Last Updated on September 6, 2020
In this series, we look at a range of home activities where Linux can make the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged. The change of lifestyle enforced by Covid-19 is an opportunity to expand our horizons, and spend more time on activities we have neglected in the past.
Even though many European countries have made significant steps in relaxing some of the restrictions of daily life, the advice is to maintain social distancing rules. The big fear is that there will be a coronavirus resurgence. But it’s important that we don’t cocoonourselves, we need to protect ourselves and be supportive to others. There are many fascinating hobbies that can spark our imagination. Astronomy is a great example.
A widespread belief is that astronomy is an activity which cannot be enjoyed without paraphernalia like telescopes and other expensive equipment. However, astronomy is for everyone, and even with just the naked eye, it can become a fascinating and rewarding hobby for life.
It’s a learning hobby. Its joys come from intellectual discovery and knowledge of the cryptic night sky. But you have to make these discoveries, and gain this knowledge, by yourself. In other words, you need to become self-taught.
With the aid of open source software, budding astronomers can learn how to ‘read’ the stars, to know which constellations lie overhead, their trajectory throughout the seasons, and the legends ascribed to them. With the following software you can learn about the night skies of both the northern and southern hemispheres. I recommend Celestia, Stellarium, and AstroImageJ. For the first two programs, I’ve produced a short video showcasing them in action. The software is cross-platform.
Celestia
Celestia is software that offers a photo-realistic, real-time, 3D viewing of the solar system, the galaxy and the universe. Celestia is an excellent tool for astronomy education, and is used in homes, schools, museums and planetariums around the world.
Celestia’s primary star catalog is based on the Hipparcos database of stars with accurately measured distances. It includes all of the stars within 20 light years of the Sun, as well as about 200 double stars.
Stellarium
Stellarium is a software project that allows people to use their home computer as a virtual planetarium. It calculates the positions of the Sun and Moon, planets and stars, and draws how the sky would look to an observer depending on their location and the time. It can also draw the constellations and simulate astronomical phenomena such as meteor showers, and solar or lunar eclipses.
Stellarium can be used as an educational tool for teaching about the night sky, or as an observational aide for amateur astronomers wishing to plan a night’s observing.
AstroImageJ
AstroImageJ is a simple and powerful tool for astronomical image analysis and precise photometry.
These include a versatile image display, time-series stacks, built-in AstroCC to set and time and place, links to Simbad for object identification, and exoplanet model fitting.
It reads and writes Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) images with standard headers, and allows FITS header viewing and editing. FITS is the most commonly used digital file format in astronomy.
All articles in this series:
| Linux at Home | |
|---|---|
| Astronomy | Explore the universe from your garden |
| Brew Beer | Weave malt and hops and yeast together in unique combinations |
| Circuit Design | Learn to design electronic circuits |
| Collaborating | Edit documents collaboratively in real-time |
| Cooking | Home cooking is an activity that’s great for individuals and families |
| Creative Writing | Pen a classic novel or screenplay |
| Cross-stitching | A form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery |
| Digital Art | Paint and draw directly onto a computer |
| Digital Music Production | Digital Audio Workstations |
| DOOM Gaming | Take a break and play classic DOOM |
| Embroidery | Craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle |
| Exercising | Keeping fit can be a challenge with lockdown |
| Gardening | Plan your perfect garden with these great tools |
| Genealogy | Research your family tree |
| Home Security | CCTV solutions to protect your home |
| Musical Instrument | Learn to play an instrument |
| RSI | Reduce and prevent repetitive strain injury |
How could you omit kstars from your article?
Quite easily. Let me explain. For my “Linux at Home” series, I generally restrict my selection to 3 applications. They are my personal recommendations, not a general recommendation from LinuxLinks.
I also try to include diversity in my selection. Including AstroImageJ gives that diversity.
Further, LinuxLinks has a Group Test where KStars is already featured — Astronomy Group Test.
Thanks for that clarification John. We really appreciate your contributions — the Linux at Home series of articles is really useful for everyone suffering from lockdown.
On a personal level, it always raises a smile when someone takes umbrage that application X or Y isn’t included in a particular article. I guess even if you included 30 applications, there would be someone querying why didn’t you include such and such. And they almost never actually explain why that program should be mentioned.