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Welcome

Welcome to Deep-Sky Planner 9

Congratulations on choosing Deep-Sky Planner, a comprehensive planning and logging software package designed for modern astronomical observers and imagers. With this ninth major version of the product, numerous features have been added, and great care has been taken with database accuracy, completeness and cross referencing.

Deep-Sky Planner 9

Installation instructions can be found here.

Please apply the latest software updates if any are available after installing.

Activation instructions can be found here. Please remember to activate your license within 30 days of installation!

Getting help

This help document is intended to be a detailed and exhaustive reference describing the product. Open it by visiting Deep-Sky Planner Help on the Help menu in Deep-Sky Planner. You can also press F1 anywhere in the product to open context sensitive help.

The Readme file contains installation and other release notes not contained in the help files. Open it by visiting Readme on the Help menu.

The Quick Start Guide describes the most essential steps required to get the product ready for use. It is intended for users that are unfamiliar with Deep-Sky Planner. Open it by visiting Quick Start Guide on the Help menu.

Support information is available in the Deep-Sky Planner Support web page. Here you will find links to the knowledgebase, video library, YouTube channel, Facebook & groups.io (user discussion forum) pages.

The Deep-Sky Planner Community holds support resources for licensed owners of Deep-Sky Planner such as equipment lists, observing plans and software updates. You can browse the Community via the Community menu, and you can check for software updates using Check for Updates on the Help menu in Deep-Sky Planner.

If you have a general question about Deep-Sky Planner, you can post it on the deepskyplanner groups.io page or submit it throught the Knightware Contact Us page. If you have a technical problem (bug) to report, please enter a support ticket at the Support Center.

Key Features

▪the database contains over 1.6 million objects and over 1.2 million names and cross-references among its catalogs

▪deep-sky and stellar data in the database have been updated, expanded and corrected

▪sun, moon, and planet data can be calculated for any instant in time or over a range of times

▪comet and asteroid data can be calculated for any instant in time or over a range of times

▪any type of object can be placed in a plan document which can run in real-time while observing

▪plan documents provide a centralized view of essential object information, DSS images and other graphical data

▪comprehensive observing log feature is integrated with all reports

▪supports Unihedron's Sky Quality Meter models LE, LU, LU-DL and LR

▪manages observations and multiple observing projects

▪selective backup and restore of user data

▪unprecedented data exchange capability: export reports to HTML, text or CSV; exports planet events to iCAL; import and export equipment and log data, including support for OpenAstronomyLog 2.1 format; import observing plans from text or CSV files; export observing plans to Argo Navis, Cartes du Ciel, Nexus DSC, Sky Commander and SkySafari

▪provides real-time telescope control** and telescope/DSC feedback using ASCOM***

▪provides wireless and wired push-to capability for Argo Navis, Nexus DSC and Sky Commander

▪smart interoperation with leading planetarium software TheSkyX™ Professional, TheSky6™, Starry Night®, Redshift, Cartes du Ciel and Stellarium

▪compatible with Windows 10 and 11

OAL

** Real-time telescope control is available if your telescope's ASCOM driver supports asynchronous operation. Synchronous operation is used by Deep-Sky Planner only when your telescope's driver does not support asychronous operation. In this case, there may be a delay between the time a signal is sent to the telescope and on-screen updates.
*** Telescope control requires the ASCOM software package. ASCOM is a third-party open source software package. ASCOM is not distributed by or supported by Knightware. Please see Telescope Control for more information.

SUN WARNING:

Deep-Sky Planner can move a telescope using the ASCOM software package. Pointing a telescope at the sun without a proper filter can damage your equipment. Viewing through a telescope pointed at the sun without a proper filter will cause immediate, irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point the telescope near the sun. Do not use the Slew To feature during daytime.

Deep-Sky Planner is a trademark of Knightware, LLC.
All other trademarks are property of their respective holders.