Getting Started with Voyager and SkyGazer      

Finding Objects and Information

Hold the mouse over any object in the sky chart to display its name. Click on the object to get an info panel window. This displays the object's name(s), basic astronomical data, and visibility information such as its rise and set times, etc. The "Description" tab gives you "plain-English" descriptions of the brighter planets, moons, stars, and deep sky objects. You can enlarge the Info Panel window and/or use the scroll bar to read the complete description if it is larger than the window.

In Voyager 4.5, the Info Panel also shows preview images of several hundred objects. You can click any of these to display the full size image, and get information about the image, from the Image Gallery window.

To find any object in the sky, use the Center menu > Find and Center... command (or press command/control-F). When the "Find and Center" dialog box appears, enter the name of the object you are looking for.

Try entering some examples, such as: Lagoon Nebula, M 42, Polaris, Big Dipper, Andromeda, Alpha Centauri, Saturn, or Europa. A preview of the object(s) found will be displayed. When you click "Center", the object will be centered in the main sky chart window, and the Info Panel will show information about that object.

Press the Lock button in the info panel, or at the bottom of the main sky chart window. This locks the field of view on the object - drag the sky chart window away from the object, and it will "bounce back" when you release the mouse button. Press the Lock button again to unlock, letting you drag the sky chart to any part of the sky. This will be particularly useful when animating the time, below.

Back: Displaying Objects on the Chart
Next: Setting and Animating the Time

Copyright February, 2011

Carina Software & Instruments, Inc