Astronomy buffs who live under city lights never quite get used to the lack of a bright night sky. This software can help make up for that loss, displaying a constantly changing version of the star-studded heavens as a computer's desktop wallpaper. Users simply select a location, and DeskNite shows the night sky as it would appear from that point, automatically updated to keep track of the time and seasons. The accompanying Sky Diver utility lets users who want more details on specific celestial objects zoom in on any star or planet, and get more information. The program does have a fairly large RAM footprint of about 8MB. Despite this, many astronomy enthusiasts will certainly find this a welcome addition to their desktops.
Full Specifications
What's new in version 1
General
ReleaseNovember 9, 2008
Date AddedJune 30, 1999
Version1
Operating Systems
Operating SystemsWindows 95, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows, Windows XP, Windows NT
DeskNite is a free system-tray program that will display a dynamic, real-time view of the night sky as your desktop wallpaper, updating itself automatically as the earth turns. You can configure DeskNite to display views that you like: the sky as seen from your very own home location. DeskNite displays more than 3,000 stars, nine planets, the sun, the moon, and Messier and NGC objects in point source and photoplate display styles, with stereographic, equal area, equidistant, and orthographic projection models. It also features flexible alt/az viewpoints, constellation lines and boundaries, and horizon and equatorial grids.
Get the best price on everything
Shop your favorite products and we’ll find the best deal with a single click. Designed to make shopping easier.