For years sofTouch APpLications has been providing quality scientific and technical software to a small, but highly demanding, user base. Now, after extensive testing and use at several astronomical institutions, sofTouch APpLications is pleased to offer one of its premier products - HIPPARCHUS - to Macintosh users at large. HIPPARCHUS is not just another generic "desk top planetarium" program, but a fully integrated software package for positional astronomy. HIPPARCHUS will run on any computer in the Macintosh family. We take great pride in the precision, adaptability, flexibility and ease of operation of HIPPARCHUS as an astronomical planning, observing, and research tool. Whether you need to prepare annotated astronomical finder charts, investigate a historical syzygal alignment of the planets, obtain instantaneous topocentric views of the sky, query the HIPPARCHUS stellar database (containing all 9096 stars in the Yale Bright Star catalog) according to target characteristics and produce formatted reports, or a myriad of other functions far to numerous to detail here, we believe HIPPARCHUS is for you.
Among its many features HIPPARCHUS will allow you to produce star maps and charts in either Mercator or polar projections of any region of the sky, at varying scales, in color or Black-and-White. Stellar positions are rigorously precessed to the equator and equinox of any date, with or without corrections for stellar proper motions. Targeted regions may be selected for display or tabulation either by absolute boundary coordinates, centering on a celestial, or solar system target or on the observer's zenith. Individual stars may be selected based upon position, brightness, proper motions, catalog numbers, spectral type, and/or stellar characteristics such as duplicity and variability. Zoom in or out on targeted regions by interactively choosing the area from the HIPPARCHUS star chart and horizon view windows, or by varying field radii in a polar projections. Any or all stars may be annotated with their HR (BS) catalog numbers, Bayer or Flamsted designations, V-magnitudes, spectral types and luminosity classes. Indications of stellar duplicity and variability, and constellations overlays may be applied. Non-stellar objects from the Messier catalog also may be displayed and annotated. The instantaneous positions, or orbital tracks, of any of the planets, Sun, Moon (drawn to scale, or designated by their symbols), minor planets, comets and artificial Earth-orbiting satellites may also be indicated on any star chart or horizon view when they fall within the selected area boundary for a specified date or range of dates. Click on any stellar target in the HIPPARCHUS window to obtain detailed catalog and instantaneous topocentric, or field centered positional information about that object.
Ephemerides of solar system targets may be computed geocentrically or topocentrically for any epoch. The precision of the HIPPARCHUS solar system ephemerides is more than sufficient to examine the topocentrically viewed appearance of phenomena such as solar eclipses, planetary transits, and lunar occultations of stars. Search for planetary phenomena such as conjunctions, node crossings, oppositions, orbital extrema, perihelia, aphelia and more. Or, use the HIPPARCHUS orrery to view the solar system from the north ecliptic pole. The artificial satellite ephemeris computation capability allows you to compute the position, visibility and ground tracks of these objects from their Keplerian orbital elements. Other handy positional tools such as a perpetual graphical ephemeris for the Galilean moons of Jupiter, a visual display of the lunar aspect, and a real-time "world clock" showing the terminator delineating day and night regions of the Earth, the sub-solar and sub-vernal equinoctial points, the demarcation of the longitude at 0h sidereal time, and the sidereal time for a specified observer are also included. We can only begin to outline some of the capabilities of HIPPARCHUS here. The power and ease of operation of HIPPARCHUS can only be truly appreciated by trying it for yourself.
We at sofTouch APpLications have always believed that quality software need not cost an arm and a leg. HIPPARCHUS is directly available from sofTouch APpLications for $49.95 (plus $3.00 shipping and handling; Maryland residents add $2.50 sales tax). Payment should be made by check or money order to sofTouch APpLications at 646 North Bend Road, Baltimore, MD 21229, USA. Complete product specifications, and a HIPPARCHUS User's Guide, may be obtained prior to ordering for $3.00 (which may be deducted from the purchase price on a subsequent order). Quantity discounts are available for educational institutions.
Requirements: Macintosh computer, 700K free memory, System software version 6.x.x or 7.x.x.
