Getting Started with Voyager and SkyGazer      

Select the "Comets" tab at the top of the Planet Panel. Place an "X" in the "Name" and "Orbit" columns for comet 1P/Halley - the most famous comet in the sky. Its name and orbit should appear in the sky chart window (you might have to pan around the sky to find it, if you happen to be looking in the wrong place - or use the Find and Center command, from the Center menu).

Note that this will also turn on the "Comets" button in the Display Panel, which has the side effect of making all other comets in the program's database visible. Let's hide all of the long-period comets, leaving only periodic comets (like Halley) on the screen. From the menu of comet groups at the top right of the Planet Panel, immediately beneath the tabs, select "Long Period Comets". The button below and to the left now reads "Hide Long Period Comets." Click it. This turns off all long-period comets, both in the Planet Panel and in the main sky chart window.

In SkyGazer 4.5, there is a simpler way to do this. Go to the Display menu > Asteroids and Comets > Periodic Comets.

Similarly, with the Planet Panel, you can show asteroids and spacecraft, and their names, orbits, and paths; both individually and in groups.

Back: Showing the Orbits and Paths of the Planets
Next: Setting Up Your Telescope

Copyright February, 2011

Carina Software & Instruments, Inc