Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) vs SkyView

Struggling to choose between Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) and SkyView? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) is a Science & Education solution with tags like astronomy, stars, planets, telescope, imaging, simulations.

It boasts features such as Display star charts, Display constellation lines and boundaries, Display Messier, NGC, IC, Caldwell, Abell and other deep sky object catalogs, Display planets, asteroids, comets, Control telescopes, Take images using telescope and camera, Simulate sky views from any location on Earth, Customizable catalogs and object databases and pros including Free and open source, Available for Windows, Mac and Linux, Supports many languages, Large catalog of celestial objects, Ability to control telescopes, Customizable and extensible.

On the other hand, SkyView is a Education & Reference product tagged with planetarium, stars, constellations, satellites.

Its standout features include Realistic 3D rendering of the night sky, Accurate positions of over 600,000 stars, Models the solar system with all planets and moons, Shows constellations, deep sky objects, satellites, comets and asteroids, Adjustable time rate from real-time to millions of years per second, Point telescope control for many popular mounts, Video output for dome projection, and it shines with pros like Very realistic and immersive virtual planetarium, Extensive celestial database for realistic sky, Lots of adjustable parameters for customization, Supports many different types of telescopes, Available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) is a free, open-source planetarium software that allows users to map and track celestial objects like stars, planets, comets, etc. It offers features like telescope control, imaging capabilities, catalogues and simulations.

Categories:
astronomy stars planets telescope imaging simulations

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) Features

  1. Display star charts
  2. Display constellation lines and boundaries
  3. Display Messier, NGC, IC, Caldwell, Abell and other deep sky object catalogs
  4. Display planets, asteroids, comets
  5. Control telescopes
  6. Take images using telescope and camera
  7. Simulate sky views from any location on Earth
  8. Customizable catalogs and object databases

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Available for Windows, Mac and Linux

Supports many languages

Large catalog of celestial objects

Ability to control telescopes

Customizable and extensible

Cons

User interface can be complex for beginners

Limited support for newer cameras and mounts

Some features require plug-ins

Steep learning curve


SkyView

SkyView

SkyView is a virtual planetarium software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It turns your computer into a window into the night sky, showing constellations, stars, planets, and satellites in real-time.

Categories:
planetarium stars constellations satellites

SkyView Features

  1. Realistic 3D rendering of the night sky
  2. Accurate positions of over 600,000 stars
  3. Models the solar system with all planets and moons
  4. Shows constellations, deep sky objects, satellites, comets and asteroids
  5. Adjustable time rate from real-time to millions of years per second
  6. Point telescope control for many popular mounts
  7. Video output for dome projection

Pricing

  • Free limited version
  • One-time purchase for full version

Pros

Very realistic and immersive virtual planetarium

Extensive celestial database for realistic sky

Lots of adjustable parameters for customization

Supports many different types of telescopes

Available for Windows, Mac and Linux

Cons

Can be complex for beginner users

Requires a decent graphics card for best performance

Advanced features require add-on purchases

Limited native mobile support