Stellarium software intermediate course
Intermediate Stellarium, level 2 (personal computer).
Part of the Stellarium Training Series.
Learn how to use the Stellarium planetarium software on your computer at a more complex level exploiting intermediate-level features.
Fee: Free to Members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Course Overview
Stellarium is a powerful planetarium application available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers. The free software can be used to learn the sky and plan astronomical observing sessions. If logging observations, it be used to corroborate and confirm celestial objects seen. Educators, presenters, and outreach volunteers may use the software for demonstrations, presentations, and What's Up discussions.
Participants will learn how to load additional catalogues, customise the application including setting up specific locations, load new comets, modify the toolbar, choose landscape textures, use stepping zooming, copy object information, configure eyepiece views, and slew a connected go-to telescope mount to a target. This will provide an amateur astronomer a deeper understanding of the Stellarium program.
Class sizes are limited. Classes are first-come first-serve and announced in the RASC Newsletter.
This 2-hour training course is not for the paid Stellarium app on smartphones or the Stellarium web app.
What You'll Learn
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to use Stellarium at an intermediate level.
- customise Stellarium in various ways
- perform time dragging and using alternate zoom techniques
- set up for very specific locations on Earth
- load new comets
- take screen snaps and copy object information
- download additional star catalogues
- customise object information display
- use stepped zooming
- create custom locations
- take screen snaps
- add more buttons to toolbar
- use pre-defined landscapes
- configure telescope and eyepiece profiles
- perform a telescope mount connection and slew (basic)
Prerequisites
As this is a level 2 or intermediate level, participants must be conversant with the basic features of Stellarium. See the level 1 introductory course outline for more info. Graduates of the level 1 course qualify automatically. Contact the instructor if you need assistance gauging your level.
You must have a Windows, Mac, Linux computer with the Stellarium for the desktop installed and working. https://stellarium.org/
This training is not for the paid Stellarium app on smartphones or the Stellarium web app.
You must have the Zoom meeting software installed and working. It is free. https://zoom.us/download
It is best, when participating in a computer training course, that you have two screens. Connect your laptop to an external monitor, if possible. If you do not have two computer screens, consider running the Zoom on your smartphone or tablet to monitor the instructor's shared screen.
It is assumed participants have some minimal knowledge of astronomy, the sky, celestial objects and planets. We will not teach astronomical concepts. This is tool training.
Open mind.
Who Should Attend
This course is for members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. It is one of the many benefits of membership.
If you are not a member of RASC, please join!
This course is intended for amateur astronomers who wish to gain a deeper knowledge of the Stellarium planetarium application. Basic experience and comfort with Stellarium is assumed.
If you are competent at the basics in Stellarium you're welcome to attend.
Ahead of the Course
Ensure Stellarium is working on your computer.
Procure a second monitor for your computer if possible for the fullest, richest training experience. See our companion video on how to set up your monitors for the training.
Ensure the Zoom meeting software is working on your computer.
If you want to test driving your mount with Stellarium, have mount up and running, balanced, and ready to go. In other words, the mount should be operating as per normal after performing the normal start-up process which likely requires a one- or two-star alignment at a minimum. Have all the appropriate data cables and adapters at the ready.
Upcoming Course Dates
Courses will be scheduled on or near a full Moon. This popular course runs about every month.
Please register in advance for the software training course. To be notified of upcoming courses, sign up to the RASC Newsletter at the bottom of this page.
A minimum of 6 participants is required for a course to run. Space is limited to 10 to 15 online participants per session. If a class has insufficient attendance, it may be cancelled.
Any questions? Contact the administrator (software-training AT rasc DOT ca).
Return to the Stellarium Training Series hub.