Amazon.co.uk Review
Astronomy is a very popular hobby, and many people find computer software helps them to pursue this interest.
Redshift 4 just goes to show that software can be very flexible in its approach, helping you both to identify what you are looking at in the night sky on any particular date, and learn more about astronomy in general. Past incarnations of this title have been regarded by many as the best astronomy software available.
The great thing about Redshift 4 is that it works well for both novice and experienced astronomer. The Sky Diary is on hand for you to look up interesting events for the month ahead from meteor showers to phases of the moon and eclipses. You get an explanation of what each event is, and when best to look out for it. Manipulating the night sky is easy too. You can add and remove objects easily, and can even plot spacecraft as they track across the sky if you want to observe them.
If armchair learning is more to your liking, then you can browse the Photo Gallery, with its 400 plus photos taken with some of the most sophisticated telescopes in the world, or view the multimedia tutorials which talk you through the history of the solar system, the Big Bang, double stars and more. And for a real treat, how about observing the night sky from the surface of Mars, or Jupiter, or the Moon? RedShift always was a powerful piece of software. It just got better. --Sandra Vogel
Manufacturer's Description
RedShift 4 offers a presentation of our universe, created by experts and filled with scientifically accurate information. Penetrate millions of light years into space, plot out the constellations, analyse dramatic cosmic events and print accurate star maps.
RedShift 4 has been designed for both novices and professionals. The easy-to-learn and user-friendly interface helps beginners navigate around the heavens. The advanced astronomer can rely on accurate and in-depth information from comprehensive catalogues, including the new Tycho-2 Catalogue, the Hubble Space Telescope Guide Star Catalogue, and the General Catalogue of Variable Stars.
Features include the following:
- Multiple windows allow simultaneous views of events from multiple locations. For example, you can watch an eclipse from the earth, moon and sun all at the same time
- RedShift's real-time celestial mechanics engine plots the positions of over 18,000,000 stars, allowing you to see the universe at any point from 4713 B.C. to 9999 A.D.
- The movie recorder feature lets you create videos of your own journeys through space and time
- Plan the best time for observations with the Sky Diary and Visibility reports
- Integrated multimedia Story of the Universe
- Over 80,000 other objects, including 7,000 deep sky objects, such as star clusters, nebulae, and non-optical sources
- A comprehensive and newly updated Dictionary of Astronomy
- A direct connection to the RedShift Web site for downloading new discoveries, upgrades, and tech support.
