CyberSky for Windows 95 Shareware Version 2.0 Copyright (c) 1997 Stephen Michael Schimpf. All rights reserved. This README.TXT file contains a description of CyberSky, system requirements, installation and uninstallation instructions, registration information, and product support information. Description ----------- CyberSky is a colorful, easy-to-use program that transforms your computer screen into a planetarium, allowing you to learn about astronomy by exploring the sky in the past, present, and future! CyberSky can truly be thought of as a desktop planetarium, because it duplicates the features of a traditional planetarium on your computer screen. CyberSky provides an excellent way for you to learn the names and locations of the constellations, the names of the stars, and to become familiar with the motions of the sun, moon, and planets across the sky. CyberSky provides a superb, innovative, and motivating learning environment. It places the sky under your control. If you've already learned these basics, CyberSky is a great way to conveniently check out "what's up" tonight without leaving your desk. Or, use it to find out what you'll be able to see next weekend, or next month. Some people use CyberSky to learn to identify the stars and constellations they'll be able to see for the first time when they take a vacation to another hemisphere. And, don't forget the past! What did the sky look like on the day you were born? One of CyberSky's most powerful and educational features is its ability to animate the display, allowing you to see "movies" of the changing appearance of the sky over time. Many of the most basic and interesting astronomical phenomena can only be observed over days or months of time, or by observing the sky in the distant past or future. CyberSky compresses these time spans into minutes, thereby allowing you to learn things about astronomy that previously would have required days or weeks of stargazing or a trip to a planetarium to learn. If you have an interest in astronomy, CyberSky will provide hours of fun and education for you and your family. System Requirements ------------------- Personal computer running Windows 95, a 386 or faster processor, 8 MB of memory, about 2 MB of disk space, a video card capable of displaying 256 or more colors, and a Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device. Installing CyberSky ------------------- Run the SETUP.EXE program provided with the CyberSky package you received. Follow the instructions to install CyberSky on your computer. If you already have an older version of CyberSky installed on your computer, I strongly recommend that you uninstall that version before you install the newer version. This will remove unnecessary files from your computer and unnecessary icons from the Start menu. Uninstalling CyberSky --------------------- Run the "Uninstall CyberSky" program found on the Start menu under "CyberSky". Follow the instructions to completely remove CyberSky from your computer. Registration Information ------------------------ A single copy of the registered version of CyberSky costs US$ 25 plus US$ 3 for shipping & handling. Site licenses are available for educational institutions at very reasonable prices! Complete information about purchasing the registered version of CyberSky is available on the Start menu under "CyberSky" as well as in its Help file. Product Support Information --------------------------- If you'd like to report a problem you've experienced with CyberSky or make a suggestion please don't hesitate to contact me. Please provide as much information as possible about the hardware and software you are using. The more information I have about your system the easier it will be for me to help you. E-mail. If you'd like to contact me as quickly as possible, please send e-mail to the following address. 76763.1065@compuserve.com Postal mail. If the problem you are reporting involves printing a sky chart, it may be useful to send a copy of the output from your printer to the following address via postal mail. Stephen Michael Schimpf 2444 West 230th Street Torrance, CA 90501-5242 Telephone. If you feel it is necessary to speak with me, please call the following number between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM Pacific time Monday through Friday only. 310-530-6766 World Wide Web. If you'd like to find out about the latest versions of CyberSky, use the following address to visit the CyberSky Home Page on the World Wide Web. http://www.astro.ucla.edu/staff/stephen/cybersky.html