Download program and data

Do you need a tool to plan your observations?
Try AstroPlanner. With this great program you can compile lists of objects that you want to observe. The best thing: These lists can be transferred to Planetarium.

Benötigen Sie etwas, um Ihre Beobachtungen zu planen?
Dann könnte Eye & Telescope genau das Richtige für Sie sein. Mit diesem grossartigen Programm können Sie bequem Ihre Listen zusammenstellen und diese ins Planetarium transferieren.


Windows Mobile Users: Please visit Planetarium for Windows Mobile
Planetarium 2.4 runs also with the StyleTap Emulator on your Windows Mobile handheld: StyleTap


Airline Pilots: You might be interested in this companion program: SunFly
(calculates sun rise and set on the plane)

DSO for Palm: DSO is a freeware astronomical program that should help to plan observations of deep sky objects. The program allows to search for objects in the NGC/IC database by the object. Exports search results directly to Planetarium.
http://dsoastro.narod.ru/

Program files
Data files



Program Files

Planetarium Application

Interested in Beta-Versions?

Current version: 2.4.0  (What's new in this version)
*** Requires PalmOS 3.5

File Size Description
planet24.zip  1.0M  This file contains the Planetarium program and some data. This file is for both, the demo and the registered version. Please read the install instructions.
planet24ger.zip  1.0M  The German version of the program. Bitte lesen Sie die Installations-Anweisungen in der Datei Liesmich.txt.
planet24fre.zip  731K  The French version of the program. Please read the install instructions in the manual.

Previous version: 2.3.1 

File Size Description
planet20.zip  559K  This file contains the Planetarium program and some data.
planet20ger.zip  581K  The German version of the program.
planet20fre.zip  548K  The French version of the program.

Tungsten T3 users: If you cannot use the full 320x480 screen on the Tungsten T3 because you cannot collapse the graffiti area, then you need to download and install two system update files from palmOne: T3_DIA_Compatibility_prcs.zip


Star data bases
(For version 2.4) Planetarium has a built-in star data base with about 9000 stars (the Yale Bright Star Catalogue). You can install one of these data bases with additional stars. There are several variants of star data bases differing in the limiting magnitude. Which one you want to install depends on your amount of free memory. The data bases were compiled with data from the Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogues.

File Limiting magnitude Nr of stars Download size Size on PDA
plnstars7.zip m7 6'740 92 KB 97 KB
plnstars8.zip m8 37'044 480 KB 508 KB
plnstars9.zip m9 125'031 1.5 MB 1.5 MB
plnstars10.zip m10 348'012 3.7 MB 3.9 MB
plnstars11.zip m11 937'755 9.4 MB 9.8 MB
plnStars16.zip Full Tycho-2/Hipparcos catalogue (90% complete to m11.5) 2'542'491 25 MB 26 MB

Installation

First select one of the star data base files. Note: You need only one of these files. For example, if you want stars down to m9, you download and install the file for m9 (and not m7 + m8 + m9). After unzipping you have a file called PlanetariumStars.pdb

This file can either be installed in RAM or on a memory card.

  • To install the file in RAM install it like any other file via Hotsync. This is a good option for the smaller files if your PDA does not have a card slot.
  • To install it on the memory card, you could also install it via Hotsync by selecting the card as destination, but I do not recommend this, as this process is VERY SLOW! For the largest files, it can take up to several hours, depending on the device and card you have. It is feasible for the smaller files, but for the large files there are alternatives:
    • Use a memory card reader. This is a device that can read and write the memory card that you connect via USB with your PC.
    • Use the "Card Export" software from Softick (http://www.softick.com). This is a cool program that lets your PDA run as a memory card reader when it is placed into the docking station.
    • Both ways, you get an additional disk drive on your PC to view the memory card. To install the file copy it into a specific folder onto the card. The Planetarium star data base file needs to be at:
      \PALM\Launcher\PlanetariumStars.pdb

To change the star data base file later, just repeat this procedure with another file.

You can also install a large star data base file on the card and a small one into RAM. Then the program will automatically select the file on the card if the card is present, and if no card is present, it will use the file in RAM.

To check what star data base file you have installed currently, go to the About screen (menu item Info/About). At the bottom there is a line describing the star data base that was found.


GPS plug in
The GPS plug in enables Planetarium to read the location from a GPS device via the serial port. More information about this here.
 

File Size Description
gpsnmea.zip  2.9K  GPS connection via serial port.
gpsbt.zip  2.8K  GPS connection via Bluetooth (NMEA)
gpsnavman.zip  2.8K  Navman GPS 500
gpsique.zip  1.7K  Garmin iQue 3600

Telescope plug-ins
Telescope plug-ins enable Planetarium to communicate with telescopes via the serial port or via Bluetooth.
More information about this here

 

File Size Description
LX200.zip  3.6K  Meade LX200 and compatibles. (Also Meade ETX, see below)
NexStarM.zip  3.3K  Celestron NexStar 5,8, 4/60/80/114GT, N8GPS, N11GPS and Ultima (Combined driver for several Celestron devices). This driver automatically detects the connected telescope and selects the protocol accordingly.
LosGem.zip  2.7K  Losmandy Gemini
skycmd.zip  4.3K  SkyCommander and ServoCAT
LX50Mag1.zip  2.0K  Meade LX50, Magellan I
LX50Mag2.zip  2.5K  Meade LX50, Magellan II
NexStar5.zip  3.2K  Celestron NexStar 5 and 8
NexStar114.zip  2.4K  Celestron NexStar 4/60/80/114GT
Ultima2000.zip  2.4K  Celestron Ultima 2000

I have got reports hat the LX200 plug-in also works for ETX telescopes. Please note: You need an AutoStar device. You must not connect the Telescope directly to the Palm without the AutoStar in between, this might damage your Palm or the telescope. To use Planetarium with a Meade ETX with AutoStar, you need to do the following first:

  • Make sure the AutoStar is not on the RA/Dec screen.
  • You must select an object and move to it using the AutoStar controller before you attempt to do something through Planetarium.
Here is some information from a user who tested various Meade and Celestron telescope configurations.

Cable info
- Information about the cables you can find here
- For Telescope-PC cables please contact your telescope dealer.

Forums
If you have problems, you might get some tips from other users who have the same telescope in one of these forums.
The Palm Astro Mailing list


Data Files

Current Comet and Asteroids Data

This file contains Comets and Asteroid orbital elements. Before installing this file, make sure you export your Personal comets and asteroids data to a Memo beforehand so that you can reimport them afterwards. More information about this here.
 

File Date Size Description
PlnCometsDB.zip  Aug 26, 2013    20K  Comets and asteroids orbital elements


Deep Sky Objects Data

There are various sets of deep sky objects data to load into Planetarium. Before installing one of these files, make sure you export your Personal objects data to a Memo beforehand so that you can reimport it afterwards. More information about this here. I give my thanks go to Allan Gould who contributed these lists! 
 

File Size Description
UserObjsDB.zip   17K  110 Messier objects, 110 Caldwell objects, 284 Double stars (default)
UserObjsDBH400.zip   31K  110 Messier objects, 110 Caldwell objects, 284 Double stars, 400 Herschel objects
UserObjsDBBig.zip   45K  110 Messier objects, 110 Caldwell objects, 284 Double stars, over 1000 additional deep sky objects. 


Miscellaneous Data
 

Link Description
LX200 alignment stars A list of the LX200 alignment stars.
LX50 sync stars A list of the LX50 sync stars.
NexStar alignment stars A list of the NexStar alignment stars.
AutoStar alignment stars A list of the AutoStar alignment stars.
Celestron C8 alignment stars A list of the Celestron C8 alignment stars.
A few Trans Neptunian Objects A few TNOs, including Xena.


Data files made by users
 

Name Description Link
Tom Wideman Astronomy League's Deep Sky Binocular observing list (60 objects) plus other lists http://www.wideman.org/planetarium.html
Donald Winspear A version of the list of LX200 alignment stars with full constellation name and magnitude and distance info. LX200 alignment stars
Les Blalock Sky Commander digital setting circles alignment stars  Sky Commander alignment stars
Thomas Chapman A list of the NGCMAX alignment stars. NGCMAX alignment stars
Rafael Barbera The Spirit of 33 is an international network of double stars observers. The Spirit of 33 Observing Projects
François Couturier A list of 85 red carbon stars  Carbon stars
Les Blalock The 22 reddest carbon stars  Carbon stars
Franck Bouquerel Planetis Alignment Stars for the AutoStar AutoStar Alignment Stars
Franck Bouquerel Planetis Alignment Stars for the NexStar Advanced Series NexStar Advanced Series Alignment Stars
Holger Voß Alignment Stars for the ArgoNavis ArgoNavis Alignment Stars
Don Gallian JMI Non-Stellar/Deep Sky database JMI Non-Stellar/Deep Sky database
Alasdair McAndrew Astronomical League's Deep Sky Binocular observing list (73 objects) for the Southern Sky Southern Sky Binocular Deep Sky Objects
Stephen Uitti Orion Intelliscope Alignment Stars Xt10i
Anand Rajiva Huge data base with thousands of DSO and double stars. http://astronomie.rajiva.de/astronomie/palm.html
Ken Young Quasars data base Quasars
Don Gallian NexStar 50 Club NexStar 50 Club
Don Gallian Digital Don's 50 List Digital Don's 50 List