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At 11:25 AM -0800 12/1/00, Leigh Palmer wrote:
One thing I will mention. I share Larry Smith's enthusiasm for
"Starry Night". If he owns the top of the line version (Starry
Night Pro) he will find hours of entertainment and learning in
playing with it, an experience which should entice many students
to do the same. Starry Night (Backyard or Pro version) is cheap
at its price. It is the best self-motivating tool I can think of*
as an adjunct to an astronomy course in high school, but it should
be purchased in these much more appropriate forms. The textbook
version is a teaser designed to encourage purchase of the other
versions.
For those interested in learning more about this software, see
<http://www.siennasoft.com/>.
The textbook version is enough for students who are just trying to fulfill
a requirement, but even it is pretty impressive. Students who are serious
about astronomy will want a beefier version. A comparison of the various
versions (including prices) is at <http://www.livesky.com/en/demo/pdf.html>.
Lacking in the CD-ROM that comes with the textbook are enough appropriate
_exercises_ for the students to do with Starry Night. I heard a rumor that
some astronomy teachers are banding together to put together a collection
of such Starry Night exercises. I would be interested in an update on that
project. Seems to be a perfect candidate for an internet-based
collaborative effort at putting together some very accessible and useful
educational materials.
Larry