[Pietro.org]
[Astronomy Home]
[Celestron 5" SCT]
[Astro Computing]
[Pluto]
[Message Board]
Site Top
Ref., Real-time, & News
NexStar, C5, & G5
Astro Utilities & Library

See it!
Interact
  Astro Utilities Tab Astro Library Tab
 

     The Astro Library                                      

LibrarySci GiftsBackground: This is the home for user uploads of any freeware software or data file related to astronomical computation.  Users can upload BASIC, JavaScript, Active-X, Windows, DOS, etc. programs or Excel and other data files by e-mail attachment to Pietro.org.

Links: Offsite books can be found on the Science Shopping page.  Checkout Sky & Telescope magazine listings of BASIC programs  that have appeared on its pages.  Astronomical Algorithms BookMany an amateur celestial mechanist started by typing these listings into their computers.  They can still be of use if you have access to the equation reference in the original magazine article that accompanied them.

 

  Software Listings  

Astro Pal© Circumstances Calculator is a browser based tool that reports local circumstances of use to the amateur astronomer.  Astro PalCalculations are conducted through the built-in "JavaScript" scripting language.  This versions includes various time-scales for the current instance and a handy list of celestial objects riding high on the meridian.  An easy to use control panel allows customization for any time and place. 

Astrophotography Calculator (© Michael A. Covington) is a small, but thorough, Windows program that will calculate exposures times of celestial objects. Astro P. DownLCalculations are based on selection of Astro Photo Bookimaging medium, lens/scope diameter and focal length. Various setups are accounted for: including prime focus, camera and lens through eyepiece, eyepiece projection, etc. This menu driven application has a target selection that includes the Moon in various phases and eclipse, planets, galaxies and nebulas. This program serves as a companion to the Cambridge University Press (1999) book by the same author: Astrophotography for the Amateur.
Featured:  Below is the write-up on an Excel spreadsheet dedicated to calculating solar (and some lunar) phenomena.  It is based on the work of Jean Meeus as documented in his well-known Astronomical Algorithms book.  The spreadsheet contains notes to allow users to match the columns of calculations to the equations in the book.

Daily Sun Table Latest VersionDAILY SUN TABLE    The DAILY SUN TABLE is an Excel 2000 spreadsheet that will determine  daily solar phenomena at a location for a whole month.  For each day the local time of the Sun's rise, transit, set and time above the horizon is displayed in the Results Table.  Distributed as FREEWARE, this file can be distributed freely as long as no modifications are made. 

Fig #1: Input/Output Section Overview  (Version 1.0.2 and up)

Learn More! View the Daily Sun Table instruction sheet. 

Get It! Click to download the DailySunTable103.exe archive.

Install It! Follow the easy WinZip Installation Instructions. Then go to your install directory and double-click DailySunTable103.xls to start.

Complete instructions with references and web-links are included to assist the user in inputting the correct data for their location.  Comments and book/web references are included for those interested in how the calculations were done. The self-extracting file can easily be downloaded at any connection speed. 

System Requirements: a computer running Microsoft Windows 95 or better with Excel 2000 or better installed.

 
SearchReport connection, download, e-mail, broken links, missing graphics and other related problems to webmaster.  
Post comments on this page in the  Message Board. 
Entire contents Copyright © 2000-2007 by Pietro.org. All Rights Reserved.