PRODUCT REVIEW:
2Sky Planetarium Software
by Mitchell
Levine
More
and more, teachers are realizing that the most complex, fascinating,
and instructive scientific laboratory in the world is open
every night, and to access it, all you need to do is look up.
The night skies can be used to teach astronomy as well as physics,
chemistry, geology, optics, and even history. Because humans
always are and have always been fascinated with the celestial
bodies, using them as a means to teach all of the above has
the built-in advantage of being intrinsically captivating to
an audience—always
the most important precursor to any educational presentation.
The only obstacle
to taking advantage of these facts for a typical teacher has
been all of the
built-in disadvantages. Astronomy as science requires a great
deal of specialized knowledge which is hardly part of every
instructor’s repertoire. Observation
of the stars and planets requires fieldwork, and not only that but field work
at night, which implies many logistical problems. There are millions upon millions
of relevant phenomena to be observed, but using lists and charts in the dark
while lecturing to a class is slightly unwieldy.
In
the past, most first-rate astronomical software has been
PC-based only, and even the popularization of laptop computers
hasn’t
made using the excellent traditional programs during a field
trip any easier. However, a different solution has been made
available with 2Sky, Inc.’s introduction of their PDA-based
package 2Sky. It can’t be easy to produce an application
that can provide a comprehensive array of planetarium features
with graphics for handheld computers, but somehow 2Sky has
done it.
The
most basic download of the software, costing about $25, for
example, offers scaled reproductions of 88 constellations
in three-dimensional format with customizable views which
can approximate what an observer might see from the vantage
point of any of 170 cities throughout the world. Astronomical
phenomena data-based within the program include 15,560 stars,
500 deep sky objects, and the Messier, SAC, Bennett, and
Caldwell catalogues—actually more than what a typical
K-12 teacher would be likely to use.
The
total download of 2sky, for only additional $1, has more
than just a larger warehouse of data: it provides superb
graphics functions which not only enhance its ability to
act as a guide to space, but even allow it to potentially
serve as a substitute to observation for those that can’t
coordinate nighttime field trips. It not onlysee the celestial
sphere, for instance, and step through time to watch the
objects orbit.
One
limitation does make itself apparent—at this time, the Pocket PC
platform—one of the most popular in the education environment
is not supported—so you’ll need to have a PDA that
runs at least Palm OS 2.5. Although the manufacturer now offers
no educational license share, a teacher is allowed to make
additional copies of the software to distribute to student
users. All in all, this is an intelligently developed application
that any handheld enabled classroom investigating astronomy
can make use of. More information can be found at the company’s
site at www.2sky.org.#
creates horizon
and ecliptic lines, as well as galactic and cluster outlines,
it has a host of powerful animation features as well. The user
can zoom through space as if they were observing through a
telephoto lens, to move out to
