══════════════════════════════ EZCosmos Help Menu ═════════════════════════════

      Welcome to the universe of EZCosmos!  This unique software program
      will be your guide to the celestial realm for years to come.  To
      get the maximum enjoyment from EZCosmos, please take time to read
      the instructions by using the menu below.  To select a topic from
      the menu, use the arrow keys and then press the Enter or F1 key.

             ──> Press Esc or spacebar to exit the Help System <──
      ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
      ║ The Help System...... How to use this Help System               ║
      ║ The Status Display... Interpreting the Status screen data       ║
      ║ Status Commands...... Changing the EZCosmos environment         ║
      ║ Calculated Data...... Your location and time affects the view   ║
      ║ Sky Plot Main Menu... Operating EZCosmos with the Plot menu     ║
      ║ The Sky Plot......... Interpreting what you see on the screen   ║
      ║ The Constellations... Abbreviations and full names              ║
      ║ Interesting Objects.. Double stars, clusters, nebulae and more  ║
      ║ Animate The Planets.. The Solar System, plotted and animated    ║
      ║ Astronomical Terms... Julian day, Ra/Dec and Sidereal time      ║
      ║ Looking At Pictures.. Views of objects from a large telescope   ║
      ║ Future Trends........ EZCosmos product information              ║
      ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

═══════════════════════════════ This Help System ═════════════════════ Page 1.1

       ╔════════════════════════════╗
       ║ Status screen or Plot mode ║
       ╚═════╤═════════════════╤════╝
          F1 or H              
                          Esc or spacebar
          ┌──┴─────────────────┴──┐
          │   Help System Menu    ┼── Main Help Menu or Picture Directory
          │ ───────────────────── │
  Use     │  First topic on menu  │
  arrow ──┤ Last topic you read  ┼── EZCosmos remembers the last topic you
   keys   │  Final topic on menu  │   selected from a help menu.
          └────┬──────────────┬───┘
           F1 or Enter        
                       Esc, Enter or spacebar
             ┌─┴──────────────┴────────────┐
     ┌─────> │  ══════ Topic ═════ Page 1  ┼── Use the Home key to see the
  Pg Up/Dn   │        .......              │     first page in a topic.
     ├─────> │  ────── Topic ───── Page 5  ┼── EZCosmos remembers the last
  Pg Up/Dn   │        .......              │     page you read in a topic.
     └─────> │  ────── Topic ───── Page 9  ┼── Use the End key to see the
             └─────────────────────────────┘     final page in a topic.

─────────────────────────────── This Help System ───────────────────── Page 1.2

  Pressing the F1 or H keys from either the Status screen or Plot mode will
  display the main Help Menu.  Pressing D in the Plot mode will display the
  Picture Directory Menu.  Both systems operate identically.

  Since you got this far, you already know to use the arrow keys and Enter or
  F1 to select a topic from the menu.  And you now know to use the PgUp and
  PgDn keys to move within a topic.  Use the Home and End keys to move to the
  first and last pages within a topic.  Home and End are useful in browsing
  long topics such as "Status Commands".

  EZCosmos remembers the last topic you selected from a Help Menu, and
  remembers the last page displayed in that topic.  This allows you to return
  to a the last help page you displayed from either the Status screen or Plot
  mode with the press of only two keys:  F1 F1  or  F1 Enter.

  You will find this memory feature useful when referring to topics such as
  "Animate The Planets", for entering data listed on the Help screen into the
  Status panels for date, time and location.

  Press Esc, Enter or spacebar to return to the Help Menu.  Press Esc or
  spacebar twice to return to the Status screen or Plot mode.

══════════════════════════════ The Status Display ════════════════════ Page 2.1

╔═══════ 1 ════════╗ ╔═══════════════ 3 ══════════════╗ ╔═════════ 4 ═════════╗
║ Date: 02-16-1990 ║ ║ Julian day...... 2447939.38380 ║ ║ Field width... 180° ║
║ Time: 15:12:40   ║ ║ Universal Time....... 21:12:40 ║ ║ RA........ 00:31:40 ║
║ Zone:  -6 (CST)  ║ ║ Local Sidereal Time.. 00:31:51 ║ ║ DEC.......+32°47'00 ║
╚══════════════════╝ ╚════════════════════════════════╝ ╚═════════════════════╝
╔═════════════════════════ 2 ═════════════════════════╗ ╔═════════ 5 ═════════╗
║ City....... DALLAS, TEXAS                           ║ ║ Constellations. ON  ║
║ Latitude... +32°47'00                               ║ ║ NGC display.... ON  ║
║ Longitude.. 096°48'00                               ║ ║ Planet display. ON  ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╚═════════════════════╝

 ── Summary of Status Screen Display Boxes - Press the PgDn key for details ──

      Box      Information                       Source
      ───  ────────────────────  ─────────────────────────────────────────
       1   Local date and time   Input by you in Status mode
       2   Location on Earth     Input by you in Status mode
       3   Star date and time    Calculated from boxes 1 and 2
       4   Display information   Updated / changed during Plot mode
       5   Display options       Changed by you in Status mode or Plot mode


────────────────────────────── The Status Display ──────────────────── Page 2.2

     ╔═══════ 1 ════════╗ ╔═══════════════ 3 ══════════════╗
     ║ Date: 02-16-1990 ║ ║ Julian day...... 2447939.38380 ║
 ┌───╢ Time: 15:12:40   ║ ║ Universal Time....... 21:12:40 ╟──┐
 │   ║ Zone:  -6 (CST)  ║ ║ Local Sidereal Time.. 00:31:51 ║  │
 │   ╚══════════════════╝ ╚════════════════════════════════╝  │
 │   ╔═════════════════════════ 2 ═════════════════════════╗  │
 │   ║ City....... DALLAS, TEXAS                           ║  │
 │ ┌─╢ Latitude... +32°47'00                               ║  │
 │ │ ║ Longitude.. 096°48'00                               ║  │
 │ │ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝  │
 │ │ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
 │ │ └─This data is calculated from the data in boxes 1 and 2.  See the
 │ │   topics "Calculated Data" and "Astronomical Terms" for more information.
 │ │
 │ └ Your location on Earth can be changed with the L command.  North
 │   latitude is positive, South latitude is negative.  West longitude
 │   is positive, East longitude is negative.
 │
 └ The local date, time, and time zone can be changed with the D, T, and
   Z commands.  The time zone is actually the number of hours from Universal
   time:   UT + Time Zone = Local Time.

────────────────────────────── The Status Display ──────────────────── Page 2.3

 This data is updated for you while in the Plot mode.   ╔═════════ 4 ═════════╗
 The field width is the number of degrees of sky        ║ Field width... 180° ║
 currently viewed across the screen.  The RA and DEC    ║ RA........ 00:31:40 ║
 numbers locate the center of the current plot.  See    ║ DEC.......+32°47'00 ║
 "Astronomical Terms" for information on RA and DEC.    ╚═════════════════════╝

 This window shows the current values of the display    ╔═════════ 5 ═════════╗
 options.  Use the O command to change these options.   ║ Constellations. ON  ║
                                                        ║ NGC display.... ON  ║
 Constellations ON/OFF - determines whether the out-    ║ Planet display. ON  ║
  lines of constellations are displayed.  Turn them ON  ╚═════════════════════╝
  to learn the constellations or to get your bearings.  Turn them OFF (and
  turn the NGCs OFF) to see the sky as it actually appears.

 NGC Display ON/OFF - determines whether or not the NGC objects are displayed.
  These include objects such as galaxies, star clusters and nebulae, and are
  shown on the plot as small x's in CGA, magenta and blue icons in EGA/VGA.

 Planet display - determines whether or not the Sun, Moon and planets are
  displayed.  Turn them OFF to save calculation time, or ON for display and
  Solar System animation.

═══════════════════════════════ Status Commands ══════════════════════ Page 3.1

                ─── Command Summary - Press PgDn for details ───

 ╔══════════Commands══════════╗
 ║ D: Change local date       ╫─ Change the local date, time and time zone for
 ║ T: Change local time       ║   precise overhead views, star and object
 ║ Z: Change time zone        ║   information, and Solar System positions.
 ║ L: Change your location    ╫─ Change the location on Earth to see different
 ║                            ║   overhead views or Solar System positions.
 ║ O: Change display options  ╫─ Toggles constellations, NGC objects and planet
 ║                            ║   displays.  Changes line and cursor colors.
 ║ C: Load/Save configuration ╫─ Saves and restores location, time zone and
 ║                            ║   display options to / from disk.
 ║ H: Display help            ╫─ Displays the main Help Menu (or use F1).
 ║ Q: Exit to DOS             ╫─ Quit EZCosmos and exit to DOS.
 ║ P: Plot the sky            ╫─ Plot the sky using the current date, time
 ║                            ║   and location information displayed on the
 ╚════════════════════════════╝   Status screen.

 Use the up and down arrow keys to make a selection from the menu, then
 press the Enter key.  Or, press the Command Key (the letter preceding
 the command).

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.2

 General keyboard rules:

      1) The Escape key (Esc) will generally cancel a command without
         changing data, depending on how far the command has progressed.
         Esc will always cancel a command if pressed right after a
         Command Key.  Thus, if you selected the L command and did not
         intend to change your location, press the Esc key.

      2) Prompts of the form    Enter some data: _______________
         require that you type in the data requested and press Enter.
         The backspace key will erase the last key typed while entering
         data at a prompt.  Pressing the Enter key without typing any
         data will cause a DEFAULT value to be entered.

      3) Questions that require a YES/NO (Y/N) response will also accept
         the following keys:

              YES response:  Y  or  Enter
              NO response:   any key except  Y  or  Enter

      4) Make sure NumLock is OFF so that the arrow keys will work properly.

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.3

                           ─── Change Local Date ───

 Use the D command to change the date at your location.

 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐ Rules:
 │ New date: ___________                     │  Leading zeroes may be omitted.
 │                                           │
 │   Format: MM-DD-YYYYB                     │  Default century is "19" if only
 │   Limits: 01-01-4000B to 12-31-9999       │   a two-digit year is entered.
 │     where the trailing 'B' is for B.C.    │
 │   You may use +x or -x  (+1, -2 etc.)     │  Year defaults to currently
 │     to increment the date by x days.      │   displayed year if omitted.
 │   Press ENTER for DOS date.               │
 │                                           │  Default is the DOS date.
 └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

    ───────── Examples (assume last date entered was 02-15-1700) ────────
    Entered   Displayed     Entered   Displayed     Entered   Displayed
    -------   ----------    -------   ----------    -------   -----------
    1-2       01-02-1700    1-2-3     01-02-0003    1-2-3B    01-02-0003B
    1-2-89    01-02-1989    1-2-03    01-02-1903    +5        02-20-1700

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.4

                           ─── Change Local Time ───

 Use the T command to change the time at your location.  The time must be
 entered in 24 hour or military format where 1PM is 1300, 2PM is 1400, etc.

 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐ Rules:
 │ New time: ________                        │  Leading zeroes may be omitted.
 │                                           │
 │   Format: HH:MM:SS or HH.hhhh             │  Minutes default to 0 if not
 │   Limits: 00:00:00 to 23:59:59            │   entered.
 │                                           │
 │   You may use +x or -x  (+1, -2 etc.)     │  Seconds default to 0 if not
 │    to increment the time by x minutes.    │   entered.
 │   Press ENTER for DOS time.               │
 └───────────────────────────────────────────┘  Default is DOS time.

    ─────── Examples (assume current time displayed is 13:15:00) ───────
    Entered   Displayed     Entered   Displayed     Entered   Displayed
    --------  ---------     --------  ---------     --------  ----------
    5         05:00:00      5:16:7    05:16:07      +120      15:15:00
    5:6       05:06:00      10.5      10:30:00      -5        13:10:00

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.5

                         ─── Change Local Time Zone ───

          Use the Z command to change the time zone at your location.

 ┌────────────────────────────────┐
 │ Time zone: ________ (CST)      ┼─ Default value is shown in parentheses.
 │                                │
 │  Universal:  GMT               │
 │  Custom:     GMT+x or GMT-x    ┼─ Use GMT+x or GMT-x if your time zone is
 │  Eastern:    EST      EDT      │  not Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific
 │  Central:    CST      CDT      │  Hawaiian or Universal.
 │  Mountain:   MST      MDT      │
 │  Pacific:    PST      PDT      │
 │  Hawaiian:   HST               │
 └────────────────────────────────┘

          ───────────────────────── Examples ─────────────────────────
          Location                Entered   Local Time  Universal Time
          ----------------------- --------  ----------  --------------
          Newfoundland            GMT-3.5   13:00:00    16:30:00
          Dallas, Texas           CDT       13:00:00    18:00:00

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.6

                     ─── Change Local Time Zone (cont.) ───

      The Zone command allows you to enter a time zone ID like EST or CDT
      for North American time zones, which will properly set the number
      of hours from Greenwich Mean Time (or Universal Time as it is now
      known).  The time zone is used only to calculate Universal Time and
      make adjustments to the Julian Date.  All other EZCosmos
      calculations are made using Universal Time.  If you are located in
      a time zone for which no zone ID is supplied, you may select GMT
      and enter +/- the number of hours your zone is ahead or behind of
      GMT.  For example, Newfoundland would be GMT-3.5 and W. Germany
      would be GMT+1.     GMT + Time Zone = Local Time.

      Note that when changing locations, it is not necessary to alter
      the time zone if you want to see how the sky looks from different
      cities around the world at the current time in your home town.
      The time zone is used ONLY to calculate Universal Time and the
      Julian day, which are the same the world around at any moment.




─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.7

                        ─── Changing Your Location ───
  Use the L command to change your location.  Enter the name of the city from
  which you wish to view.  Only the first few letters of the city are normally
  required.  See the examples below.
  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ City: ___________________________________ │  The default is the city saved
  │                                           │  in COSMOS.CFG by the Save
  │ Format: CITY, STATE    -or-               │  Configuration command.
  │         CITY, COUNTRY                     │  See the section on the
  │         Press ENTER for default city.     │  Configuration command for
  │                                           │  further details (page 3.12).
  │ Note:   Enter as much of the data as      │
  │         necessary to make it unique.      │  Over 560 cities from around
  │         Normally, just the first few      │  the world are on file.
  │         letters of city will suffice.     │
  └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

              ─────────────────── Examples ────────────────────
              ALB          displays     ALBANY, GEORGIA
              ALBANY, N    displays     ALBANY, NEW YORK
              ALBU         displays     ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.8

                    ─── Changing Your Location (cont.) ───

  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │                                           │
  │ City: NEWCITY                             │
  │                                           │
  │ ** City not found **                      │
  │                                           │
  │ T: Try again                              ┼─ Return to Location panel
  │ L: Enter your own latitude and longitude  ┼─ Proceed to Latitude panel
  │ Q: Leave current city unchanged           ┼─ Exit the Location command
  │                                           │
  │ Enter T, L, or Q: _                       │
  └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

  If the city you enter is not on file, you must make a choice:

  Enter T to try a new city name, L to enter your own geographic coordinates,
  or Q (or Esc) to exit the location changing process.  The next two pages
  describe the Latitude and Longitude panels.


─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ────────────────────── Page 3.9

               ─── Changing Your Location - Latitude Panel ───

  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ Latitude: ________                        │
  │                                           │
  │   Format: +DD.MMSS                        │
  │           │ │  │ └── Seconds              ┼─┐
  │           │ │  └──── Minutes              ┼─┼─ default is zero
  │           │ └─────── Degrees              ┼─┘
  │           └───────── +North, -South       ┼─── default is + (North)
  │   Limits:-89.5959 to                      │
  │          +89.5959                         │
  └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

  Enter your latitude on Earth.  NOTE that NORTH latitude is POSITIVE and
                                           SOUTH latitude is NEGATIVE.

  The latitude is displayed on the Status screen when you press Enter.
  Press Esc to abort the latitude/longitude process and return to the
  Location panel.


─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ───────────────────── Page 3.10

               ─── Changing Your Location - Longitude Panel ───

  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ Longitude:  _________                     │
  │                                           │
  │     Format: +DDD.MMSS                     │
  │             │ │  │  └── Seconds           ┼─┐
  │             │ │  └───── Minutes           ┼─┼─ default is zero
  │             │ └──────── Degrees           ┼─┘
  │             └────────── +West, -East      ┼─── default is + (West)
  │     Limits: -179.5959 to                  │
  │             +179.5959                     │
  └───────────────────────────────────────────┘

  Enter your longitude on Earth.  NOTE that WEST longitude is POSITIVE and
                                            EAST longitude is NEGATIVE.

  The longitude is displayed on the Status screen when you press Enter.
  EZCosmos will then ask for a Time Zone.  See the previous section on
  the Time Zone command for details.  Esc returns you to the Latitude panel.


─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ───────────────────── Page 3.11

                      ─── Changing The Display Options ───

  Use the O command to bring up the Display Options menu.  Then use the
  C, N, P and D commands shown below to change the options.
  ┌───────────────────────────────┐
  │ Enter display option: _       │
  │                               │         ╔═════════ 5 ═════════╗
  │   C - Constellations off/on   ┼─────────╫ Constellations. ■■■ ║
  │   N - NGC objects off/on      ┼─────────╫ NGC display.... ■■■ ║
  │   P - Planets off/on          ┼─────────╫ Planet display. ■■■ ║
  │   D - Change display colors   ┼──────┐  ╚═════════════════════╝
  │   Esc - Done with options     ┼─┐    └─ Change constellation line and
  └───────────────────────────────┘ │       cursor box colors (see next page)
                                    └────── Return to Command panel

  The constellation lines are shown in dark grey on EGA/VGA monitors.  If you
  have difficulty seeing these lines, turn your monitor brightness and/or
  contrast up or use the D command to change the line color.

  The Display Options are saved and restored when the Configuration is saved
  and restored.  See the section on the Configuration command (next page).

─────────────────────────────── Status Commands ───────────────────── Page 3.12

                        ─── Load/Save Configuration ───
             Use the C command to bring up the Configuration menu.

  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  ─────── EZCosmos Configuration ───────  │  Items stored in COSMOS.CFG:
  │  Location - Time Zone - Display Options  │    ∙ City Name
  │                                          │    ∙ Latitude and longitude
  │  S: Save configuration                   │    ∙ Time zone
  │  L: Load configuration                   │    ∙ Display options including
  │                                          │        line and cursor colors
  │  Enter S or L: _                         │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────┘
  ∙ To create and SAVE a configuration:
     Use the Location command to set up a location and time zone.  Use the
     Option command to set up desired display options and colors.  Then bring
     up this Configuration Menu and press  S  to save the data on disk.

  ∙ To LOAD a previously saved configuration:
     To load the last configuration saved, use the  L  command from THIS
     menu.  To restore only the saved location and time zone without affecting
     the display options, use the Location command and press Enter for City.

═══════════════════════════════ Calculated Data ══════════════════════ Page 4.1

 ╔═══════ 1 ════════╗   ╔═════════════════════════ 2 ═════════════════════════╗
 ║ Date: 02-16-1990 ╫─┐ ║ City....... DALLAS, TEXAS                           ║
 ║ Time: 15:12:40   ╫─┼─╫ Latitude... +32°47'00                               ║
 ║ Zone:  -6 (CST)  ╫─┼─╫ Longitude.. 096°48'00                               ║
 ╚══════════════════╝ │ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
  ┌───────────────────┘
  │
    The date, time, and time zone are used to calculate the Julian Day and
  │  Universal time.  This plus Lat / Lon is used to get Local Sidereal Time.
  │
  │ ╔═══════════════ 3 ══════════════╗                       ╔═ Plot Display ═╗
  ├─╫ Julian day...... 2447939.38380 ╫──┐                    ║ BETA       CYG ║
  ├─╫ Universal Time....... 21:12:40 ╫──┼─────────┐          ║ ALBIREO        ║
  └─╫ Local Sidereal Time.. 00:31:51 ╫──┘         │          ║ Mag        3.1 ║
    ╚════════════════════════════════╝                   ┌──╫ Ra:   19:30:18 ║
                                                  │       ├──╫ Dec: +27°56'44 ║
    The Julian day, Universal Time and Local      └───────┼──╫ Alt:     26.25 ║
    Sidereal time are then used to calculate the          ├──╫ Azm:    287.72 ║
    positions of the Sun, Moon and planets and the        ├──╫ Rise: 02:51:32 ║
    information displayed in the Plot mode.               └──╫ Set:  17:31:31 ║
                                                             ╚════════════════╝

─────────────────────────────── Calculated Data ────────────────────── Page 4.2

                       ─── Date, Time and Location ───

  The date, time, time zone and location that you enter affect several
  calculated data in EZCosmos: the Julian day, Universal Time, and Local
  Sidereal Time, and the RA, DEC, altitude, azimuth, rise and set times
  of stars, NGC objects and the Solar System (see diagram above).

  The date, time and location are essential for precisely plotting an
  overhead view and calculating the positions of the Sun, Moon and planets.

  Except for the Sun, Moon and planets, the celestial sphere is pretty much
  static and unchanging.  Relative positions of the stars and constellations
  are unaffected by location, date or time.  Thus, zooming in on individual
  constellations and exploring areas of the cosmos other than those overhead
  can be done without regard to position or time on the Earth.  With the
  Planet Display OFF, the constellation Orion, for example, looks the same
  from New York this year as it did from Paris in 2000 B.C.

  To see Solar eclipses, planetary conjunctions, and overhead views from
  different locations, however, you must correctly enter the date, time and
  location from which you wish to view.

══════════════════════════════ Sky Plot Main Menu ════════════════════ Page 5.1

    ╔══════════════════════╗  ──────── Plot Mode Command Menu Summary ───────
    ║ ═════ EZCosmos ═════ ╫─ Esc or spacebar displays the menu AT ANY TIME.
  ┌ ║ I: Identify object   ╫─ Information about an object inside the cursor.
  │ ║ F: Find new object   ╫─ Locate a new star, planet, or NGC object.
  │ ║ R: Replot at object  ╫─ Center the plot at the object inside the cursor.
  │ ║ O: Overhead view     ╫─ Plot an overhead view based on current Status.
  │ ║ Z: Zoom field        ╫─ Re-size the plot to larger or smaller scales.
  │ ║ M: Magnitude Filter  ╫─ Select the faintest star magnitude for plotting.
  │ ║ C: Con Lines Off/On  ╫─ Toggle constellation lines off and on.
  │ ║ N: NGCs Off/On       ╫─ Toggle NGC object display off and on.
  │ ║ P: Planets Off/On    ╫─ Toggle Planet display off and on.
  │ ║ L: Look at picture   ╫─ See the topic "Looking At Pictures".
  │ ║ D: Picture directory ╫─ See the topic "Looking At Pictures".
  │ ║ A: Animate planets   ╫─ See the topic "Animate The Planets".
  │ ║ H: Display help      ╫─ Displays the main Help Menu.
  │ ║ S: Status screen     ╫─ Return to the Status screen mode.
  ├ ║ Q: Exit to DOS       ╫─ Quit EZCosmos and exit to DOS.
  │ ║    Enter Command: _  ╫─ Use arrows and Enter, or press a Command Key.
  │ ╚══════════════════════╝
  └─────────── The Command Keys and cursor keys may be pressed AT ANY TIME
               in the Plot mode with or without the menu displayed.

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.2

                     ─── Using the Sky Plot Main Menu ───


  The Main Menu is your index to all the special features available when the
  sky is plotted.  Press the Esc key or the spacebar to display the Main
  Menu.  Press either key again to turn the menu off.

  When the menu is displayed, use the up and down arrow keys to point to the
  option you want and press the Enter key.  At any time while in Plot mode
  you can type the first letter of the menu item (Command Key) to activate
  the feature.  You may type the letter whether the menu is displayed or
  not.

  Once you have learned the menu commands such as Find, Overhead, Zoom and
  Status, you will be able to operate the sky plot more quickly by not
  having to call up the menu.

  General keyboard rules:  See Page 3.12 in the topic "Status Commands".




────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.3

                 ─── Cursor Keys - Make sure NumLock is OFF ───

  \            /   The numeric pad keys, shift + pad keys, and the 5
   ╔═══╤═╧═╤═══╗    numeric pad key all move the cursor box around the plot
   ║ 7 │ 8 │ 9 ║    screen.  Shifted keys (except "5") move the cursor
   ╟───┼───┼───╢    farther than unshifted keys.  Once the cursor is over an
 <─╢ 4 │ 5 │ 6 ╟─>  object or star, the I (or Enter) key will identify the
   ╟───┼───┼───╢    item, the R command will center the plot on the item,
   ║ 1 │ 2 │ 3 ║    the Z key will optionally let you zoom in (or out) on
   ╚═══╧═╤═╧═══╝    the item, and the L key will let you see a picture of
  /            \   the item (if one is on file).  The cursor keys may be
                    pressed at any time, even while the plot is progressing.
                    The extended arrow and shift arrow keys on 101 style
                    keyboards will also work, but only if NumLock is OFF.


                              ─── Scroll Keys ───

  Pressing the Ctrl key and the keypad arrow keys will scroll the screen up,
  down, left or right about 1/3 of the current screen width.  EZCosmos will
  sound an alert if you attempt to scroll above or below 90° of Declination.

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.4

                            ─── Identify Object ───
  When the cursor is over a star, planet or NGC object, pressing the I key or
  the Enter key will display information about that item.  See the topic
  "Astronomical Terms" for more information on RA and DEC.

  ╔════════════════╗
  ║ BETA       CYG ╫─  Object name and constellation
  ║ ALBIREO        ╫─  Common name or object type
  ║ Mag        3.1 ╫─  Magnitude:   Bright <..-1..0..+1..+2..+3..> Dim
  ║ Ra:   19:30:48 ╫─  Right Ascension precessed to current date
  ║ Dec: +27°58'05 ╫─  Declination precessed to current date
  ║ Alt:     +43.5 ╫─  Altitude from the horizon *
  ║ Azm:     165.2 ╫─  Azimuth from true North *           * Without allowance
  ║ Rise: 02:21:05 ╫─  Local rise time * ┌ or Moon phase ┐    for atmospheric
  ║ Set:  19:24:21 ╫─  Local set time *  └  and legend   ┘      refraction.
  ╚════════════════╝

  When several objects are crowded inside the cursor, EZCosmos will only
  identify one object plotted near the cursor center.  Use the Zoom command
  and choose a smaller field to spread out crowded displays so that you can
  identify individual objects more easily.

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.5

                            ─── Find New Object ───
           ╔═══════════════════════════════╗
     ┌─────╫ Object name:   _____________  ║  Use the F command to display
   ┌─│─────╫ Constellation: ___            ║  this window.
 ┌─│─│─────╫ Not on screen. Move there? _  ║
 │ │ │     ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
 │ │ │
 │ │ └ Enter the name of a planet (or SUN or MOON), or an M or NGC identifier
 │ │   (ie., M32 or NGC4565) or a star catalog name (ie., ALPHA or BETA),
 │ │   or a common name (ie., ALBIREO or NORTH STAR or RING NEBULA).  Usually
 │ │   just the first few letters of the object name will suffice.  The default
 │ │   is the word ALPHA so you can find the main star in most constellations.
 │ │
 │ └ If the object is not a planet or common name, you will then be asked to
 │   enter the 3 letter constellation identifier.  See the topic "The
 │   Constellations" for information on abbreviations.
 │
 └ If the object is not on the screen, you will be asked whether or not you
   wish to replot at the object.  If the object is too dim to display (exceeds
   the current magnitude limit) you will be informed.  Use the 'M' command to
   increase the magnitude limit in this case.

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.6

                            ─── Replot at Object ───

  Press R to center the object inside the cursor on the plot screen.
  This is useful when you would like to see more of the sky surrounding
  objects that are close to the edge of the screen, or for preparing to
  zoom in on an object.


                             ─── Overhead View ───

  Press O to display the sky overhead based on your current date, time, time
  zone and location (latitude and longitude).  If your current field of view
  is less than 180 degrees, EZCosmos will set the field of view to 180
  degrees.  If you have not changed your location, date or time for more
  than 30 minutes or so, set the time to the current DOS time (in the
  Status mode) to produce the most accurate plot.

  Field widths of 180° or more will display your horizon line when the
  plot center is near the zenith for your location and time.  This
  will graphically show which stars, planets and objects are above your
  local horizon.

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.7

                               ─── Zoom Field ───

 ╔═════════════════════════════════╗
 ║ Current field is 180°  ═════  ╫─ Use the arrow keys, Home, End, PgUp,
 ║                                 ║   and PgDn to change this value.
 ║ Use arrow keys, press Enter     ╫─ Press the Enter key for a new field, or
 ╚═════════════════════════════════╝   press Esc to keep the current field.

  The field of view changes the amount of sky shown on the plot.  A 180°
  field will show horizon to horizon (West to East).  Fields larger than
  150° will have distortion at the edges of the screen, since it is
  impossible to map a sphere onto a flat screen with accuracy for large
  fields.  Fields of 30° to 90° are useful for zooming in on a particular
  constellation.  Fields of 1° to 10° are useful for zooming in on a
  single interesting object, such as the Pleiades or Epsilon Lyrae.

  If the cursor is not at the center of the screen and a star or other
  object is inside the cursor, you will be asked if you want to zoom in on
  that object.  Answer Y or Enter to center the object inside the cursor on
  the plot screen.  Answer N or spacebar to keep the same plot center (this
  may result in the object inside the cursor disappearing off the screen).

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.8

                           ─── Magnitude Filter ───
  ╔════════════════════════════════╗
  ║ Current magnitude limit is 20  ╫─ Current limiting magnitude.  Objects
  ║  Bright  0,1,..,19,20  Dim   ║    fainter than this aren't displayed.
  ║ Enter new magnitude limit ___  ╫─ Type a new limiting magnitude
  ╚════════════════════════════════╝    and press Enter.

  An object's brightness is measured in units of magnitude, with smaller
  numbers representing brighter objects and larger numbers representing
  fainter objects.  Thus 1st magnitude stars are brighter than 2nd magnitude
  stars.  The faintest stars visible to the naked eye under perfect dark sky
  conditions are about magnitude 6.5 to 7.  Binoculars increase the limit to
  about magnitude 10.  The most powerful telescopes on Earth can "see" to
  about 20th magnitude.  Most stars plotted by EZCosmos are brighter than
  6th magnitude.  Most NGC objects are fainter than 5th magnitude.

  Light pollution from nearby cities, atmospheric haze and clouds can reduce
  your viewing magnitude significantly.  For example, objects fainter than
  magnitude 4.5 normally can't be seen with the unaided eye from inside the
  city limits of Dallas, Texas.  Experiment with the magnitude limit to make
  the sky plot match the conditions you see in your sky.

────────────────────────────── Sky Plot Main Menu ──────────────────── Page 5.9

                            ─── Display Commands ───

  The  C  command turns the display of constellation lines off and on.
  Turn the lines ON to see the outlines of the constellations or to get
  your bearings.  Turn these lines off for a realistic plot of the sky.
  Since the plot center or field width is not changed, plot information
  does not need to be recalculated which results in a fast plot.

  The  N  command turns the display of NGC objects (star clusters, galaxies,
  and nebulae) on and off.  Turn NGCs ON to find or look at pictures of
  these objects.  Turn NGCs OFF for a realistic plot of the sky.
  Plot information is not recalculated, resulting in a fast plot.

  The  P  command turns the display of the Sun, Moon and planets on and
  off.  If the planet display has been off while you changed the date,
  time or location and you decide to turn the planet display on, the
  planets are calculated automatically.  As in the C and N commands, other
  plot information is not recalculated, resulting in a fast plot.

  The state of all three switches is shown in the Status display.


═════════════════════════════════ The Sky Plot ═══════════════════════ Page 6.1

  When you plot the sky for the first time, the screen shows the sky as it
  appears directly overhead for the location, date and time you have
  chosen.

  Imagine that you are outside on a dark night, facing South with your
  head tilted back, looking directly overhead in the sky.  The diagram
  below shows the relationship between what you see in the sky and what
  is plotted (EZCosmos displays the cardinal compass points on the screen
  when constellations are ON):

                 (Sky behind you - plotted near top of screen)
                                      N
                                      
                                      │
        (On your left)       E <──Overhead──> W     (On your right)
                                      │
                                      
                                      S
             (Sky in front of you - plotted near bottom of screen)

       This configuration is the astronomical standard for star charts.

───────────────────────────────── The Sky Plot ─────────────────────── Page 6.2


  Initially, the sky plot shows you the half of the celestial sphere that is
  visible - a 180° field.  Use the Zoom command to see more of the sky or to
  zoom in closer to a particular constellation.  The horizon line will appear
  at widths of 180° or more on Overhead plots only.

  On the screen are the visible planets, stars, constellations, and NGC
  objects.  Even the Sun will appear if you plot during daylight hours.  A
  square cursor is displayed in the center of the screen.  Move the cursor
  with the keypad arrow keys (see the section "Cursor Keys", Page 5.3 of "Sky
  Plot Main Menu").

  Use the Find, Replot and Zoom commands to look at any part of the sky -
  even areas that are not visible from your location.  Use the C / N / P
  commands to vary what is displayed on the screen.  Use the Status screen
  commands to change your location so that you can see how the sky looks
  overhead from any place at any time.  If you don't change the time or time
  zone, you can see how the sky looks from any location on Earth at your
  local date and time.



══════════════════════════════ The Constellations ════════════════════ Page 7.1

  The following list shows all 88 International Astronomical Union (IAU)
  constellations and their abbreviations (continued on Page 2).

  And Andromeda              Cen Centaurus                  For Fornax
  Ant Antlia                 Cep Cepheus                    Gem Gemini
  Aps Apus                   Cet Cetus                      Gru Grus
  Aqr Aquarius               Cha Chamaeleon                 Her Hercules
  Aql Aquila                 Cir Circinus                   Hor Horologium
  Ara Ara                    Col Columba                    Hya Hydra
  Ari Aries                  Com Coma Berenices             Hyi Hydrus
  Aur Auriga                 CrA Corona Australis           Ind Indus
  Boö Boötes                 CrB Corona Borealis            Lac Lacerta
  Cae Caelum                 Crv Corvus                     Leo Leo
  Cam Camelopardalis         Crt Crater                     LMi Leo Minor
  Cnc Cancer                 Cru Crux                       Lep Lepus
  CVn Canes Venatici         Cyg Cygnus                     Lib Libra
  CMa Canis Major            Del Delphinus                  Lup Lupus
  CMi Canis Minor            Dor Dorado                     Lyn Lynx
  Cap Capricornus            Dra Draco                      Lyr Lyra
  Car Carina                 Equ Equuleus                   Men Mensa
  Cas Cassiopeia             Eri Eridanus                   Mic Microscopium

────────────────────────────── The Constellations ──────────────────── Page 7.2

                           Constellations (continued)

  Mon Monoceros              Sgr Sagittarius
  Mus Musca                  Sco Scorpius
  Nor Norma                  Scl Sculptor
  Oct Octans                 Sct Scutum
  Oph Ophiuchus              Ser Serpens
  Ori Orion                  Sex Sextans
  Pav Pavo                   Tau Taurus
  Peg Pegasus                Tel Telescopium
  Per Perseus                Tri Triangulum
  Phe Phoenix                TrA Triangulum Australe
  Pic Pictor                 Tuc Tucana
  Psc Pisces                 UMa Ursa Major (contains the Big Dipper)
  PsA Piscis Austrinus       UMi Ursa Minor (contains the Little Dipper)
  Pup Puppis                 Vel Vela
  Pyx Pyxis                  Vir Virgo
  Ret Reticulum              Vol Volans
  Sge Sagitta                Vul Vulpecula



═════════════════════════════ Interesting Objects ════════════════════ Page 8.1

  MIZAR - Double star in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.  Find
  this star and then zoom in at 25° to see how it looks with binoculars.

  M45 - The Pleiades or Seven Sisters located in Taurus.  Find this object
  (with NGC objects ON) and zoom in at 10° to see this famous star cluster.
  Zoom out in increments to see the surrounding area.

  ALBIREO - Beta in the constellation Cygnus the Swan.  This true binary star
  system appears as a beautiful gold and blue pair in small telescopes.  Find
  this star and zoom in at 5° to 1°.

  M42 - The great nebula in Orion is located in an interesting region of the
  sky.  Zoom in from 60° to 10° in increments to see the stars in the sword
  of Orion.

  EPSILON LYRae - Another double star system visible in binoculars, this pair
  of stars is actually four stars - each star in the pair is itself a close
  binary system visible in 4 inch and larger telescopes.  Find VEGA, then
  zoom in at 60°.  At this power, Epsilon will look like a single star.  Zoom
  in increments from a plot of 45° down to 3° and watch Epsilon resolve into
  two and then four stars.

───────────────────────────── Interesting Objects ──────────────────── Page 8.2

  The Milky Way - our home Galaxy is visible as a belt of stars through the
  Summer and Winter skies.  Find SIRIUS (Winter) or ANTARES (Summer) and zoom
  out to 180° to 210° to see our Galaxy edge-on  (turn constellations, NGCs
  and planets OFF).  The center of the Milky Way Galaxy lies in the area of
  Sagittarius.

  The Coma / Virgo Cluster of Galaxies - Find ALPHA, the leading star in the
  constellation COMa Berenices.  Zoom in at 75° to 150° with NGCs ON.  On
  the border between Coma and Virgo is a large cluster of galaxies of all
  types.  The North Galactic Pole lies in this direction - our view of
  intergalactic space is thus not obscured by the dust clouds and stars that
  lie in the plane of the Milky Way.

  If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and have never travelled south of
  the Equator, EZCosmos can show you a part of the sky that you have never
  seen - the sky visible from the Southern Hemisphere.  Objects of note
  here include:
   ∙ ALPHA CENtauri, the nearest star to our Solar System.
   ∙ The constellation Crux, the Southern Cross.
   ∙ The Large and Small Magellenic clouds (LMC and SMC), satellite galaxies
     of the Milky Way.

───────────────────────────── Interesting Objects ──────────────────── Page 8.3

  The Planets - On January 1, 1900 at 00:01:00, all of the planets except
  Neptune and Pluto were within 40 degrees of the Sun.  Set the Date and Time
  for this event, then Plot the sky and Find the Sun.  Note the new Moon!

  The Planets - On January 10, 1986 at 12:00:00, all of the planets were
  within 80 degrees of the Sun.  Set the Date and Time for this event, then
  Plot the sky and Find the Sun.  Note the new Moon!

  The Planets - On June 17, 0002 B.C. the planets Venus and Jupiter were in
  an extremely close conjunction.  This conjunction along with other evidence
  leads astronomers to believe that this was the Star of Bethlehem.

    Location:  JERUSALEM, ISRAEL    Time Zone: GMT+2      Planets: ON
    Date:      6-17-2B              Time:      19:30      View:    Overhead

    Plot the sky, then note the positions of Venus and Jupiter.  Zoom in at
    15° on Jupiter and you will see these planets almost superimposed.

    A conjunction of Jupiter and Venus occurs on August 13, 1990 and will
    be best visible from Europe around 04:00 GMT.  It will be visible in
    daylight in telescopes about three hours before sunset from North America.

═════════════════════════════ Animate The Planets ════════════════════ Page 9.1

  In CGA mode, the planets will appear as white circles with a dot in the
  center.  The Sun is drawn as a white disc with a black circle just inside
  the perimeter.  The Moon is drawn according to its phases, from new to
  full.

  With an EGA or VGA monitor, the planets are color coded:

   ╔══════════════════╤════════════════╤══════════════════╤════════════════╗
   ║  Mercury - White │ Mars - Red     │ Saturn - Magenta │ Neptune - Blue ║
   ║  Venus - Yellow  │ Jupiter - Cyan │ Uranus - Green   │ Pluto - Grey   ║
   ╚══════════════════╧════════════════╧══════════════════╧════════════════╝

   The Sun is drawn as a yellow disc with a red outline and the Moon is drawn
   as a white and blue disc according to its phases from new to full.

  On a monochrome monitor with Hercules graphics, the planets are shown as
  high intensity rectangles and the Sun and Moon are drawn the same as CGA.

  You can always find a planet (or the Sun or Moon) by pressing the letter F
  (in Plot mode) and typing the name of the planet.  Only the first 2 letters
  are needed.

───────────────────────────── Animate The Planets ──────────────────── Page 9.2

  Use the A command while in Plot mode to animate the Solar System.  You may
  choose any interval from 1 minute to 9,999 days as shown below.

         ╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
    ┌────╫ Interval in days, hours, minutes (DDDD.HHMM): _________ ║
    │  ┌─╫ Animate the Moon? _                                     ║
    │  │ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
    │  │
    │  └─ Answer Y or Enter to animate the Moon.  Answer N or spacebar
    │     if you do not wish the Moon to clutter large field animations.
    │
    └──── Enter an interval from 1 minute to 9,999 days, or press Esc to
          abort the animate operation.  The format is DDDD.HHMM.  The interval
          you select is displayed at the top of the screen.  Examples:

          ──Entered──  ──Displayed──
          0.0001       1 minute
          0.01         1 hour
          0.1230       12 hours 30 minutes
          2            2 days
          365.0549     365 days 5 hours 49 minutes (1 year ≈ 365.2524 days)

───────────────────────────── Animate The Planets ──────────────────── Page 9.3

  An exciting feature of EZCosmos is its ability to show partial and full Solar
  Eclipses.  Example:

  From the Status screen:

        Location: HILO, HAWAII   Time Zone: HST          Planets: ON
        Date:     07-11-1991     Time:      06:15

  In the Plot mode:

        Find: SUN, Replot so the Sun is in the center of the screen
        Zoom: 5°, then zoom out in increments to see the area surrounding the
              Sun as it will appear during the eclipse.  Notice that from Hilo,
              the Moon and Sun will only be about 20° above the horizon.

  You will see the Moon partially covering the Sun, with the star Delta
  Geminorum close by.  If you Zoom to 3° and animate the planets (the A
  command) with an interval of 2 minutes and "Animate Moon = Yes", you can
  watch the eclipse progress.  EZCosmos can accurately display Solar Eclipses
  throughout a date range of about A.D 1000 to A.D 3000.  Eclipses can be
  plotted outside this range, but will not be quite as accurate.

───────────────────────────── Animate The Planets ──────────────────── Page 9.4

  EZCosmos accurately displays the angular sizes of the Sun and Moon and
  can thus display annular solar eclipses.  These occur when the Moon
  appears too small to entirely cover the Sun.

  From the Status screen:

        Location: Thibodaux, LA          Planets: ON
             Lat:  N 29°45'  (+29.45)    Zone:    CDT
             Lon:  W 90°50'  (+90.50)
        Date:      5-30-84               Time:    11:04:44

  In the Plot mode (press P in Status mode right after entering the time):

        Find: SUN, Replot so the Sun is in the center of the screen
        Zoom: 1° or 2°.  At 30° you can see the surrounding sky in Taurus.

  You will see the Moon centered inside the Sun, with a small band of the
  Sun completely surrounding the Moon.  Annular eclipses are not as
  exciting to see in person as total eclipses since the solar corona is
  not visible, but these eclipses are important to astronomers for
  comparing eclipse measurements with predicted eclipse data.

───────────────────────────── Animate The Planets ──────────────────── Page 9.5

  EZCosmos can animate the Solar System to show you the motion of the
  Sun, Moon and planets from any location, date and time on the Earth.

  From the Status screen:
        Location: Anywhere        Planets: ON
        Date: 06-01-1989          Time:    Any

  In the Plot mode:
        Find: Saturn, and Replot so that it is centered on the screen
        Zoom: 75°
        Animate: Interval = 2 days, Display Moon = NO
        Press the spacebar to pause or quit the animation.

  Let the animation run through January of 1990.  You will see Saturn and
  Neptune in close conjunction with each other, and Uranus off to the West.
  They are moving in retrograde motion (apparent backwards motion due to
  the Earth's orbit around the Sun).  In September Venus will appear,
  followed by Mercury and the Sun (the Sun passes through Sagittarius in
  the Winter).  Watch as both Venus and Mercury reach the apparent edge of
  their orbits and begin to travel behind the Sun almost simultaneously
  during the month of November.

───────────────────────────── Animate The Planets ──────────────────── Page 9.6

  Animating from a polar viewpoint is also interesting, since all planets
  and the Sun are visible.  For example, EZCosmos can demonstrate the
  inclined orbit of Pluto:

  From the Status screen:
        Location: Anywhere        Planets: ON
        Date: 06-01-1989          Time:    Any

  In the Plot mode:
        Find: POLARIS, and Replot so that it is centered on the screen
        Zoom: 240° to 270°
        Animate: Interval = 365.0549 (1 year), Display Moon = NO
        Press the spacebar to pause or quit the animation.

  Let the animation run for 100 years or more.  Notice that the orbit of
  Pluto is different from the other planets - Pluto's orbit is inclined to
  the Ecliptic (the plane defined by the Earth's orbit around the Sun).
  EZCosmos will show you the length of 1 Plutonian year in Earth years if
  you animate long enough for Pluto to make one complete revolution about
  the Sun.


───────────────────────────── Animate The Planets ──────────────────── Page 9.7

                  ─── Interpreting Solar System Animation ───
  Since EZCosmos is designed to run on all PC-Compatible computers including
  the 4.77 MHz XT, animation of the entire sky is not possible.  Full sky
  animation would require at least a 33 MHz 80386 with a math coprocessor, and
  even then it would tax the resources of the computer.  Thus a compromise had
  to be made.  It was decided that in order to animate the Solar System, the
  simulated rotation of the Earth would be stopped.

  This works well for most animation sequences, but can become confusing when
  you try to animate the planets while looking at an overhead view with the
  horizon line displayed.  Instead of seeing the Sun, Moon and planets rise
  above the Eastern horizon and set in the West, they move backwards in the
  sky.  This is because the stars overhead and the horizon line are not being
  replotted during each interval (EZCosmos will erase the horizon line).

  When you animate the Solar System, you effectively "freeze" the background
  of stars on the screen.  The motion of the Sun, Moon and planets is then
  calculated for each animation time interval and plotted against this frozen
  background of stars.  If you could take a picture of an area of the sky each
  day at the same Sidereal time and then superimpose all of the pictures, you
  would see what EZCosmos displays during an animation sequence.

══════════════════════════════ Astronomical Terms ═══════════════════ Page 10.1

                               ─── Julian Day ───
  The number of elapsed days since Noon on January 1, 4713 BC.  Astronomers
  use the Julian date instead of the Gregorian date (mm/dd/yyyy) since the
  Julian date eliminates ambiguities resulting from changes to the calendar in
  the past.

                     ─── Right Ascension and Declination ───
  The coordinate reference system for the heavens, analogous to longitude and
  latitude on the Earth.  Right Ascension (RA) is analogous to longitude and
  Declination (DEC) is analogous to latitude.  Right Ascension is measured in
  hours, minutes and seconds of time (instead of degrees) from 0 hours to
  23.59.59.  The prime meridian of RA, 0 hours, is the point at which the Sun
  crosses Declination 0 (the Celestial Equator) from South to North, on the
  first day of Spring (Vernal Equinox).  Declinations range from -90° over the
  South pole to 0° over the equator to +90° over the North pole.  All objects
  in the heavens are given celestial coordinates of RA and DEC.  The entire
  coordinate system of RA and DEC changes slowly over a period of some 22,000
  years due to the precession of the Earth's axis of rotation.  EZCosmos
  shows all celestial coordinates accurate to the instant in time that you
  have set on the Status screen (astronomers would say that EZCosmos shows RA
  and DEC 'precessed for the current epoch').

────────────────────────────── Astronomical Terms ─────────────────── Page 10.2

                             ─── Sidereal time ───
  The current star time.  Local sidereal time indicates which line of Right
  Ascension is directly overhead in the sky right now.  For instance, if the
  Local Sidereal Time is 06:30, objects whose Right Ascension (RA) is near
  06:30 are overhead in the sky on a line running from the North pole to the
  South pole (the meridian).

  The Earth must make 366 ROTATIONS about its axis during its 365 DAY trip
  around the Sun - the extra rotation results from the fact that a Solar day
  is delimited by consecutive crossings of the meridian (overhead) by the Sun.
  As the Earth travels around the Sun, it must rotate about 1 degree farther
  each day to make the Sun appear directly overhead in the sky.  A Sidereal
  day is delimited by the points in time that a given star crosses the
  meridian each day.  There are thus 366 Sidereal days - exact ROTATIONS of
  the Earth with respect to the stars -  per year.  This ratio of 366/365 is
  the ratio of Sidereal time to Solar time - a Sidereal day is about 4
  minutes shorter than a solar day.

  EZCosmos calculates your Local Sidereal Time (LST) based on the local date,
  time, time zone (to compute Universal Time and Julian day) and longitude.


═════════════════════════════ Looking At Pictures ═══════════════════ Page 11.1

  EZCosmos can show you what certain objects look like through a large
  telescope.  The most interesting objects to view in the sky are the NGC
  (New General Catalog), Index Catalog (IC) and Messier (M) objects.

  There are 5 main types of non-stellar objects in the heavens:
    ∙ Open star clusters which are part of our Galaxy and contain hundreds
        to several thousands of stars
    ∙ Globular star clusters which orbit our Galaxy and contain hundreds
        of thousands stars
    ∙ Nebulae which are clouds of interstellar gas and dust in our Galaxy:
      ∙ Reflection nebulae which shine by light reflected from nearby stars
      ∙ Emission nebulae which shine due to the ionization of their gas
          molecules excited by embedded or nearby stars
    ∙ Planetary nebulae which are the remains of stars that have blown
        their atmospheres into interstellar space
    ∙ External galaxies of two types:
      ∙ Spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way Galaxy
      ∙ Elliptical galaxies which are balls of millions to billions of stars

  The next page will describe how to locate and view the pictures shipped
  with your EZCosmos software.

───────────────────────────── Looking At Pictures ─────────────────── Page 11.2

  To see a directory of pictures available, use the  D  command from the
  Plot mode.  The directory is operated in the same manner as this help
  system.  The directory will list all pictures available on a picture disk
  set.  Each directory entry describes both the common and catalog names of
  the pictured object along with informative text about the object.  Floppy
  disk users must insert the first Picture Disk of a set to see the directory
  of pictures provided with that set.

  Once you have decided on which picture you would like to view, use Esc to
  return to the Plot mode.  If the object is an NGC or M object, make sure
  that NGC objects are displayed.  Find the desired object using the  F
  command or place the cursor over the object.  Then use the  L  command to
  see the picture.  Floppy disk users should insert the appropriate Picture
  Disk prior to using the L command.

  Pictures are best viewed in a darkened room at a distance of eight feet or
  more from the monitor.  Like looking through a telescope, the longer you
  look the more you will see.  VGA monitors will display the most color and
  resolution.  Press Esc or spacebar when you are done viewing.



════════════════════════════════ Future Trends ══════════════════════ Page 12.1

                     ─── Technical Product Information ───

Supported hardware:

        PC, PC/XT, PC/AT, PS/2, 80386 with or without math coprocessor
        Math coprocessor automatically used if one is present - a math
          coprocessor will dramatically increase animation and plot speeds
        Processor speeds from 4.77 MHz to 33+ MHz
        Hercules, CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA graphics adapters
        Color and monochrome monitors or wide aspect Laptop LCD displays
        Dual floppy or hard disk

Calculational accuracies (for AD 1500 to AD 2500):
        Position of the Sun  -        +/- 8 arcseconds
        Position of the Moon -        +/- 8 arcseconds
        Positions of the planets -    +/- 10 arcseconds (except Pluto)
        Position of Pluto -           +/- 2 arcminutes
        Positions of the stars -      +/- 30 arcseconds
        Sidereal time -               +/- 1 second
        Altitude and azimuth -        +/- .05 degrees (no refraction)
        Rise and set times -          +/- 10 seconds (no refraction)

──────────────────────────────── Future Trends ────────────────────── Page 12.2

                      ─── New Products and Releases ───

  Look for the release of EZCosmos Professional during 3rd Quarter 1990.
  This new version includes:

    ∙  Over 50 pictures of NGC objects and the Solar System
    ∙  Extended astronomical phenomenon including lunar eclipses
    ∙  A much larger data base with entry and edit capabilities
    ∙  Many more stars plotted, down to magnitude 7.5
    ∙  Option for extended precision Solar System calculations
    ∙  Support for Microsoft and Logitech 2- and 3-button mice
    ∙  Support for a wide range of printers for making custom star charts
    ∙  Ability to rotate the sky plot on the screen for easier interpretation
    ∙  Constellations and major stars labelled on the screen
    ∙  User programmable viewing sequences (batch mode)
    ∙  Automatic time zone entry for all cities in the data base

  Registered EZCosmos 2.0 users qualify for a special upgrade offer.

  For further information or to order EZCosmos Professional, call the
  Future Trends Software sales hotline: 1 (800) 869-EASY.

──────────────────────────────── Future Trends ────────────────────── Page 12.3

   ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
   ║   P L E A S E   D O   N O T   M A K E   I L L E G A L   C O P I E S   ║
   ║                                                                       ║
   ║                     O F   T H I S  S O F T W A R E                    ║
   ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

         The software you are using was produced through the efforts of
     many people: designers, artists, programmers, distributors, retailers
                          and other dedicated workers.

          The costs of developing this and other software programs are
       recovered through software sales.  The unauthorized duplication of
      personal computer software raises the cost to all legitimate users.

         This software is protected by federal copyright law.  Copying
      software for any reason other than to make a backup is prohibited
                    by law and prevented by your integrity.

       Future Trends Software and Astrosoft, Inc. support the industry's
       effort to fight the illegal copying of personal computer software.


──────────────────────────────── Future Trends ────────────────────── Page 12.4

  EZCOSMOS IS NOT SHAREWARE NOR IS IT TO BE PUBLISHED ON BULLETIN BOARDS OR
  DISTRIBUTED BY ANY OTHER MEANS WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER.


  Comments, suggestions, praise, problems and money should be addressed to:


                            FUTURE TRENDS SOFTWARE
                            P.O. BOX 3927
                            AUSTIN, TX  78764


  For troubleshooting and technical information, call 1 (512) 443-6564.
  PLEASE do not use the toll-free number for technical support.

  This EZCosmos Owner's Guide and the EZCosmos Program and Picture Disks are:
  (c) Copyright 1990 Astrosoft, Inc.           All rights reserved worldwide.


  GIF and "Graphics Interchange Format" are trademarks of Compuserve, Inc.,
  an H&R Block company.

