Mercinova's Google Earth Tutorial

Tutorial how to use Google Earth
 

 

This page is the tutorial to using Google Earth software for exploring the sky space, other tutorial for exploring the Earth can be found if you click on the menu below:

Exploring the Earth (click here to open other page)

	Exploring the sky

This tutorial is divided in three pages, each page explaining one of three menu panels that available in the Google Earth screen, this page is explaining how to use Side Bar Menu, other Menu Panel tutorial can be accessed by clicking in the links below:

Side Bar Menu Panel Tutorial

The Side Bar Menu Panel located on the left side screen, divided in three parts such as Search panel, Places Panel and Layers Panel, each panel has different functions. Follow the explanation below:

Search Panel
This is for searching the object, there are three tab menus in this panel: Search the Sky, and Location Search.

• Fly To Tab Menu
  To searching a place just typing the name of object such as planets, galaxies, nebula, stars etc., and the screen view will be flying to the location, you can typing with common name such as "Andromeda galaxy, Orion, or Eagle Nebula," but for more specific result you can typing the exact name of the object such as "NGC 4449, SN 1987A, HR 4796A."

If you typing "Andromeda galaxy" in the search box and pressing the Enter key, you will see the Andromeda galaxy in the viewing screen, but if you typing "Andromeda" only then you will see the area in the space that called Andromeda constellation (see in wikipedia).

Look at the picture below:

Click on image to see larger version
 

The Rumsey Star Maps
The constellation of the stars is based on old astronomical map, you can view this map when activating one of two map version that available in The Layers menu panel. If you activated the Rumsey Star Maps you will see the image like the example in the bottom, that showing Andromeda constellation object.

Click on image to see larger version
 

The Hevelius Star Maps
If you activated the Hevelius Constellations you will see the image like the example in the bottom, that showing Andromeda constellation object in different version.

Click on image to see larger version

Tips

If you typing the searching box with the word "galaxy" you will see several search result in the list box, you can choose one of them that most appropriate with you want to know, but usually only the galaxy image that ever been captured by telescope, mostly by Hubble Space Telescope.

• Location Search Tab Menu
  Searching specific type of sky coordinate, if you have a coordinate number of sky object you can typing it here. The coordinate consist by "Right Ascension" that measured in Hours, Minutes and Seconds (HH:MM:SS.S), and "Declination" that measured in Declination degrees, Minutes and Seconds (DD:MM:SS.S)

For example, if you enter this number sequence 18:18:50.86, -13:49:53.05 you will go to the formation of nebula that called "Eagle Nebula," like this picture below:

Click on image to see larger version

Places Panel
The list of your saved Places is stored here, if you double click on the name on the list, you will flying to the location, tutorial how to save a places will explained later.

Layers Panels
The list of sky map legends that can be enable or disable, if you have slow internet access you may have to wait a few minutes before the option displayed on the map.