| | Planetensuche / hunting for exoplanets |
|
|
Astronomy program Planetensuche
Planetensuche (Planet Search) is a comprehensive, free, and offline-capable desktop application designed for amateur astronomers, space enthusiasts, and researchers to explore, visualize, and analyze data about exoplanets, stars, and deep-sky objects. Continuously developed for over two decades, the software combines a massive astronomical database with powerful visualization tools and realistic orbit simulations.
Key Features
🪐 Exoplanet & Star Database
- Extensive Catalogs: Built-in database featuring the latest exoplanet discoveries, including data imports from the NASA Exoplanet Archive, Gaia (DR3), TESS (TOI/CTOI), Kepler, SIMBAD and more.
- Broad Scope: Explores not just exoplanets, but also galaxies, dwarf planets, asteroids, and variable stars (AAVSO, VSX).
- Habitability Analysis: Calculate and filter planets by their Earth Similarity Index (ESI) and evaluate Habitable Zones (e.g., Kopparapu 2013 models) to find potentially life-bearing worlds.
- Double Star Detection: Specialized tools to test and identify potential binary or multiple star systems using cross-referenced catalog data.
📊 Data Visualization & Analytics
- 70+ Interactive Charts: Generate deep analytical charts to compare planetary masses, radii, orbital periods, discovery methods, and stellar spectral types (including Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams).
- Estimation Tools: Built-in calculation modules to estimate star radii and masses based on available observational data.
🌌 Interactive Sky Map & Simulations
- Dynamic Sky Map: An interactive star map that highlights constellations, deep-sky objects, and specifically marks host stars with confirmed exoplanets.
- Orbit Simulator: Watch exoplanets realistically orbit their host stars based on actual orbital parameters, or build and simulate your own custom planetary systems.
- Observation Planner: Displays local astronomical events for your location, including sunrise/sunset, moon phases, visible comets, and calculates light pollution metrics (Bortle class and SQM values).
🎓 Education & Extras
- Astronomy Quiz: Test your knowledge about space, distances, and planetary facts with a built-in educational quiz module.
- Formula Collection: A handy reference section for common astronomical formulas and calculations.
- History of Exoplanet Hunting: Detailed timelines and information regarding the milestones in exoplanetary research and their discoverers.
⚙️ Technical Highlights
- Offline First: Once the catalogs are updated, the software runs completely offline, ensuring your data is always accessible without an internet connection.
- Cross-Platform: Written in modern Java (Java 21), ensuring smooth execution across Windows, Linux, and macOS.
- Multi-Language Support: Interface available in English and German.
minimum system requirement:
processor: dual core
main memory: 2.5 GB
disc space: 850 MB free (+ additional space for own entries in the database)
graphic: minimum 1024x768
OS: Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac OS X
other: Java 21 (you can download Planetensuche including JRE or you download Java JRE+FX from here)
=> handbook (introduction, questions and answers, changelog, ...)
=> screenshots
=> download
=> bug tracker (request bugs or features, roadmap)
|
|
|
Gerd Gühne
Kohlweg 10
04347 Leipzig
|