Version 4 of RTGUI, freeware Real-Time Interactive Windows Software for
Astronomical Observers, has just been released. It now reads the
location and time from Celestron and Meade telescope GPS units, as well
as hand-held GPS devices. It can read the object position from most Goto
scopes, so that when you see an interesting object you can press the
"Skymap" button (if that program is installed), and get an "instant sky
map" of whatever you are looking at. It can also download the location
and system time from a hand-held GPS device, then upload it to a Meade
Goto scope, effectively making every Meade scope a GPS scope. (Too bad
Celestron scopes don't have that software interface.)

RTGUI can be downloaded from
http://www.debunker.com/astro/rtguipage.html .

The principal features of RTGUI a

· Rapidly locate deep-sky objects or bright stars from catalogs, using
standard or popular names.
· Create a custom "tour" based on your own criteria (by constellation
and/or object type, elevation, magnitude).
· Controls most Celestron and Meade "Goto" telescopes to slew directly
to the selected object.
· Using the Skycharts program (Cartes du Ciel), get an instant sky
chart of the selected object.
· Set your location and time very accurately from a GPS Scope, or a
hand-held GPS device. Upload that data to a Meade scope.
· Download from Celestron or Meade scopes the RA and Dec of the object
being observed.
· Automatically record object, time, & location information when the
Observing Log is opened.
· Display Altitude and Azimuth, Rise and Set Times of Astronomical
Objects In Real-Time.
· Set up "night vision" mode in Windows to preserve your eyes' dark
adaptation.
· Locate the Sun, Moon, and Planets with excellent accuracy.
· Auxiliary Catalogs for advanced amateurs & researchers contain
hundreds of thousands of objects.


--
Robert Sheaffer - User name "Roberto" at debunker-dot-com
Skeptical to the Max!
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