Starry Night Pro 4.x FAQ

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There are different telescope controller plug-ins available for Windows and Macintosh. Please note that the ASCOM plug-in for Windows was not written by SPACE.com, and you should contact the maker of the plug-in for more information. If you are interested in writing your own telescope controller plug-in for Starry Night Pro, a new Plug-in SDK for version 4.x will be available soon.

Windows

• ASCOM Platform. On Windows computers, Starry Night Pro controls telescopes with the aid of the ASCOM telescope driver. It can be downloaded here. The download is a zipped file that includes a read-me file with complete instructions on installing the ASCOM Platform and using the plug-in. The ASCOM Platform installs the plug-in which allows users to control the following telescopes from within Starry Night:
  
  
  1. Meade LX-200 and Autostar-equipped robotic telescopes (such as the ETX 90/125 and LX200 GPS).
  2. Celestron Ultima 2000, Nexstar 5, Nexstar 8, Nexstar 11 GPS and Nexstar 114 GT telescopes (will not work with other Nexstar models).
  3. Generic LX-200 Type Scopes. The Generic LX-200 driver uses the absolute minimum of the LX-200 control protocol, and is thus compatible with a wide variety of amateur type telescopes and mounts that use so-called LX200 emulation. The following telescopes and mounts support the generic LX200 protocol (there may be others): Astro-Physics AP series, Astro-Electronic FS-2, Losmandy Gemini, Mel Bartels Controllers.
  4. ACL Based Telescopes. This includes many types of research-grade telescopes controlled using Astronomy Command Language. Any telecope controlled by either of these packages is accessible via the ACL-based Telescope driver. This includes most Optical Guidance, DFM, Optomechanics Research, SciTech and Merlin research telescopes and mounts.
  5. Vixen SkySensor 2000.
  6. Astro-Physics 1200 GTO.
  7. AstroOptik research telescopes.
  8. Astrometric Instruments SkyGuide TCS.
  9. Telescope Simulator (for testing)

Macintosh.

On the Macintosh, Starry Night Pro controls telescopes with its own telescope plug-in. The latest telescope plug-in available can be downloaded here. Telescopes currently supported:

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To install the Windows plug-in, insert the Starry Night Pro CD and choose "Install Telescope Support" from the pop-up menu. No plug-in needs to be installed to control telescopes on the Macintosh.

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You need a cable that connects the serial port on your computer to the appropriate telescope or handbox port. Cables for the most popular telescopes can be ordered for both the Mac and PC from this website. If your computer does not have a serial port, you will also need to purchase an adapter which converts your USB port to a serial port. Most computer stores will sell these adapters, and you can also purchase one from a vendor such as keyspan.com.

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Open the FOV Indicators Pane and click the "Add FOV Indicator" button. Choose the outline style (Circle, Telrad bulls-eye, CCD or Rigel QuickFinder) and press the ADD button. In the window that appears enter the indicators name and its diameter or field of view. If you do not know your object's field of view, press the "Calculator" button to calculate it. Press the "OK" button to add this indicator. From now on, your object's name will appear in the FOV Indicators pane, and you can click on its checkbox to turn the outline on or off.

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This can mean one of three things:

1. You have not chosen the correct COM port. You can change the COM port by choosing "Configure Connection" from the Telescope Pane and pressing the "Properties" button.
2. Another application is commanding the serial port. The most common culprit is the Palm HotSync application.
3. The telescope cable is defective.
4. The computer's serial port is defective. We have received reports from several users that Dell laptop serial ports do not function properly, giving a voltage output far lower than other models. If this appears to be the problem, you can try connecting to the telescope using the computer's USB port. You will need to purchase an adapter which converts your computer's USB port to a serial port. Most computer stores will sell these adapters, and you can also purchase one from a vendor such as keyspan.com.

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