StarCalc

If you've ever gazed at the stars and wondered which of them are part of constellations you've always heard of in stories and fairy-tales, or if you're already a disciple in the realm of astronomy and need a helpful little tool to hone your skills, a star-mapping program may be what you're looking for.

One such app is StarCalc, a star calculating utility that comes with an abundance of options, with near limitless customization.

The first thing you'll notice when you install it is the fact that there are many menus and sub-menus, which can be confusing at first, but after exploring all the options for a while you realize that they are quite intuitive. This user-friendliness is what makes this software program ideal for beginners.

One thing worth mentioning is the outdated GUI (Graphical User Interface) which may atract those of you who started out using older operating system versions such as Windows 95 or 98. Although this may be perceived as a disadvantage by some younger users, those passionate enough about stargazing will overlook this minor inconvenience.

The number of options alone is amazing, from pinpointing where stars will be at a certain time of day (down to the last second), to seeing where they will be in 2070, nothing is beyond the power of this application.

Of course, if you are interested in finer detail such as constellation boundaries, star trajectory within a given interval of time or how the stars are seen from Tokyo, this program has them all. It allows you to input your exact coordinates for a better calculation of how stars can be seen when you look out the window.

Moreover, the software tool can be set in either Latin, abbreviated Latin or good old-fashioned English.

It doesn't matter if you want to find out which constellations are next to Hercules or if you want to see which stars are right above your head, this star mapping program is the tool for you.