"Georgiana
Inturrisi" To: "Guide-Users" <guide-user@yahoogroups.com>
<KawaGirl@msn cc:
.com> Subject: Re: [guide-user] Guide 8 draws nigh

09/01/2002
05.32
Please
respond to
guide-user










I'm new to this list, but I wanted to know how Guide 8 differs from
StarryNight Pro,
and is it a guide of the night sky. Like I said, I'm unfamiliar. Thanks
for the help.


==========================================================================

Hello Everybody,

probably I'm not the best user of these softwares, but I have both of them
and I think to be able to tell you something about.

I am an Italian astronomer, not only amateur astronomer, but also
professional astronomer and I can assure that Guide is absolutely the best
software for professional and scientific astronomical use.
Everytime I go to observe in an astronomical observatory, in Italy and
abroad, I always keep the CD-rom with Guide and a back-up copy of it ( I
have too fear to stay without it in the middle of the night!).
Guide help me in planning observing session, printing finder charts and,
surely, saving a lot of time in identifying a lot of object in the field of
telescope.
But these can be considered personal opinions, so what that is absolutely
true is that Guide can be considered as a night assistent. It's precision
and kindly interaface is well beyond any other software. Its data and
computing capability are well beyond anyone can forsee in a sky simulator.
I integrated it with the Palomar Real Sky and the USNO Catalog to have an
instruments that a lot of international astronomers I meet in the
observatories all around the world ask me to try it and, so, they spend a
lot of time (much more than a night!) to test it. As a conclusion they
always say words such as "this software is light-years beyond my
requirements".
It is impossible to describe, in this mail, all the features of this
wonderful software, therefore I can only suggest you to look at its web
pages (www.projectpluto.com) to take a round around of its capabilities.

But what about the match "Guide vs. StarryNight Pro"?

All in all it is quite impossible to play the match. I consider them
complementary products.

In other words, if I have to make computation, to plan observing session,
to print finder charts, to have a strong help in professional and
scientific use, the choice can be only "Guide". (and do not
misunderstanding the word "professional" because it's user interface is
surely one of the easiest among astronomical softwares).

But if I have to make a public show or general public lecture, StarryNight
give me a very nice graphics with a lot of realistic effects (i.e. the
shadows of the trees, a corona around an eclipsed sun, a very nice skyglow
during sunrises and sunsets, and so on). These kinds of things are well
appreciated by the public and very nice to see.

In conclusion, I could suggest you to buy both of this softwares, but if
you need a software to help you in field observations, in high precision
computing, in find-out the position of the objects in the sky (comets,
galaxy, planetary satellites, or artificial satellites (the precision in
this section is breathtaking!) and so on) or in any other scientific or
rather-scientific use, you need Guide without any doubt.
On the other side, if you need a scenic simulator for public speech or for
the joy of your eyes, StarryNight Pro (the minor version are very poor in
details) could be a valid helper.

That's all.

Clear (and dark) skies to all of you!

Sincerely.
Elia Cozzi

===============================
Dr. Elia Cozzi
New Millennium Observatory
Mozzate - Italy