Imaginova Starry Night Enthusiast Version 5

When most city slickers leave the city lights and pollution far behind, it's hard for them not to gaze in awe at the sparkling spectacle of the galaxy stretching out across a clear night sky. Like many amateur astronomers, we usually know the stellar basics - such as the Southern Cross and the Milky Way - but without a guide, we are unable to really appreciate the many other, shall we say, "points of interest" overhead. Starry Night Enthusiast is like having your own personal astronomer to assist with a wealth of well presented information, plus some fantastic features.

Not only can you chart what is happening here and now, but times and dates can be changed to the past and the future, so you can witness major astral events, such as the journey of Halley's Comet. A few more clicks, and you can travel through virtual space to where the comet is now.

If you hover the cursor over an astronomical object, a detailed description appears; plus, you can easily centre, magnify or journey to the object of interest. There are also tools to rotate and change your viewpoint. To get started, I recommend typing in an object or constellation in the find field, or just set the time to the night sky for the evening you wish to view. Best of all - we have a copy of the previous version on this month's cover CD, free for you to try!