Orrery vs Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)

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

Orrery is a Education & Reference solution with tags like astronomy, solar-system, planets, educational.

It boasts features such as 3D interactive model of the solar system, Realistic orbital paths and rotations, Zoom in on planets and moons, Change date/time to see positions in the past or future, Change simulation speed, Add custom objects like spacecraft, Supports modding and plugins and pros including Free and open source, Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux), Educational and intuitive interface, Highly customizable and extensible, Active development community, Lightweight and fast performance.

On the other hand, Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) is a Science & Education product tagged with astronomy, stars, planets, telescope, imaging, simulations.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like 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.

Feature	Orrery	Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Education & Reference	Science & Education

Product Overview

Orrery

Description: Orrery is a free, open source software that displays an interactive model of the solar system, planets, moons and more. It provides an educational simulation showing the relative positions and motions of solar system objects.

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

Orrery Features

• 3D interactive model of the solar system
• Realistic orbital paths and rotations
• Zoom in on planets and moons
• Change date/time to see positions in the past or future
• Change simulation speed
• Add custom objects like spacecraft
• Supports modding and plugins

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart) Features

• 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

Pros & Cons Analysis

Orrery

Pros

• Free and open source
• Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• Educational and intuitive interface
• Highly customizable and extensible
• Active development community
• Lightweight and fast performance

Cons

• Limited built-in celestial objects (but can be expanded)
• User interface is dated
• Steep learning curve for advanced features
• Lacks some visual polish
• Documentation could be more thorough

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)

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

Pricing Comparison

Orrery

• Open Source

Cartes du Ciel (Skychart)

• Free
• Open Source