Deep-Sky Planner is a comprehensive astronomical planning and logging software for visual observers and astro-imagers. The Deep-Sky Planner 9 release from Knightware offers updated and expanded professional catalog data and ton of new features. Deep-Sky Planner is comprehensive astronomical planning and logging software for visual observers and astro-imagers.
Deep-Sky Planner 9 provides the powerful, accurate tools you need to make your time at the telescope more efficient and enjoyable. Discover what you can observe, when and where to observe it, and what it looks like. Once you’ve observed an object, record the observation in the most feature-complete observing log anywhere.
This Deep-Sky Planner 9 release includes an expanded and updated database contains over 1.6 million objects and uses the latest professional, peer-reviewed data available. The object designation matching engine can find matches for designations that you enter using sophisticated pattern matching technology. The engine is forgiving of case mismatches, extra or no spaces in designations, and can match some commonly used catalog acronyms that are not IAU approved (e.g., B for Barnard Dark nebulae).
Deep-Sky Planner 9 utilizes familiar Windows presentation techniques – plan reports, catalog search reports, ephemeris reports and logged observation reports are all treated like documents that can be saved, re-opened, printed or exported. Observations and observing locations may be managed like Windows Explorer manages files.
The software includes thorough user documentation that is both fully searchable and printable, and an online support and resources community that is free. There is also a discussion group where registered users can ask questions.
The observing log is specifically designed for convenient workflow at the telescope or anytime thereafter – the software learns which observing session and equipment you are using as you enter observations so that your workflow is optimized.
As many have experienced, keeping a log of your observations requires a big investment in your time, but the benefits of being able to search and report them any time is at least as great. With Deep-Sky Planner 9 you don’t have to worry about investing a lot of time building an electronic observing log that is locked away in a proprietary database. Observations in Deep-Sky Planner can be imported and exported in both a proprietary file format and the non-proprietary OpenAstronomyLog 2.1 format. Reports can be printed or saved in HTML format for publishing on a web site.
Deep-Sky Planner focuses on planning and logging features, giving them primary development and support attention. The software can interoperate intelligently with several leading planetarium programs giving you extensive planning capability and the very best star charting and planetarium functions working together without duplicating the cost of providing these features.
Deep-Sky Planner provides computer control of your telescope and Deep-Sky Planner he ability to receive real-time feedback from your telescope or digital setting circles. Telescope control is a standard feature of Deep-Sky Planner and requires ASCOM 6.5 or earlier (free). The Push-To feature allows you to transmit the position of any object in a report to your Nexus DSC, Sky Commander or Argo Navis device. This allows you to use the device’s object locating capability to find any object, including asteroids and comets.
You can learn more about the Deep-Sky Planner 9 release here.
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