Richards Astro Programs 
I occasionally write some simple PC programs to aid in planning my viewing sessions.  You can download the programs from the links on this page or from the CCD Image pages.  Consider the programs Freeware.     They run in a MS DOS Window on all Window based PC's.  I've run them on everything from a 12 Mhz 286 based computer running MS DOS 5.0 to a 1.2 Ghz machine running Windows XP.  The copyright restrictions listed on my home page apply.  There is no install program.  Just unzip all of the files into one folder and double click on the executable file.   You may also want to read the readme.txt file since it contains some useful information.

The program files have been compressed using the Winzip file compression utility.  If you do not have a way to decompress the files, you can download an evaluation copy of Winzip. 

 
Simulator for the moons of Jupiter and the Great Red Spot.  Shows shadow transits and moon disappearance and reappearance from eclipses.   The simulation is controlled by pressing keys a the program executes.  You can cause the satellites to show trails, speed up, slow down or reverse direction.  You can also overlay an eyepiece circle.  Click here to see a screen shot.  Click the picture to download the program.
Simulator for the moons of Saturn. Shows shadow transits and moon disappearance and reappearance from eclipses.   The simulation is controlled by pressing keys a the program executes.  You can cause the satellites to show trails, speed up, slow down or reverse direction.  You can also overlay an eyepiece circle.  Click here to see a screen shot.  Click the picture to download the program.
Uranus Moon Simulator Simulator for the moons of Uranus.  This programs is an earlier version and the eyepiece information is hard coded.  It does not simulate shadows or eclipses either.  Otherwise it is the same as the Jupiter and Saturn simulators.
Neptune Moon Simulator
 Simulator for the moons of Neptune.  This programs is an earlier version and the eyepiece information is hard coded.  It does not simulate shadows or eclipses either.  Otherwise it is the same as the Jupiter and Saturn simulators.
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