Sky Map 2000 guides
Explore the night sky with ease.
These pages describe every panel, tool and layer in Sky Map 2000, and cover the astronomy that sits behind them. Use them to explore the night sky, identify stars, planets and deep-sky objects, discover constellations, and plan observations for any date and location.
Start here
What this guide will help you do
Find your bearings
Tie the map to a real place and time, then move between the horizon-based view and the atlas grid depending on what you want to see.
Choose a target
Search stars, planets and deep-sky objects, read the object card and see whether the target is up now or waiting for later.
Plan realistically
Open Astronomy tools for Today, the Observation Planner and the 3D Solar System. Start with a local Sun, Moon and darkness briefing, then take a shortlist and weigh it against weather and light pollution you cannot see from your desk.
Written against the running app
Every description here tracks the current build of Sky Map 2000, and is updated when a control moves, a data source changes or a new feature ships.
Next guides
Continue with map controls and tools, the device compass guide, observer location, date and time, coordinate systems, the astronomy glossary, layers and labels, meteor showers, search and object cards, object cards and map key, Today: local sky briefing, the Moon calendar, the observation planner, and the Solar System view.