Mailing-List: list Palmastro@yahoogroups.com; contact Palmastro-owner@yahoogroups.com

Delivered-To: mailing list Palmastro@yahoogroups.com

List-Id: <Palmastro.yahoogroups.com>

List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:Palmastro-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com>

Date: Sun, 06 Nov 2005 18:16:31 -0000

Subject: [Palmastro] Astromist 2.1

Reply-To: Palmastro@yahoogroups.com

Hi everyone -

     I have been using Astromist on my Sony Clie NR-70 for over a

year.  I was very impressed with the program's potential, but it was

too slow and buggy for me.  Two weeks ago, I upgraded to a PalmOne

Lifedrive, and put Astromist on it, and discovered the program

wasn't to blame but rather, my old PDA.  On the Lifedrive, Astromist

is living up to it's potential.  I used it last week at a viewing,

and it was very functional.  It actually goes deeper than any of the

star maps I use (Uranometria, Herald-Bobroff).  Astromist goes to

mag. 12, and has many other useful functions.

     After setting your viewer locations (3 choices), you can choose

from a sky map, a Messier map, a Herschel map, or a map that you set

up yourself using the Night Tripper option.  It has many catalogues

including the entire NGC-IC, and uses the Hipparcos and Tycho

databases for stars.  Fully customizable, you can input your scope,

EP's, and location details.  There is an observation log, and I

believe it also drives some scopes (I use a dob, so this is not a

function I need, so have never tested it.)

     Astromist also has a Planet Assistant, which shows an Ecliptic

map, a 3D sun view, epherimides, general info on each planet, rise

and set times, charts that show such things as elongation. diameter,

phase, magnitude, etc. of the Mercury through Sat.  There are also

special assistants for Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn which show moon

positions, diameters, events, GRS position, etc. 

     The most recent addition added a comet assistant and an eclipse

assistant.  The author is allowing me to beta test the next

upgrade.  I won't go into a lot of detail as I don't know that he

wants the information known, but I will give a hint on one new

feature:  Satellites anyone?

     I have found Astromist goes way above and beyond every other

PDA astronomy program I have tried (2Sky, Planetarium, PleiadAtlas,

The Sky for PPC, and some others that I didn't keep on my PDA for

long), and seems to be very accurate and robust.  It runs very well

on my PDA, and I would heartily recommend it.  Last week at my

astronomy club's viewing, more people wanted to play with my Palm

than to look through my scope (14" Discovery PDHQ).

Jim Storm

Pres., Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AASI/