Planetarium software programs let you mimic the sky in a virtual environment.

I suggest you obtain Stellarium but you may use any other program you may already be familiar with.

Your assignment is to familiarize yourself with ANY planetarium software program.  There are several on the market for cost but I suggest you download and use any FREE program.  I like one called Stellarium.  Of course, you will need to have access to a computer with the minimum system requirements as well as permission to load software on it.  If that is a problem for you, please contact me.   I will ask you to master some of the elementary functions (listed below) and then contact me for a simple evaluation of these skills.

Step 1 - Obtain the software (click here to get Stellarium for Windows and Apple) and install it on your computer.  This handout will show you how to use Stellarium (windows version 0.18.3) which loads on just about any computer.  You will need to know your computers operating system.   Windows users may have to consult their control panel (system type) to discover if you have a 32 bit or 64 bit system.   For Stellarium, just click the link above and save the file to your computer.    Once it is saved, run the downloaded file and the install will take place.  Apple users may experience a problem at first but watch this video if it doesn't load for you.  Note:  There are other download sites ... do NOT use them!  They will ask you to install drivers that are not necessary and I have no idea what they might do to your computer.  If you have any questions about the installation, please contact me.

Still having problems?  Some computers (like Chromebook) will not let you install software on it.  There is a new web based version of Stellarium.  It currently has far less features than the download version but it will work if all else fails.  Click here.

Step 2 - Run the software for the first time and familiarize yourself with the menu options. 

I've made a short video (in .mp4 format) that gives a brief overview of the program (version 0.18.3) - Video Tutorial  (please watch this)

Stellarium will tell you what the icons do if you mouse over them.  Play around and have some fun.  If you get too messed up, just close the program and re-open to the default settings.  You close Stellarium using the "power icon" on the far right of the bottom menu.

Menus for Stellarium are found along the left and bottom (point there with mouse)

Step 3 - Simple Stuff  Please be able to set and change:

• Your location.   Set the viewpoint to your current location and save this as your default setting.   Stellarium has Milwaukee in its data bank.  Most programs let you pick from a list of cities, some let you pick from a map, and some allow you to assign manually by longitude and latitude (obtained by your GPS or Google Earth).   I may ask you to locate the observer at any major city in the world.
  
  
   
• Change the date/time.  If you choose "system time" that means it will give actual time.  However, you should be able to set the time to ANY time the software allows.  For example, can you change the time to 1/1/2000 at 3 am?
  
   
• Change where you're looking.  The default view in Stellarium is looking at the southern horizon.  However, you should be able to look East, West, North, or even straight up (Zenith).   Just "click and drag" to move around the sky.
  
  Can you set your view from Tampa, Florida on 3/9/2014 at 2 a.m. ..... and then look around the sky? 

Step 4 - A bit harder  Change what appears on the screen 

• Be able to make the star visible during the daytime.  Stellarium calls this "atmosphere".  Be able to turn this feature off as well.
   
• Make the constellation lines visible .... or not.  There are 88 Roman/Greek constellations in our culture.  This is a "connect-the-dots" in the sky.  Hint: Most look nothing like the object they were meant to depict. 
   
• Display constellation labels.  That is, make the constellation names visible. 
   
• Go to the menu labeled Sky and viewing options window.... then click on the tab labeled Markings
   
  • Display the cardinal directions on the horizon (N, S, E, and W).  Be able to take them away as well.  Stellarium calls these Markings - Cardinal Points
  • Find the option that lets you display the meridian (a line that extends from the north to the southern horizon).  Be able to take it away as well.
  • Do the same for a line known as the ecliptic (of date).  Hint: The sun is somewhere on this line.
  • Be able to display the Celestial Equator ... just called "equator (of date)" in the program.

        Let's see how good you are.  Can you now set your location to Seattle, WA at 2 pm on 4/7/2005 .... looking north with the meridian line and stars visible? 

Step 5 - Getting Fancier

• Be able to limit how many stars are visible by their brightness in the sky.  Go to the menu labeled Sky and viewing options window.  Look for the box marked Limit Magnitudes.  Check the stars box and change the number.  Play around with this setting and see how it changes the number of stars on display.  You will notice the magnitude scale is a bit backwards ....  the dimmer the star is, the bigger the magnitude number (assigned to that star).   The eye limit (under ideal conditions) is magnitude 6, but in the city the limit is somewhere around 3 or 4.  Can you set your star brightness limit to 5?  You will notice that more stars are visible on the screen when you increase the magnitude limit.
  
  
   
• Be able to display the names of some of the brighter stars.  Stellarium uses a sliding scale called Labels and Markers.  Try this:  Set the program to display stars with a limiting magnitude of 2 and then see if you can display the names of all the stars.
  
  
• Be able to display the planets as well as a label for the planet.  (Note: These are two separate tasks)   Each task is as easy as checking (or un-checking a box).  I'll let you find them.
   
• Be able to find (or locate) an object by name.  In Stellarium this is done in the search window [F3].    Stellarium will go directly to the object you are looking for.  Note:  The object you are searching for may be below the horizon.  If so, simply remove the ground [G] to see it. 
  
  
  Can you find and display the following objects?:  Antares (a star), Sun, Mars, Orion (a constellation)   Note:  In Stellarium, when you find an object (or simply click on something) all kinds of technical information about the object appears in the upper left corner.  This is cool but if it you like, you can change how much appears.  See Configuration, Information.
  
   
• Zoom in or out to change your field of view.   The default field of view (FOV) in Stellarium is 60 degrees.  Hint:  In Stellarium you can zoom in/out with shortcut keys .... use the help feature to find those keys.

        Can you set your location to Milwaukee at the current date and time, looking at Jupiter (with name displayed)?  

Step 6 - Flying through time

• Your program will update itself in real time.  That is, if you wait long enough, things will change (just like in the sky).  You don't have to wait!  You have the ability to run the sky at any rate you like.  In Stellarium, these time function keys are located along the bottom menu (next to the "power off" key).  You have the ability to go faster or slower ...  forward or backwards in time ... or even pause time.
  
  
  
  << is the backwards key - tap it once and you notice time going in reverse.  Tap it again and the rate of reversal increases.  The more you tap, the faster the rate.
  > key lets you pause time or run at normal rate
  ▼will return time to now
  >> is the forward key- tap it once and you notice time speeding up slowly.  Tap it again and the rate increases.  The more you tap, the faster the rate.
  
  
  Try this:  Set the program to look east (from your current position) and watch a day go by in a minute.   Do the same looking north.  Locate Polaris and watch a couple days go by.  Set your location to someplace much further south and do the same (Quito, Ecuador is right on the equator).  Notice anything different?  Try going to Anchorage, Alaska and watch a day go by.  Now try the same thing at different times of the year.  For example, watch a day go by in Anchorage, Alaska in June vs. a day in December.  You should notice a big difference (if you pay attention to the sun).
   
• Track an object.  That means that the object you find will remain centered in your screen as time goes by.  In Stellarium it is easy.  Just highlight the object and make sure it is centered on the screen (using the centering icon on the bottom menu).   Use the help menu to find the keyboard shortcut keystokes if you experience problems.  As you move forward in time, the object remains fixed in the center of the screen.  This lets you play some pretty cool animations. 
  
  Try this:  Set the program up to display any sunrise.  Search for the sun and set to track it.  Now speed time up so hours go by in minutes (approximately).  The sun should remain fixed and the ground moves.

Practice Exercise #1

Go to Tampa, Florida using the system date and time.  Search for the north star - Polaris so it is centered on the screen.  Move forward in time so an hour moves forward in about 4 seconds.   Add in the constellation lines as well as their names.  As you watch the sky spin, name the constellations that never leave the local horizon.  Now go to Milwaukee, WI and zoom out so you can see the horizon.  Answer the same question about the constellations.

Practice Exercise #2

Use the Search (or find / locate) feature to display the sun in the center of the screen.  Set to track the sun (tap the "t" key on your keyboard in Stellarium).  Hide the ground (make it transparent) and remove the atmosphere (so the stars are visible).  Display the ecliptic (a line that traces the path of the sun) as well as the constellations lines.  Now advance time a day at a time.  In Stellarium, the shortcut keys are CTRL+ ALT + scroll wheel  (That is, hold down the CTRL and ALT key and scroll the mouse wheel).  You should see the sun change its position with respect to the background stars.  Turn "off" the track feature and advance by one day at a time.  Now the stars remain fixed and you see the sun move along the ecliptic (to the left .... or east).

Practice Exercise #3

Go to Casper, WY USA on 8/21/2017  @ 10:30 a.m.  (central time ... remember that this will actually be 9:30 am mountain time)
Search for the sun (so it is centered on the screen) and set to track it.
Zoom in until the disk of the sun is about the size of golf ball
Run time forward …. slowly ....  until you see something interesting happening.   Then slow the animation down to real time.
You just watched a total solar eclipse.

Step 7 - Extra credit. 

Quite simply, show me you have discovered more features about the program than I have listed above.  Trust me, there are a lot of features to discover.  For example, you have the ability to observe from places other than the surface of Earth.  You can observe the solar system from above and watch the planets whirl around the sun.  You can observe any eclipse - past or future.  In Stellarium, you can even write scripts that run like a movie.  The more you can impress me, the more points you will get.

Step 8 - Contact me (by email or text) when you feel comfortable with these features.  Give me a couple of exact times you have open and hopefully one will work for me as well.

I evaluate you in a video conference using the program. Currently I'm using the Google Meet video conferencing software.  I've tested it with several browsers - Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari.  We start by having you call my cell phone at the appointment time. I'll talk you through the rest but basically I will email you an invite to your MATC student email account and you click on it.   It takes only about a half hour to do the evaluation. I'll ask you to do about 10 things that were already covered in the assignment.  You do NOT need a web cam on your computer since you will be sharing your screen with me.

Don't feel intimidated.  If you are having problems we can try again at a later time.  I will ask you to repeat tasks similar to the exercises listed above. 
 

Step 9 - In unit 1, I've made a discussion topic called "Super Stellarium Users".  It requires you to go beyond this handout.  If, after you do the 100 point evaluation, you might want to challenge yourself.

Stellarium Mobile (but please do NOT use this version for evaluation purposes)

Stellarium comes as a smart phone app.  I have tried the android version and here is my review of version 1.13.

Pros

The menus are very similar to the desktop version.  Once familiar with that, you will have no problems navigating the mobile version.  Start by touching the menu icon (looks like a gear).    Add/remove constellations, grids, ground, atmosphere. etc.   Hit the settings icon (looks like a wrench) and you can change your time/location/viewing position with ease.  I mastered everything in 5 minutes.

The mobile version has the ability to use your phone as a pointer.  That is, as you move the phone around at the sky, it shows you what you are looking at.  This is similar to the (free) Google Sky Map.  This is very helpful to identify constellations, planets, etc.   Hit the menu icon (which looks like a gear) and then the phone icon.

The mobile version takes advantage of your touch screen when time traveling.  When you touch the date/time info in the lower left, the screen allows you to advance/rewind time.  In addition, you can swipe the screen to move time forward or backwards.  Use your "back button" to exit this mode.  Very cool.

Great zoom feature.  As you move in, more objects become available (same as desktop).  This program has a great database.

Cons

Not free!  Ok, a couple of bucks won't kill anyone but I like free.  I don't regret purchasing it.

No help menu.  You better be good at "fiddling around" to figure things out.

Not as powerful as the desktop version.  The mobile version lacks many features that I will want you to learn.  So you will still need to learn the desktop version and you probably should learn it before you purchase this mobile app.  Here is a short list of things the mobile version lacks:

• Can NOT draw in the ecliptic although the celestial equator and meridian lines are implied when you add grids.
• Can NOT control the stars magnitudes and/or names.  You can't remove the stars at all.
• Restricted to the surface of Earth.  Not a real big deal since most of us are stuck here anyway.
• No screen capture or screen share feature so it would be difficult for me to evaluate your work using this app.