Toggle between Normal and Mirror-image display
Y/Sh-Y Add/Subtract 1 Year from date
Z/Sh-Z Zoom In/Zoom Out
Alt-Z Reset Zoom Index to 1
-21-
Function and Control Key Commands
SPACE/Sh-SPACE Add/Delete Constellation Lines
Alt-SPACE Reset Constellation Line Index to 0
Cursor Right/Left Change View Direction 10 degrees Right/Left
Cursor Up/Down Change View Elevation 5 degrees Up/Down
Home Change View Elevation to zenith (90 degrees)
End Change View Elevation to horizon (0 degrees)
Ctrl-Right/Ctrl-Left Change View Direction 30 degrees Right/Left
PgUp/PgDn Change View Elevation 15 degrees Up/Down
ESC Set Help display index to maximum value
F1/Sh-F1 Increase/Decrease Help display index
F2/Sh-F2 Increase/Decrease Parameter display index
F3/Sh-F3 Increase/Decrease Planets display index
F4/Sh-F4 Increase/Decrease Messier Object display index
F5/Sh-F5 Increase/Decrease Milky Way display index
These Display setting keys roll through the
maximum setting back to zero
F6 Toggle Ecliptic display flag
F7 Toggle RA-Dec display flag
F8 Toggle Horizon, Hash-mark and Zenith display flags
F9 Toggle Star Labels and Constellation Names display flag
F10 Toggle Constellation Line display flag
Alt-F1 Reset display to Stars and Lines only
Alt-F2 Reset display to Stars only
Alt-F3 Maximize all display settings
Alt-F4 On EGA/VGA color systems, toggle Background color
Alt-F5 On EGA/VGA color systems, toggle Constellation Star color
Alt-F10/Sh-Alt-F10 Increment/Decrement Constellation Cheat Index
Enter Load planet data for current year, if available
STARTSKY.DOC
SkyGlobe 2.5 is very fun and simple to use!
To run SkyGlobe 2.5, make sure the files SKYGLOBE.COM and SKYGLOBE.DAT are
present in the currently active directory, (the one that lists when you type
DIR). Then, just type SKYGLOBE, and press Enter.
First you will be asked to select a video adapter. If you have a color system,
you will be able to choose between CGA, EGA, and VGA. The CGA display will be
in black and white, while EGA and VGA will be in full 16-color mode. If you
have a monochrome system, the menu will include Hercules, EGA monochrome, and
VGA monochrome. If your system supports gray-scaling, SkyGlobe will probably
use the color choices. Use the cursor keys to select the proper choice for your
system, and press Enter.
The next task is to select a viewing location. The nearly 240 choices are on
two pages, with the first page containing US and Canadian locations. To see
the international choices, use the End key, then press Enter. Use the cursor
keys to select the desired location, then press Enter.
Read the Shareware message, then press any key. The screen will be filled with
stars!!
Try the simple one-key commands and have fun with SkyGlobe 2.5!!!
TRBSHOOT.DOC
Most problems with SkyGlobe 2.5 can be solved with a careful reading of
the documentation, contained in the file SKYGLOBE.DOC. To print this file, use
the DOS command COPY SKYGLOBE.DOC PRN. You can also import it as ASCII text
into any word processor, but you might have to reset your margins.
If you have a laser printer, you will have to change the type of printer
from dot-matrix to laser. Use 'Alt-Shift-P' to do this, and use 'F2' to watch
what you are doing. More detailed instructions are in the documentation.
Because of the low resolution of the multi-color modes of the CGA graphics
adapter, the CGA display is in black and white. The 16-color mode offered by
some Tandy computers is not supported by SkyGlobe 2.5. If you are unsure if
your computer has EGA or VGA graphics, nothing bad will happen if you try them.
If your computer doesn't support the video choice you make, there will be no
star display, but you should be able return to DOS by pressing 'Q'.
If the planets are not displayed, make sure the appropriate .DAT file for
the year you are viewing is in the same directory as SKYGLOBE.COM. If you have
removed the floppy disk, replace it and press Enter to reload the planet data.
Daylight Saving Time causes a few problems. SkyGlobe assumes that April 4
is the first day of Daylight Time, and October 27 is the last. (Northern Hemi-
sphere) This approximates the current US policy of first Sunday in April, last
Sunday in Oct., but will still be off by a day or two most years. You can use
'V' to shut it off, but there is no way to force Daylight Time. If the display
jumps unexpectedly in Auto mode, Daylight Saving Time is usually the reason.
Finally, Real-Time mode will keep you from changing the Time and Date.
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #2604
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
SKYGLOBE EXE 49056 5-17-91 10:52a
SKYGLOBE DAT 64928 3-05-91 7:45p
GO BAT 116 6-11-91 2:34p
STARTSKY DOC 1204 4-05-91 10:51p
SKYGLOBE DOC 64336 4-06-91 8:45p
ORDER FRM 3177 4-05-91 11:02a
TRBSHOOT DOC 1793 4-06-91 6:21p
SKY8000 DAT 48000 7-12-90 12:49a
1990 DAT 20114 9-13-90 1:23a
1991 DAT 20114 9-13-90 1:23a
1992 DAT 20114 9-13-90 1:23a
1993 DAT 20114 9-13-90 1:23a
1994 DAT 20114 9-13-90 1:23a
PREVIEW EXE 7347 4-18-91 1:15p
FILE2604 TXT 1999 6-11-91 2:36p
15 file(s) 342526 bytes
13312 bytes free