Volume 1, Number 3, February 1, 1996 International: 303.278.4478 Fax: 303.278.0045 Web Site: http://www.bisque.corn Welcome to the third issue of SkyNews, the Software Bisque Astronomy newsletter.

ANNOUNCING
THESKY VERSION 4.0

      There’s never been a more exciting

     and dynamic time in the history of

     astronomy and computers than right

    now. With the Hubble Space

    Telescope’s astonishing images, the

    discovery of comet Hale-Bopp, and

    the introduction of Windows 95 and

    Pentium Pros, the future of computer

    aided astronomy has never shined

    so brightly. In this light we’ve

    dedicated this entire newsletter to

    introduce our latest upgrade, TheSky

    version 4.0. This is our most

    comprehensive upgrade since we

    started selling TheSky back in 1984.

    It is also the most exciting! We will

    send you a separate upgrade letter

    following this newsletter; of course if you can’t

   wait,  order now.

This revision includes improvements to almost every feature of TheSky. Though the changes are too numerous to cover here, we will highlight some Of the major changes. A beta tester said it best -

"Though I was perfectly happy with
TheSky version 2.1, version 4.0 has shown me what
state of the art is ... and I won't go back!"

32-BIT SOFTWARE FOR A 32-BIT WORLD

    Windows 95 is currently the top-selling software product in the world, and microcomputer users are Converting en masse from Windows 3. 1. If you haven't already switched to Windows 95, now's the time! TheSky has been retooled from the ground up to take advantage of the 32-bit efficiency of this latest Windows technology. Unlike 16-bit astronomy software, TheSky 4.0 is a full 32-bit application enabling it to utilize the power of Windows 95 or Windows NT. If there is a Pentium Pro in your future, beware this new processor actually runs 16bit software slower than a Pentium!

Windows 3.1
  One frequently asked question is "Will TheSky 4.0 run on Windows 3.1?" Yes! The new version Still supports Windows 3. 1. Since TheSky is now a native 32-bit application, it requires the Windows 32-bit subsystem. Chances are you've already had to install Win32s, but if not, we'll guide you through this simple process. However, we strongly recommend you move to Windows 95 or Windows NT to realize the full benefits of 32-bit operating systems and software.

Customizability

  The customizing theme does not end with the beautiful sky display and printed charts. One of the most powerful features of TheSky is its mastery of large amounts of celestial data. In the past, the main databases supplied with TheSky were fixed, remaining static. The new Sky Database Manager in version 4.0 allows easy integration of any celestial data in text-file form. Once imported to TheSky, you have full visualization of, and access to, the data. The added databases are plotted with the speed and accuracy you expect from TheSky. You can search the data, add labels to charts from any field in the data, and identify the objects from the Sky Display. You can even add new object types with their own plotting characteristics for displaying the data! order now.

The Preferences Dialog

With all of the types of celestial objects supported by version 4.0, keeping track of their appearance could be overwhelming. The new Preferences dialog manages the millions of preference possibilities comfortably. Simply select the object from the list, then set the desired characteristics for the Sky Display and the Sky Chart.

Accuracy Beyond Epoch 2000

TheSky employs all of the necessary calculations to provide the most accurate coordinates available. Stellar coordinates are corrected for precession, nutation and aberration. Our new minor planet calculations show extreme positional accuracy. TheSky version 4.0 shows the recent occultation of SAO 111235 by minor planet 85 lo quite spectacularly. We have also increased the amount of magnification you can achieve on the Sky Display. At full

Time Skip 

    The Time Skip function has been changed to provide much quicker access. The enhanced functionality is present in the new toolbar that can be used to quickly move forward or backward in time. The new Lock on Object function lets you keep any of the solar system objects precisely centered on the screen during a time skip. Hop on comet Hale-Bopp and take a ride as it traverses the celestial sphere!

Star Charting-The Best Gets Better
    Often imitated, never matched, star charts from TheSky are used all over the world to create informative renditions of the night sky.  TheSky version 4.0 takes computer generated star charts to a new level. Exploiting today's printer technology to the fullest, charts created with  TheSky version 4.0 are not only full of information, but also beautiful. For example, picture a faint blue Milky Way behind black-outlined cyan stars with red galaxies and yellow clusters. Use your color printer to create charts that are suitable for framing.

Object Identification Dialog
    One of the most frequently referenced dialogs in TheSky software is the Object Identification dialog. Whenever you query TheSky for information on an object, whether through a Find command or a cursor identification, the information is presented in this dialog. Version 4.0 shows a list of objects that match the query on the left and the information for the selected object on the right. New buttons have been added to quickly highlight the most commonly used data of a particular object such as Magnitude, Coordinates, and Rise and Set times.

Comet and Minor Planet Input
    We departed from the NOTEPAD method of entering orbital elements and created very comfortable dialogs as a replacement (some of you are probably asking "What took you so long?"). An Import button lets you pull data from existing text files and a Compute button provides quick and easy verification of entered data.

ASTRONOMY IN THE CLASSROOM
  Software Bisque continues its efforts to turn "astro-science into child's play". We've already told you about our role in the Telescopes in Education program