Deepsky 2000 - anyone recommend it?

[Gem]

Hi all

Looking for some software for planning observing and also for looking up SAO numbers for doubles.

Does anyone use Deepsky2000? Is it recommended?

Thanks! :)

[h0ughy]

it will do what you want,

[higginsdj]

I bought it, used it, then moved on to cheaper and far superior solutions.

Cheers

[ZeroID]

Care to share ?
I've been using AstroPlanner (free) and it's good but sometimes overly complicated in how it works. You only pay when you want to have more catalogs and the base catalog is a dang good starter so no problems yet.

[higginsdj]

I didn't want to hijack the thread, but I use Astroplanner 2 (I'm a beta tester) as I need Astroplanners extensive features to access, plan, visualise et al everything necessary for my MP photometric work. (and have been doing so for some years now). It has a lot of other features but I don't use them (recording observations, scripting, viewing DSS images, telescope control etc etc etc)

Cheers

[Gem]

For example.... ok... didn't realise you did two posts!! Sorry!!

[ngcles]

Hi Gem,

I use Deepsky as a database and logbook keeping it is quite good though there are a couple of things I'm not overly keen on. The planning features are good, the logbook function is very good and the database is excellent and very extensive

The only thing I find a bit annoying is the lack of cross-referencing between catalogues. For example if I observe NGC 4303 and make an observation and mark it as observed, then that does not cross-reference to the other catalogues that also include this galaxy so when I prepare a plan, it will pop up as not observed under that other catalogue designation.

User support is good. Is updated every year or so. It also includes observing notes by some other amateurs on a large range of objects that you may find useful --one of them is my log up until about 2 years ago (about 3,500 observations) which is pretty extensive so far as southern objects are concerned. The maps are okay -- nothing to write home about. I use Megastar with DSS overlays for my maps so that doesn't worry me.

I thought about switching over toSkytools (which has a better user interface) but have stuck with Deepsky.


Best,

Les D

[Gem]

Thanks! :)

[multiweb]

Cartes du ciel / Skychart (http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/start)is pretty cool too and you can drive your ASCOM scope with it if you want.

[Marke]

Deepsky actually will drive your scope thru Ascom as well

[RobF]

Another vote for Astroplanner. Unbeatable really for checking what will be available on the night, planning future runs to avoid the moon or for star parties, selecting lists of objects for visual or image, making notes what you've observed or imaged previously, user defined data fields for all sorts of info (I like to note objects for future months I'd like to chase down).

Astroplanner 2 does ASCOM scope driving too, and also includes a two star polar alignment routine.