Learn About Earth's Nearest Neighbor - The Moon
Predict Moon Phases And More, Past, Present or Future
Get Prepared For A Global Explosion In Interest In The Moon!
Click the screenshots below for larger views
Main screen shows data at a glance
Learn the Moon with the Lunar Explorer
Zoom into map
Emulate view through a telescope
Moon phases prediction software used by amateur astronomers, military people, photographers, gardeners, fishermen, hunters, hikers, researchers, psychologists, astrologers, stockbrokers, Wiccan, new-age, religious groups and more!
V3.10 Released: September 1st, 2006
Download a Version 2 Demo of LunarPhase Pro (8Mb)
The Moon has seen a resurgence of interest in the last few years, both in space exploration and among amateur astronomers. Of course, it's always been of interest to military people, hunters, fishermen and gardeners as well as to those where the Moon plays a large part in their religion.
Telescope sales have exploded in the last five years as the cost of a decent instrument has fallen so low that very good 'scopes now only cost a couple of hundred dollars. This has opened up the skies to a whole new generation of skywatchers.
As our cities grow ever larger, the amount of lighting has also increased and many city-dwellers are hard-pushed to see anything but the brightest stars in their neon-glow skies. But the Moon, being the second brightest object in the sky (after the Sun) suffers no such indignity. It serenely crosses the sky, ever visible (providing clouds allow!) regardless of the amount of light pollution.
Latest News About The Moon
Strange Moonlight
Solar Sentinels
SpaceDev?s Starsys Division Awarded $6.3M Contract for Subsystems on NASA?s L...
Galaxy gardening more than hobby for future moon, Mars residents
It Is 'One Small Step for a Man'
Get these and many other news stories and podcasts with LunarPhase Pro
For the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Moon Observer
Not just an interactive Moon Atlas, LunarPhase Pro (for Win98/ME/NT/2000/XP) [V3.10 was released on September 1st, 2006] is a moon observer's software toolkit designed to help you learn about the Moon and make your lunar observing sessions more productive. It produces a calendar of Moon Phases amongst many other features. By using the integrated observation planning tools and the general lunar data presented on screen, you'll be able to easily plan for an observing session and be productive while observing. LunarPhase Pro contains a wide range of features, all integrated together into one low cost solution. No other moon astronomy software package matches the range of tools included.
Described by one reviewer as the Swiss Army Knife of Moon software, LunarPhase Pro has been written with you, the observer, in mind and is very easy to learn and use. Its simple, yet powerful features will provide you with the information you require to make your Moon observing sessions more fun!
LunarPhase Pro has been built to a large degree on the suggestions and comments from users and I'm only an email away if you have any queries, comments or suggestions.
Monthly Ephemeris Screen
Moon Visibility Screen
Moon Phases Diagram
Download a Version 2 Demo of LunarPhase Pro
Main screen displays all the information you need at a glance incl. current moon phase
View moon information for different times and dates
Simulates the Moon exactly as it appears in the sky
Tells you what constellation the Moon is in for the selected time and date
Shows monthly Moon phase diagrams
Get Sun & Moon rise/set times and twilight times for where you live
Tells you when when lunar eclipses happen and if they can be seen from where you live
Moon visibility diagrams show when the moon is visible from your location
Tells you when the Crescent Moon becomes visible and for how long it's visible in the sky
Lists Max. and min. Apogee and Perigee dates and distances for a selected year range
Find out when major Moon phases occur near Apogee or Perigee
Link to online lunar web resources
Configure the display to match the view through your telescope/binoculars
Find the dates of the Equinoxes and Solstices and duration of seasons
Store multiple observing locations
Print out diagrams, maps and calendars
Moon maps can be scaled for printout (saving ink/toner)
Let me add that Gary's fine program is one of the few...the two or three...that I use day in and day out, month after month after month. - Rod Mollise, Author of: Choosing and Using a Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope
I've been doing computers since the CP/M days, and you provide the best support that I've seen in almost thirty years! - Nick Taylor
I really do love my LunarPhase Pro. Of all the Moon software programs I have it is the one I have grown to use the most. Lots to learn in LPP and I have just started. - David James
Thanks Gary. Awesome tech support. You set a high standard. - Roger Anderson
You provide the most amazing tech support for your product. Have you ever thought about consulting for Bill Gates? - Del Croom
Moon and Sun positions during the day
Labelled lunar features
Rukl Chart Outline (e.g. Chart 14)
And That's Just The Basics! How About The Maps?
Explore the moon's near and far sides using 2D and 3D moon maps
Lunar maps are fully corrected for libration
Maps can be panned, zoomed and printed out
Different map textures can be selected - mineral, gravity and a Clementine Near infra-red maps
Over 9,200 lunar features are included in the inbuilt database, including the Lunar 100
Search the database for features matching your criteria
Identify features on maps with a simple mouse-click
Identify features on maps from feature lists
Identify features on maps using labels you can set up yourself
The list of features lying along the Terminator is updated in real time
Label only those features along the Terminator on the map for easy identification
Print out the list of Terminator features along with any associated observing notes
View Very High Resolution Maps
Rukl Chart outlines can be overlaid on moon map
You can see lists of features for each Rukl Chart and label them on the map
Gary! Great job! I love the Very High Resolution maps!...Very nice. The straight wall and surrounding area are magnificent on first look! Well done. Love it! - Steve Smythe
Great software package! There's more information about the moon than I can possibly grasp or even yet understand. - Phil Brotheridge
The CD arrived today and from what I have seen so far is superb!! Thank you very much, I can not imagine how I ever managed without it! - Ian Sharp
Just a quick note to let you know I got the LunarPhase Pro CD that you sent me and everything is working great. Although I'm just getting started with backyard astronomy, I'm hoping it will encourage me and my family to learn more about the moon. I'll be happy to promote your software to other astronomy enthusiasts we meet.- Bob Cochran
I am in Iraq stationed north of Baghdad, and I saw your program and really liked it. I fly Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army and the phase of the moon has a lot to do with our missions at night. The Apache doesn't need illumination from the moon for night flying because our night system is infrared imagery, but we support ground troops who use night vision goggles that do require illumination from the moon. This program will help me keep up with moon phases without checking our weather reports. - Glenn Phelps
Rukl Chart Features and Labels
Rukl Chart Features - Clementine Map
Lunar libration information
And There's Even More! How About These Advanced Features?
See lunar features from overhead with the Top-Down view
Rotate the Moon to the angle you want to see what those limb features really look like
Download, pan over, zoom and print out hundreds of detailed Moon charts
Link directly to many online books about the Moon and the Apollo Program
Emulate the view of the moon as seen through your own telescopes and eyepieces
Get the latest news stories and Podcasts relating to the Moon
Watch NASA TV streamed direct from the internet (requires broadband connection)
Find the compass directions (graphic and numeric) for the rising and setting Moon
Find the compass directions (graphic and numeric) for the rising and setting Sun
Find future times and dates for when lunar features are under the same illumination
Find out if the Moon interferes during meteor showers
Record your own observation notes - comes with preinstalled notes for 800 features
Animate the moon showing libration effects and a traveling terminator
Link multiple images to specific lunar features
Monthly Libration diagrams show the best limb-featu
Our Moon eBook
If you're new to Moon phenomena and cycles or Moon observing and don't know where to start or you want to learn some historical tidbits or about some misconceptions about the Moon, this 25 page ebook will give you that information.
Some of the topics covered in the "Our Moon" PDF eBook are:
Why the Moon Always Looks the Same
The Nature of Tides
Has Anyone Ever Seen a Meteor Strike the Moon?
The Distance between the Earth and Moon
Phases of the Moon
The Lunar Month
Observing Projects
Does the Moon's phase affect the crime rate?
What is a Lunation
Lunar Libration
How the Moon looks below the Equator
Moon Illusions
Photographing the Moon
Who Was the First Person to Point a Telescope at the Moon?
P.P.S. All future Version 3 upgrades are free. Feel free to contact me with comments and suggestions - LunarPhase Pro has been built on the suggestions of people like yourself.
P.P.P.S LunarPhase Pro is now used in these countries around the world: USA, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Bahamas, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, South Africa, Greece, Mauritius, Israel, Cyprus, Indonesia, Thailand, Bahrain, Brunei, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand.
While the software was originally written with astronomy in mind, it's now used by an eclectic mix of people: amateur astronomers, teachers, fishermen, gardeners, military people, photographers, teachers, stockbrokers, astrologers and Wiccan!
SLOOH is a 14" robotic telescope based in the Canary Islands. If you can't afford a good-quality telescope or your skies are badly light-polluted this is the site for you. For more information click here
