Information on acquiring Space Images and Software

 

Currently various CD-ROMS and software are available that contain everything 
from Voyager 1 and 2 images, to Space Telescope images to images of 
the Comet collision with Jupiter.

Below are some of the major packages available and where to order them.

1. Hubble Space Telescope Guide Star Catalog CD-ROM 
On 2 CD-ROMÕs, comes with Macintosh and IBM software. Priced from $99-$149. 
Contact Virtual Reality  Lab. (805) 545-8515 or Astronomical Society of the 
Pacific $59.95. Also Distant SunÕs for Windows, Mac & Amiga 
contains the Guide Star Catalog and other images & info, about $50, 
Orion Telescope Center (800) 447-1001.

THE ORIGINAL NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY- PALOMAR OBSERVATORY
SKY SURVEY TO BE AVAILABLE ON 8 CD-ROMS

The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the Astronomical 
Society of\the Pacific (ASP) are pleased to announce the availability 
of RealSky CD, the digitized Palomar Observatory Sky Survey compressed 
by a factor of 100x, available on 8 CD-ROMs. 

For the first time, amateur astronomers, educators, and the public will 
have access to the actual sky survey plates used for more than thirty years by
research astronomers.  The unprecedented level of telescopic detail,
especially of extended images like galaxies, clusters, and nebulae, is 
not available in any other astronomical software package.

The images are digitizations of the E plates from the first NGS-POSS,
conducted with the Oschin Telescope (48" Schmidt) on Palomar Mountain 
during the 1950s.  The NGS-POSS was funded by a grant from the National 
Geographic Society to the California Institute of Technology. 

With funding from NASA, the more than 750 plate images were first 
digitized during an intensive eight-year effort by STScI astronomers 
to prepare the Guide Star Catalog which provides the coordinates of target
stars that are used by the Hubble Space Telescope for acquiring and 
locking onto  celestial targets.


RealSky CD is a more compressed version of the original Digitized Sky 
Survey (DSS) which was made available on 102 CD-ROMs two years ago.  
The DSS was compressed by a factor of 10 and offered images that were nearly
indistinguishable from the original data.  The 100x compression factor of
RealSky is not suitable for professional research activity but provides 
aninvaluable tool for the educational and amateur communities. 

RealSky CD offers single-color (one passband) images of the entire 
northern sky, down to -15! declination--the approximate location of Sirius--and 
angular resolution of 1.7 seconds, revealing stars as faint as 19th magnitude. 

The included RealSkyView software allows users to view and manipulate the
images under Windows (3.1, '95, NT) or Macintosh operating systems.  
UNIX and VMS software is also included with both versions.  Both RealSky 
CD and  the original 10x Digitized Sky Survey can be accessed directly from
TheSky (v.4) astronomy software by simply clicking on the desired sky area and 
specifying the image size.  CDS are packaged with instruction manual and 
accompanying software.

RealSky CD will be available July 1, 1996.  The cost of the 8 CD-ROM set 
will be $225.00 if ordered prior to the release date.  After July 1, the 
price will be $250.00.  Within the U.S., add $16 for shipping and handling 
charges;Canada and Mexico residents please add $20; all other countries add $50 
fordelivery by airmail.  California residents please add applicable sales 
tax. Use your Visa or Mastercard to order at 1-800-335-2624 or send orders by
check, credit card, or institutional purchase orders to:

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific 
RealSky CD Orders
390 Ashton Avenue
San Francisco, USA
tel: 415/337-1100
fax: 415/337-5205
e-mail:  asp@stars.sfsu.edu  
    
     
2. Electronic PictureBooks for the Macintosh. A Variety of Hypercard
picturebooks ranging from ÒGems of HubbleÓ, $19.95; ÒImages of MarsÓ,
$19.95;  ÒMagellan Highlights of VenusÓ, $19.95; and ÒEndeavor Views the
EarthÓ, $39.95. All are various disk sets to be run on the Macintosh only
(needs Hypercard).  contact: Astronomical Society of the Pacific [ a
CD-ROM, ($99) with all Picturebooks is now available ]

3a. Assorted variety of Space and Earth related CD-ROMS.
A wide spectrum of data ranging from Voyager, Magellan, Galileo, 
Clementine, Viking and Halley spacecraft data to name a few 
(very reasonably priced). Only
 on CD-ROMÕs. [ NOTE: these images are raw & unprocessed images ]    
contact: National Space Science Data Center

3b. Reaching the Stars and Beyond: ÒImages of NASAÓ Collection
Over 375 images in GIF, Bitmap and ZSoft formats along with text 
(800) 346-CDCD  Also try the following mail order companies: 
Pacific HiTech (801) 278-2042, and Educorp (800) 843-9497 for other space 
related CD-ROMÕs. 

3c. Collection of images of the Comet impact with Jupiter [ Mac & IBM 
compatible ]Collection of images, text & movies on CD-ROM in various formats: 
"Jupiter Impact" $29.95 Pacific HiTech (800) 765-8369; and SL9 Impact '94, 
$39 by Network Cybernetics Corp 214-650-2002 or Software for Science
(800) 622-3345; also "Comet Collision with Jupiter", Geppetto & Son, 
$22.95 (w/ S&H), (303) 651-1964.

3d. Collection of images & data of the Earth 
Collection of images on CD-ROM of assorted satellite and spectral data of 
the Earth and its chronosphere along with political and geographical maps 
and almanacs.  $79.95   contact: Now What Software (800) 322-1954

3e. Collection of images & data of Mars  [ Mac & IBM compatible ]
Collection of images on CD-ROM. "Mars Explorer", $39.95; "Vistapro", 
$89.95. Virtual Reality Labaratories, (800) 829-VRLI

3f. Large assortment of images, programs, and text files for Mac & IBM [very 
well organized]"Space & Astronomy", around $20. Walnut Creek CD-ROM, 
 (800) 786-9907

3g. HST images CD-ROM, $29.95  800-792-8892
3h. Educorp has a good collection of astronomy CD's also.
4a. Catalog of Government Scientific CD-ROM Titles.
Catalog of Assorted CD-ROMÕs (very technical info). Note this is 
just a catalog, you have to order from the source(s) listed for the 
CD-ROM.  contact: PDS Operator at JPL

4b. Assorted Geographical Information on CD-ROM
National Geophysical Data Center, (303) 497-6338  

4c. Finlay Holiday filems has a big assortment of CD-ROMS; slides, &
videos. there WWW is: 
Finley's WWW site

5. Assorted Scientific software (imaging, geology, etc)
SciTech, ÒSoftware for ScienceÓ  catalog, 1-800-622-3345  
[ DOS, Windows, Mac, Unix ]
Rockware, ÒScientific SoftwareÓ catalog, 1-800-775-6745 
[ DOS, Windows, Mac, CAD, Unix ]
WindoChem, 800-536-0404, Environmental software [ Windows ]

Andromeda Software , PO Box 605-H, Amherst, NY 14226-0605  
ÒScientific SoftwareÓ catalog [ IBM & Commodore ]  

6. VideoDiscs
Superb collection of Videodiscs titled ÒSpace DiscÓ, about $300    
Optical Data Corporation, 1-800-524-2481

7. World WeatherDisc, WeatherDisc Assocaite, 4584 NE 89th St,
Seattle, WA 98115  (206) 524-4313
Massive Meteorological database of Earth today and its past 100+ years 
history. $99  Mac & DOS systems.


Also look through the following magazines for additional 
software, etc:  Earth, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope

Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP)
390 Ashton Ave, San Francisco, CA  94112
(415) 337-2624 ( ask for their catalog also, contains a wide 
assortment of software, books, videoÕs, slides, etc.)
e-mail:  asp@stars.sfsu.edu  
National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC ) has a diverse CD-ROM Catalog from COBE & Einstein to Voyager & Galileo
Code 633.4
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbelt, MD 20771
phone: (301) 286-6695
PDS Operator (JPL) , also has a catalog to look at
 
Mail Stop 525-3610
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109       	phone: (818) 306-6130

Mail Order companies for CD-ROMS (call for catalogs):
1. Pacific Hitech 		(800) 765-8369
2. Tiger Software 		(800) 238-4437	
3. Most Significant Bits (800) 755-4619 	
4. Cambrix Publishing (800) 992-8781   
5. Telecentral	      (800) 799-9917  
6. CD-ROM Warehouse   (800) 237-6623 
7. Crazy BobÕs  (800) 776-5865 
8. JD Express   (800) 409-0617

 
Andromeda Software , sells a wide assortment of software and shareware.


FITS

Sources of Astronomical FITS images

Astronomical Software


Sky Map

skymap30.zip

skymap30.zip (FTP) 1729299 bytes

skymap30.zip SkyMap planetarium for Windows 3 & Windows 95 SkyMap will show the sky, as seen from anywhere on Earth, for any date between 4000BC and 8000AD, showing stars, planets, asteroids, comets, deep sky objects, and lots more besides. Two types of map can be drawn; a `horizon map'showing a general view of the sky, and an `area map' showing a detailed view of a small region of the sky. Detailed information about any object on a map can be displayed simply by clicking on it with the mouse, and high-quality charts printed on any printer. The SkyMap 3 package contains two versions of the program: SkyMap 2.2 for Windows 3.1, and SkyMap 3.0 for Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51; the installation program will install the appropriate version automatically. For full details of SkyMap, please refer to the SkyMap web site at right here

Shareware. Uploaded by the author. Chris Marriott, (ASP) chris@chrism.demon.co.uk http://www.execpc.com/~skymap


my home page Email to me lewycky@soho.ios.com