STAR Atlas:PRO frequently asked questions - FAQs


How Can I Obtain Information about Planets to Enhance My Viewing ?

This data is readily available in Star Atlas: PRO.  Here is how to obtain the data: -

1. Open Star Atlas:PRO.
2. Click on [Locate] on the main menu.
3. Under [Extended Objects] (bottom left), click on [1 � Planets].
4. The names of the planets are listed on the Right hand side.
5. Click on each to see the data available.
6. When you are ready, click on [Map], which will take the viewer to the desktop where the position of the selected planet will be displayed.

Data for each Planet includes:

Apparent Magnitude
Apparent Equatorial Diameter (arc sec)
Elongation
Phase Angle
Phase
Distance in AU
Parallax
Rise, Transit and Set Times
Current RA and DEC
Mass (kg)
Equatorial Radius (km)
Polar Radius (km)
Escape Velocity (km/s)
Semimajor Axis (km)
Sidereal Orbit Period (days)
Perihelion (km)
Aphelion (km)
Mean Orbital Velocity (km/s)
Orbit Inclination (deg)
Sidereal Rotation Period (hours)
Length of Day (hours)
Minimum Distance from Earth (km)
Maximum Distance from Earth (km)
Minimum Apparent Diameter from Earth (arc sec)
Maximum Apparent Diameter from Earth (arc sec)
Maximum Apparent Visual Magnitude
Average temperature
Atmospheric composition

This shows how easy it is to find such data is Star Atlas: PRO. Copious data are available very simply even for beginner astronomers. courtesy Ian Buttfield and Paul Mayo.

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