Introduction A new interactive introductory sequence has been added which previews the dramatic views which can be created by RedShift. It is intended to give you a feel for the many ways in which the software can be used.  Home Window The Home Window allows you to browse the key features of RedShift, making them more visible and accessible.  Astronomy Tours 50 all-new tours will lead you deep into RedShift 3 right from the start. These tours run like movies, some with commentary. Much more of the interactivity and depth of the RedShift simulation engine is accessible without any prior knowledge of the program. Additional tours review the operation of each of the Control panels, so that as you gain experience you can use the full range of controls that RedShift offers.  Sky Diary RedShift will prepare a Sky diary for the month - or for any other month you choose. Suggestions are presented as to what to look for in the real sky. Conjunctions, meteor showers, and eclipses, as well as the more commonplace phases of the Moon are listed.  Integrated Internet links RedShift has its own Internet Web pages which are regularly updated with the links to the latest astronomy and space news. If a new body is discovered its data can be downloaded from the Internet, and RedShift will include it in its database for display.  Overhauled user interface A completely new set of control panels has been designed. We hope that you will find these controls easier to use than previous versions. At the same time, the control possibilities have been extended so that, once you have mastered the basics, you will be able to do much more than before.  More help The Help system has been substantially upgraded. The control panels and key dialogs have "sticky" balloon help. There is an on-line manual, implemented in HTML. Context sensitive help leads you direct to explanations of controls in the manual.  Updated Dictionary The Penguin Dictionary of Astronomy is the 1997 revised edition.  Updated Photo Gallery We have included the latest Hubble, Galileo and Pathfinder photos.  Record Breakers This completely new section has been added, intended especially to be interesting to younger users. Let it lead you into an exploration of all the other resources.  HTML implementation All of these resources are implemented in HTML, with extensive inter-linking. A special form of link has been developed which allows you to link to RedShift's information boxes, or the RedShift sky, from items in any of these books. Links from RedShift to the Dictionary and other books allow you to get instant explanations of terms used and information about objects in the sky.  More realistic sky simulation The default appearance of the sky is much more realistic. Galaxies and nebulae can be represented by images, and the Milky Way and even comets are simulated to appear much closer to what can be seen through a telescope.  Full screen mode To allow the full beauty of these changes to be enjoyed, you can switch RedShift into full screen mode, without any menus or control panels to obscure the view.  Deep Sky Objects as outlines You can view deep sky objects as outlines representing their extent on the sky; bright nebulae are represented as isophotes.  New Sky projection The Sky projection has been changed to stereographic projection. The benefit is that wide angle views of the sky result in no distortion of constellation shapes, and always fill the computer window.  Better planet/moon bitmaps The graphical simulation of planets and moons, especially in close orbit, have been upgraded using Maris' latest 3D technology. This gives very dramatic views of planets. The non-spherical moons (such as Mars' Phobos and Deimos) are rendered as real 3D objects with texture mapping.  Revised Story of the Universe The movies on astronomy have been revised and improved, now with 16 bit sound. As the Story of the Universe they are incorporated into the same look and feel as the rest of RedShift, and a completely new lecture has been added on the subject of the Search for Extraterrestrial Life. This covers topics such as life on Mars and other places in the Solar System, and the possibility of other planets like ours in our "galactic neighborhood".  Hipparcos star catalog The catalogs used in RedShift have been completely updated. For stars, the Hipparcos and Tycho catalogs are used. These are brand new, the result of a major project of the European Space Agency which mapped over a million stars using a satellite. The result is probably the most accurate and complete star catalog to 12th magnitude available.  Sky catalog 2000 For Deep Sky Objects Sky Publishing's Sky Catalog 2000 is used. This is a carefully prepared catalog aimed at the more sophisticated amateur observer. It was chosen because it provides more consistent and representative data, of real use to an observer, rather than on the basis of sheer volume of information.  Completely new Object Info boxes The new info. boxes present the information from the catalog in an interactive graphical format, giving you a much clearer picture of what the information means. Links to the dictionary are, of course, included to explain technical terms.  User objects RedShift 3's catalogues are extensible - you will be able to download new data from Maris' Internet site, add your own objects, and exchange them with other RedShift users.  Enhanced movie making This important feature has been enhanced to take advantage of Microsoft's Active Movie technology. Any installed compression engine can be selected and tuned.  Improved and more controllable printing The print function has been completely revised and, along with the change in sky projection, allows much more useful sky charts to be produced.