BeWare Highlight: 3D Starchart

Modeling scientific data in real time is one of the BeOS's greatest strengths. With 3D Starchart, you'll be able to cruise (faster than the Enterprise) between the stars that are within 25 parsecs of the Sun (of course, you know that's 80 light years in any direction). To be precise, 3D Starchart allows you to view 'every star with trigonometric parallax greater than or equal to 0.0390 arcsec, even though it may be evident from photometry or for other reasons that the star has a larger distance.' In other words, it contains the preliminary version of the Third Catalogue of Nearby Stars.

The user interface for 3D Starchart is exemplary and you'll be able to venture 'where no one has gone before' in a matter of seconds without having to crack a manual. Below is an image of the StarChart field and controls.

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Using the controls, you'll be able to rotate, zoom in, zoom out, adjust the brightness of the stars, and change contrast to highlight dim stars or only show the brightest stars. Use the cursor to select and zoom in on a particular star or star cluster. You can drag and drop a star or star cluster (you'll be able to tell which by the icon graphic you'll be dragging) into a number of other windows including an additional star chart window or even into the Hertzprung-Russell window which allows you to see the class of the star at which you are looking. If you drop a star cluster on the H-R window, you'll see all of the stars contained in the cluster appear across the window (see below).

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3D Starchart can compare data between stars. Drag your first star into the information window, find the second, drag it in, and in addition to their individual data, you'll see just how far apart the two stars are from each other (you'll have to calculate your own fuel requirements).

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Got a favorite star, but you just can't tell it apart from the others? No problem, 3D Starchart has a powerful star-query engine that allows you to search for stars using criteria such as name, spectral class, absolute magnitude, right ascension, declination, and distance. Don't know what right ascension or declination mean? Just take a stroll through the HTML-based documentation which doubles as a primer for aspiring astronomers.

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3D Starchart was written by Joe Kloss of KlossSoft and began as a galactic empire game project. Nine days after the project began, 3D Starchart was ready for final bug testing. Work on the original game concept will now continue. 3D Starchart is currently available for download. The Shareware cost is a modest $15 and can be registered using the included Kagi registration software.

And finally, our 3D Starchart Jeopardy question (answer?): An angle determined by viewing a stellar object from opposites sides of the sun (extended at the distance of one Astronomical Unit from the Sun).

Vital Statistics

Availability: Available Now!
Cost: $15.00
Contact: Kloss Software, KlossSoft@kagi.com