Pocket Stars PC 5.1.2 - User Guide and FAQ

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Star Chart Features

• User interface optimized for simple and fast star, planet, Messier, and Caldwell object identification. Single click on any body to get the name, designation, calculated altitude, azimuth, and magnitude. Drag the cursor to scroll the chart. Zoom in and out with a single click.
• Display of orbital paths for inner solar system bodies showing daily positions for one year centered on current date.
• Animation of the sky in increments of hours, days, weeks, or months.
• Manual or automatic control of star magnitudes. Simple control over which objects to display.
• Black, white, and red star chart colors for normal, bright, and night viewing conditions, respectively.
• Chart can be rotated to any of the 16 compass points and also flipped along the North - South axis. This allows the either overhead (East and West reversed) or non-overhead (East and West normal) viewing.
• Polar grid with hour angle and declination labels.
• Zenith grid.
• Search and scroll to constellation, body, star, or Messier / Caldwell objects.
• User location set by clicking on map, city selection, or by entering Latitude and Longitude.
• Chart can be "live, realtime", animated, or static for any user selected time.
• Core positional calculation routines based on "Novas" (Naval Observatory Vector Astrometry Subroutines Version 2.0.1).
• Star data is from the Bright Star Catalog (5th Revised Edition), comprising the 9110 brightest stars using J2000 equatorial positions and the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). Corrections are performed for proper motions and parallax.
• Planet ephemeris data from Jet Propulsion Laboratory using the DE405 database. DE405 is JPL's latest planetary ephemeris with correction for both nutations and librations. DE405 uses the J2000 International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). The portion of this database provided with Pocket Stars covers the years CE 2000 to CE 2020. Other ephemeris date ranges are available for download.

Celestial Navigation Features

• Reduction from sextant altitude to observed altitude for any of the 9110 stars, nine planets, and sun and moon.
• Corrections for observer height (DIP), refraction (temperature and atmospheric pressure), and vessel movement.
• Position from intercept and azimuth by calculation for multiple sextant observations following procedures in "The Nautical Almanac" by the United States Naval Observatory.
• Any number of sextant observations can be individually enabled to compute a best fit when computing a FIX. Results may be plotted, showing the assumed position (AP), FIX, and observations with intercepts and amplitudes. 95% confidence ellipse shows the boundaries of the Most Probable Position.
• Intermediate calculations for each observation can be displayed, with selectable formats (DD.dddd, DD MM.mm, DD MM SS) for degrees, minutes, seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions - Pocket Stars PC

1. How do I register the product?
   When you download Pocket Stars from any of the distributors, you have the option of receiving a free demo copy, or you can pay to receive a registered copy. In either case the software downloaded is identical.
   
   Shortly after purchase of a registered copy, a registration code will be sent via email. After installation is completed, enter this code on the "Menu.Help.Registration" page (PDA version) or "Help.Registration" (PC version) page.
   
   
2. What if I don't register the
   After 15 calendar days from installation, some functions will become disabled and nag screens will sometimes appear.
   
   
3. I already have the demo version. If I register, do I need to download another copy?
   No. Just enter the registration code into your existing copy of Pocket Stars at Menu.Help.Registration. But please do make sure you're running the latest version since improvements and additions are being added frequently.
   
   
4. What is the difference between a "license" code, a "registration" code, and an "unlock" code?
   Nothing. Each distributor sends out purchase confirmation email containing your registration code, and some call it a "license code", some a "registration code", and some an "unlock" code. We have no control over the contents of this email and for the purposes of registering Pocket Stars please use all of these terms interchangeably.