SKY:Lab® Astronomy Software Newsletter - Feb 2004

Dear STAR Atlas:PRO User,

Welcome to the latest edition of the SKYLab Astronomy Software Newsletter, issued periodically to keep you in touch with the latest STAR Atlas:PRO™ software upgrades and other related news.

SKY:Lab® Astronomy Software has released Version 5.3 of STAR Atlas:PRO™. a new version with new features and program improvements. New features include inbuilt Telescope Drivers for Celestron Goto Telescopes permitting STAR Atlas:PRO to control a wide variety of Celestron Telescopes.

The Version 5.3 upgrade also delivers some other important improvements including data updates to several thousand NGC and IC objects, and further improvement to how STAR Atlas:PRO decides which celestial objects to display when running in Auto Charting Mode.

The latest version of STAR Atlas:PRO, Version 5.3, is now available as a free upgrade to all registered users.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are now available at http://www.skylab.com.au/technical_info.html. The FAQs provide valuable information about using STAR Atlas:PRO and are well worth visiting to increase your knowledge of using STAR Atlas:PRO.

The longitude of Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) has recently changed and you should proceed to update the GRS Longitude that you have set in STAR Atlas:PRO to the most recent value. This will ensure accurate predictions for GRS Transit times. See http://www.skylab.com.au/jupiter_great_red_spot.html for the latest GRS Longitude and the "How To" document for updating this value in STAR Atlas:PRO.

The rest of this Newsletter consists of two parts:-

    Version 5.3 Release Notes
    Download and installation Instructions

Clear Skies!

Paul Mayo
SKY:Lab® Astronomy Software
Web: www.skylab.com.au
E-mail: info@skylab.com.au

STAR Atlas:PRO Version 5.3 Release Notes

SKY:Lab® Astronomy Software has released Version 5.3 of STAR Atlas:PRO™. a new version with new features and important program improvements.

The following release notes use [square brackets] to indicate a within STAR Atlas:PRO menu command button.

[Chart Prefs]►[Catalogue Selection Method]►[Auto Mode] 

This example shows three command buttons that need to be selected one after the other. The first command button starts from the main floating menu unless otherwise noted.

New Celestron Telescope Drivers.

New telescopes drivers for the following Celestron Telescopes are now inbuilt into STAR Atlas:PRO.

STAR Atlas:PRO Driver   Compatible Telescopes 
Celestron NexStar 8 / 11 GPS   Celestron NexStar 5i / 8i ( with iComp hand control )
Celestron NexStar 8 / 9.25 / 11 GPS ( firmware V2.2 or later)
Celestron CGE Series
 Celestron AS Advanced Series
Celestron NexStar 5 / 8   Celestron NexStar 5 / 8
Original Celestron GT   Celestron GT Models  60 / 80 / 114 / 4 (manufactured prior to Dec-2001)
Celestron GT   Celestron GT Models 60 / 80 / 114 / 4 / 130  (new/current series)

Telescope Control - Slew below Horizon.

In prior versions when using Horizon Mode charting ( see [Chart Prefs]►[Horizon Mode] ), STAR Atlas:PRO would not permit you to slew your telescope to a position that is below the Local Horizon. STAR Atlas:PRO will now give you the option to abandon or proceed with the slew operation.

Updated NGC and IC Catalogues.

In Version 5.3 the Magnitudes of 2,749 NGC and IC objects are updated with more accurate data which has resolved a number of issues related to bright deep sky objects not appearing on charts as a result of catalogue entries with unknown Magnitudes.

Improved AUTO MODE charting features.

In version 5.3, when the Magnitude Limit is set to [No Limit], objects with unknown Magnitudes are displayed regardless of the Chart Field of View. This is an improvement over prior versions and allows you to see all deep sky objects on a chart regardless of their brightness level and regardless of the chart's Field Of View size. The display of Stars is still set automatically by STAR Atlas:PRO so that the chart does not become impossibly cluttered with stars. As you Zoom In fainter Stars are displayed. To try out this improvement, use STAR Atlas:PRO to display a chart of say 30 Degrees Field Of View, then choose [Mag. Limit]►[No Limit]. When you return to the chart it should display a large number of deep sky objects.

Alt / Az Grid no longer is automatically set ON.

The Altitude / Azimuth Grid is no longer automatically set on, each time Horizon Mode is selected. Instead the Alt / Az grid is now only displayed when set ON by the user.

Locating a object doesn't always chart the object.

Sometimes you may use [Locate] to find a celestial object, the chart enters at the object's location, but it is not displayed on the resulting chart. This occurs when there is a Magnitude Limit, Filter Setting, or other setting which prevents the object from being displayed. A message is now displayed when this effect occurs recommending you Zoom In or change Magnitude settings if you wish the object to be plotted on the chart. Usually Zooming in with your + Key will eventually display the object.

Star Labels.

The huge number of Star Names in STAR Atlas:PRO have resulted in the the All Sky Chart becoming cluttered with Star labels. Star Labels are no longer displayed by default when the All Sky Chart is displayed improving the chart's overall appearance and readability. You may still enable the Star Labels if you desire. Star Names are still easily retrieved when you are displaying the [Sky Chart] just right-click on the star and choose [Identify] from the popup menu.

The Horizon View will still display Star Labels by default.
 

STAR Atlas:PRO Version 5.3 Upgrade Instructions

Checks to perform prior to installing the Upgrade.

1. IMPORTANT: This STAR Atlas:PRO Upgrade is provided under the same Terms and Conditions of the STAR Atlas:PRO License Agreement that accompanies your copy of STAR Atlas:PRO. By proceeding to download and install this Upgrade you acknowledge your re-acceptance of the Software License Terms and Conditions under which this Upgrade is provided to you.

2. This Upgrade requires you have STAR Atlas:PRO Version 5.2 already installed on your computer.

3. Make sure you are not running STAR Atlas:PRO while installing the new Upgrade.

4. The Upgrade Package is a Winzip compressed file consequently Winzip must be installed on your computer, so that you can extract the file(s) from the upgrade package.

What Does the Upgrade Package contain ?

The Upgrade Package is a WinZip compressed file that contains a new program file called STAR_AtlasPRO.exe and an update support file called sap_upg53.txt.

How big is the download ?

3.66 MBytes.

How to Download & Install the Upgrade.

Installing the upgrade involves extracting the new STAR Atlas:PRO program file from the download and then storing it in the same location on your computer where STAR Atlas:PRO is installed.

 Step 1. Download the Upgrade package from http://www.skylab.com.au/downloads/STAR_AtlasPRO_V5_3.zip

Step 2. When the download is completed. "Unzip" the compressed files from the upgrade package and then store them in the same folder where STAR Atlas:PRO is installed on your computer ( by default STAR Atlas:PRO is located in the C:\STARPRO folder ). 

If you have Winzip installed on your computer, this will require that you open the upgrade package using Winzip and then choose Extract from the Winzip menu. Extract the file to the same folder where STAR Atlas:PRO is installed on your computer. You will be asked by Winzip if you wish to overwrite the existing copy of the STAR_AtlasPRO.exe file, answer Yes so that you replace the old program file with the new one from the upgrade package.

Step 3. Run STAR Atlas:PRO as you would normally. You will be prompted with the message "Welcome to STAR Atlas:PRO Upgrade Version 5.3 Continue?.."  answer YES so that the upgrade is performed.

 Step 4. The upgrade will take up to a minute or so on some computers to perform its work, and then will return you to the Windows desktop.

Step 5. You are now ready to use the new version, run STAR Atlas:PRO and welcome to Version 5.3.

SKY:Lab® is a registered trademark of SKYLab Astronomy Software.