How to find planets?

[jamilm9]

I just found out my dad has this 6 inch telescope
from 10 years ago does anyone know a program to find out where planets are at any time in the year. Thank you.

 

[scopeguy20]

Go to skypub.com and download the sky charts you can customize to your location and time zone. Btw, Saturn is high in the SW and looks like about the brightest star in the area. Also, in the early morning sky the brightest non-twinkeling "stars" are the planets Jupiter, Venus and Mars, (highest to lowest), in the East and a bit to the South
You can also download the WWT free from Microsoft or Google Sky (like Google Earth) But I use Starry Night Pro which in not free. -Glenn

 

[mgc8]

Try Stellarium:

http://www.stellarium.org/

It's a great, free/open-source software that's being actively developed and even has telescope control ability!

Clear skies,
Mihnea

 

[john_lawson]

hey glenn are you familiar with the stars JUST KIDDING "Scopeguy20"

 

[bschott]

I have a few scopes like my massive Meade 16" Lightbridge F/4.5 (truss tube dobsonian)and my portable Orion Vixen VC200L (cassegrain scope). My first scope was an 80mm Orion SkyView Pro 80ED GOTO (apochromatic refractor) and I still take it out from time to time when I don't want to move my more expensive scopes.

Like MGC8 I'd suggest stellarium.

Like Scopeguy stated, Starry Night is also a great package but it isn't free...HOWEVER, if you ever purchase an Orion scope, they will send you that software with your purchase. Tell you what. I've got three or four of these CDs laying around from all my scope purchases...PM me your shipping address and I'll send you one of these Starry Night cds free of charge. This will be the actual CD/DVD so no DVD copies here. Makes it all legit.

Here is a popular science review of the software so you know it's not junk.
http://www.popularscience.co.uk/software/rev11.htm

 

[Deleted member 8382]

estelarium works great for this.

 

[k1kb0t]

Skymap for the T-mobile G1 Google phone.