DeskNite
Now Windows is your window on the stars
Requirements
Minimum
DeskNite can be installed on any IBM compatible PC with a 486 DX processor or higher running Windows 95, 98, or 2000. The more video and conventional RAM you have, the better - 1 Mb or more for the former, and at least 8Mb of the latter.
Recommended
The recommended system for running DeskNite is a Pentium 75 or higher with 16 Mb of RAM and a graphics card equipped with at least 2 Mb VRAM.
Additionally, DeskNite requires that your Windows display be in either Hi-color or Truecolor mode at a resolution of at least 800x600 pixels. The optimum screen resolution for DeskNite is 1024x768. Please note that a display of only 256 colors is bound to be a disappointment.
Finally, we DO NOT recommend the use of utilities which render zip files transparent or which interfere in some way with normal file operations,
such as Zip Magic or the Windows 98 'compact folders' facility, and we
hereby disclaim any obligation to support problems brought about by
your use of such utilities with DeskNite. All such use is entirely at
your own risk.
A Quick Excursion around DeskNite
First, what precisely does DeskNite do?
DeskNite pastes live celestial wallpaper onto your desktop. So, in effect, your Windows wallpaper is no longer wallpaper at all, but nothing less than a dynamically changing view of the starry heavens. DeskNite sits in your system tray, a pocket planetarium in its own right, changing your Desktop's sky view automatically and waiting for you to access its own twin display with a double-click. Every change you make on the planetarium's virtual celestial sphere will be reflected on your desktop. Those are the essentials, and there is really very little else to it.
Operation Modes
DeskNite has 3 modes of operation:
- System Tray: Automatic background changing (default)
- System Tray: Manual
- Change once and exit
These can all be switched via the General tab in the Setup window, and the first two also from the right-click system tray menu entries Auto-changing and Change NOW.
Loading and the System Tray
Running DeskNite is just a matter of clicking on the DeskNite galaxy icon or shortcut wherever you installed the program. We recommend, however, that a shortcut to DeskNite be placed in your Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\ folder so that each time you boot Windows, DeskNite is automatically put into your system tray for instant access.
The most essential trick to learn is how to make the DeskNite planetarium 'driver' appear and disappear from your screen. All you do is double-click on the DeskNite icon in your system tray. This operation is what is known as a toggle, so if the sky is already present, a double click will minimize it, and if it is absent, clicking will make it reappear. While visible, though, the quickest way to hide the display is to double-click anywhere in the sky.
Let's begin by taking a look at the system tray icon's dedicated right-click popup menu. This, as its name suggests, is accessed by right clicking with the mouse pointer on the miniaturised galaxy icon in your Windows system tray. Most of the items on this popup menu are self-explanatory, the most important without doubt being Settings and Help.
Settings will allow you to find and enter your correct geographic coordinates and time zone so that DeskNite will always show your night sky as you would see it from your own backyard.
Help will bring up the means to access an Introduction, the Overview you are reading now, or the more extended and systematic Guide to Mouse and Key Functions for the entire Coeli Software range. Most of the sky operations relating to our flagship application Stella 2000 will also apply to DeskNite. The HTML Help menu item is also a toggle, so clicking it a second time will reinstate DeskNite's sky display.
Some Hints on General Navigation
What the Sky window initially presents you with is the entire celestial sphere for the preset location, with South at the bottom, East at the left. Vega will be the initial focus for northern observers and Canopus for the southern hemisphere. Stars plotted in dark grey lie below your horizon: they have set, not yet risen, or may never rise at your position.
DeskNite's virtual Earth revolves in real time, and the apparent motion of the stars is from left to right when facing south. DeskNite's basic population is around 3500 stars, over 5000 in DeskNite Color Edition, DeskNite's full color elder sibling, resulting in a realtime display update every minute or so. Zooming will be smooth all the way down to the magnitude limit of approximately 6.5.
DeskNite's default celestial projection is an azimuthal Equal Area, [F3], centered on your zenith. It is of the type used by planetaria the world over, so it is in good company, but if you happen to desire a change, there are three more to experiment with: Equidistant [F2], Stereographic [F4], and Orthographic [F5]. When you gain a little more experience using DeskNite, you'll want to begin experimenting with contrasting viewpoints too.
Start by pressing [H] for a horizon view of the southern sky. To traverse through the 360 degrees of the compass, access the traverse and elevation tools with [ctrl][D] or [ctrl][E]. Alternatively, you may prefer to enable auto-centering at the outset with |Viewpoint|Projection|Auto-center| thus doing the job of the traverse and elevation tools automatically each time you click on a new object. With its often abrupt switching of view, this setting can prove disorienting on occasion, especially if you have not yet attained full familiarity with your local celestial geography! As with all things DeskNite, it will therefore pay to experiment a little.
[Z] will return you to a zenith view, but at the new line of sight you traversed with the tools.
It is worth stressing that after any operations which somehow change DeskNite's viewpoint, pressing [F12] immediately is the safest way to ensure an accurate display of all stars visible at the current magnification. For extra responsiveness, some operations do not incorporate this process.
By default, [a]uto-resolution of stars is switched on. What this means is that you only begin to see the dimmer stars as you increase your resolving power (change to binoculars/telescope), in imitation of reality. DeskNite's initial magnification is negative in order to encompass the entire sky. Zoom down to zero magnification to receive an impression of the sky as seen on a clear night by the naked eye. To adjust the number of stars visible at any given magnification, press [+] or [-]. Auto-resolution will need to be disabled with [a] if you wish your changes to survive any zooming or unzooming operations you might perform subsequently.
DeskNite itself provides these keys for tampering with colors:
[B] , [D] , and [R].
[B] brightens (lightens) the palette uniformly, giving a washed-out effect, and finally washes color out completely. [D] achieves exactly the opposite, darkening - and thereby deepening - all the colors. Unrealistic, as if seen through sunglasses, but you may find it a change. It at least reveals a star's underlying 'character', subleties that the brightness may have hidden.
[z] does just what it says: zooms you in (or narrows the field of view, like a pair of binoculars or a telescope), displaying the magnification factor as you go. Try this on Albireo, Izar, Castor, Mizar and many others. They will eventually resolve as true doubles, imitating reality. [x] widens the field, and zooms you out. DeskNite automatically resolves stars for you in proportion to the magnification, like a real instrument: the bigger the objective glass, the more stars you will see and the brighter the more brilliant ones will appear. Conversely, the more extremely your field narrows, the fewer stars will be seen, because DeskNite's database is restricted, unlike the galaxy's.
Perhaps the [a]uto resolution feature merits a bit more elaboration. Firstly, if you disable it, you will have to add and brighten stars manually via the keys listed on DeskNite's [h]elp screen. This is long winded, but the best way to achieve the most impressive results for the given magnification, and to derive the most personal satisfaction. We all see the sky differently and are affected by different facets of it. But for quicker and yet still fairly realistic resolution, our preset values are quite good. Keep it automatic until you come across a starfield which you truly deem worth perfecting.
DeskNite is also a point-and-click introduction to the skies, and the mouse-crosshair its most useful instrument. Use the crosshair to select a star, then click the <left> button for a short display of the star's name and designation as follows:
- The Greek letter plus I.A.U. abbreviation (Bayer nomenclature), accompanied by the Flamsteed number. For dimmer stars, just a Yale Catalogue number will be given, and in the case of Hipparcos and SAO stars, the Henry Draper ID. If the star has a common name this will be displayed underneath.
Using the [c]entre key on a series of points is the best way to star-hop across the heavens: Use the stars as 'stepping stones' as you shift your gaze. The technique goes like this: click on the first point, centre the display, click on the next point, centre the display, and so on. DeskNite does not restrict you to stepping across stars, you may also click and center on Deep Sky Objects, planets, comets, the Sun and Moon, or empty space.
Ordering DeskNite Color Edition
DeskNite is free, but an enhanced version called DeskNite Color Edition - including over 5000 stars in ultra-realistic color from the Harvard Revised Catalogue of 1991, along with customizable report facilities - is available for just $19 U.S..
Payment may be in the form of a personal cheque (made out to R. Hughes), major credit card, International Money Order, or even the equivalent (check/cash) at present rates in your own hard currency.
Ordering by CREDIT CARD is by far the fastest way to obtain your registered copy of DeskNite. Turnaround times are typically between 12 and 24 hours. You may order online or by phone/fax anytime and from anywhere in the world.
Order by CREDIT CARD via ShareIt
ShareIt! takes worldwide orders for DeskNite online by Visa, MasterCard, EuroCard, American Express, or Diners Club. To order, just click on the following line:
http://www.shareit.com/programs/103462.htm
and follow the signposts, or telephone
1-800-903-4152 ( Toll-free USA)
+49-221-2407278 ( International )
or fax
+49-221-2407279
THE AUTHOR OF DeskNite CANNOT BE REACHED AT THESE NUMBERS - THEY ARE FOR ORDERS ONLY!
ShareIt! also takes orders by post at:
ShareIt!
element 5 AG
Habsburgerring 3
50674 Koeln
Germany
If you are located in the USA, you can also pay by sending a check or cash to the following address:
ShareIt! Inc.
PO Box 844
Greensburg, PA 15601-0844
USA
(Please send only checks drawn on US-American banks to this address.)
When ordering from ShareIt! please quote program/product ID
103462 - DeskNite Color Edition
Ordering by check, Money Order, or hard currency
To order by check, cash, or International Money Order, simply enclose your remittance for 12 GBP / $29 U.S. (or the latter's equivalent in your own hard currency, which includes our bank's 5.50 GBP commission), along with covering letter or registration form, and send it direct to Swimming Elk Software at
Swimming Elk Software
Manskiventie 1031
16790 Manskivi
Finland
Any questions about the status of the order, refunds, registration options, product details, technical support, volume discounts, dealer pricing, site licenses, non-credit card orders, etc, must be directed to
Swimming Elk Software
Manskiventie 1031
16790 Manskivi
Finland
or via the Internet to
contact@coeli.com
or through CIS at
106217,2576
To ensure you get the latest version of DeskNite, our agents will notify us the day of your order and we will ship the product directly to you by our Express Internet service. Optionally, please send your registration/customization form to us here at Swimming Elk Software either electronically or through the post.
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Grateful acknowledgements to Hartmut Frommert of SEDS for permission to incorporate his fine Messier thumbnail images into DeskNite.
All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The program package Coeli ~ DeskNite and all its documentation copyright (c) Swimming Elk Software 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.