5 replies to this topic

[Icaro]

I'm using Stellarium (I am a Linux user and this seems like a good choice for this platform) and I want to be able to see the angular separation between two objects, as this is the main way I am hopping from one place to another to find DSOs.

 

I assume you can do this. ?

 

Can anyone tell me how?

[DHEB]

Yes, you have the angle measure tool. It is a plugin, just activate it first, the you may need to restart the program. If you compile Stellarium yourself you have to make sure you enable the compilation of this plugin at the configure stage (although I believe it is enabled per default). Good luck.

[Icaro]

Ahhh. Yes, I see the plugins section. 

 

I loaded the angle finder and it works great!

 

Thanks DHEB.

 

I'm open to suggestions from anyone who wants to suggest other plug-ins for a new backyard astronomer. 

[DHEB]

Glad you found it. I use the ocular plugin (telescope - eyepiece simulator tool) a lot. I warmly recommend it.

[Allanbarth1]

If you do a lot of star hopping, I suggest to try the plugin that adds the compass marks. It adds the degree ticks along the horizon for you. Also try adding the pointer coordinates plug in. This gives you the coordinates of the pointer itself. When I configured this plug in I chose to have Alt/Az coordinates displayed instead of equatorial coordinates. I also made to font size a little bigger and moved where the coordinated are displayed on my screen. I moved them just off center at the bottom of the screen. (just above the lower button box in a nice empty space where there is nothing else cluttering up the view making it much easier to see and jot down the coordinates.) You can make those changes when you initially configure the plug in. 

 

I use Alt/Az mounts for my refractors and also a standard small 114mm dob. I set up Stellarium in a way that works with my equipment. For me that's in alt/az. Very easy to set it up and its just a click of a button to toggle between settings. I usually have a list if objects I want to attempt to view. I go to Stellarium and will set the time to when I plan to be out observing. Its then just a matter of clicking on the pointer coordinates, putting it on the desired object and writing down the coordinates for that time and date I plan to observe. That gets me in the area when I'm at the scope. Then a little searching one way or the other for a pattern I recognize to begin avstar hop to/from an object and all is good to go.

 

This works very well for me. Gets me much closer than just the star chart alone. I don't use any electronics at the scope so the little bit of prep work makes a difference for me. Play around a bit with Stellarium and see what works for you. Just remember that when you make changes you want to keep you need to not only save in the box where the change is made. You also need to open up the configuration window, click the main page tab (usually will open to this tab by default) and click "save settings". Otherwise if you don't when you close Stellarium the settings will return to the default and you'll lose what you changed and need to do it again.

[Keith Rivich]

Ahhh. Yes, I see the plugins section. 

 

I loaded the angle finder and it works great!

 

Thanks DHEB.

 

I'm open to suggestions from anyone who wants to suggest other plug-ins for a new backyard astronomer. 

Enable all of the plugins. You will eventually use them...