Orion

Orion v0.11
the RISCOS planisphere

Requirements:
RISCOS 3.1 or later
A geographical latitude between about 50º and 60º North

This software imitates a "planisphere" - a very popular aid to viewing the sky at night - which usually comes in the form of two plastic disks. On the bottom disk is a map of the heavens in polar coordinates; in the top disk is a clear window which lets you see only that part of the sky which is above the horizon. To get a view of the stars at any particular time, one disk is rotated with respect to the other until the required date and time line up on scales which run around the circumference.Only stars are shown - not planets.

The screen shot showns Orion working in Windows XP courtesy of a RISC OS emulator. 

WHERE CAN I USE IT? A planisphere can only be made to work accurately at one geographic latitude. Orion is set to be accurate at 54° North, which is roughly the latitude of Lancaster,Harrogate, Leeds or York in the UK. However it will still be accurate enough throughout the UK and Ireland or at any point on earth between say ±5° of 54°N. If you live in New Zealand forget it!

  Contains several thousand stars.
  Any star identified with the click of a mouse button.
  Zoom in to any part of the sky.
  Maps can be saved as sprite files.

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