Getting a Closer Look

Okay. So I'm looking at this screen chock-full of stars, constellations, and a million other things. I can't really see anything, though. I mean, all I can see is a collection of tiny little dots. How can I get a closer look?

What you want to do is zoom in on different areas of the screen. It's very easy to do. All the buttons you need to accomplish it are found on the sidebar, the toolbar on the left-hand side of the screen.

Suppose we're looking at a screen with stars and constellations, and we want to get a closer look at the constellation Orion. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you've almost certainly seen Orion. With three bright stars in a row making up his belt, he's very easy to locate.

To find Orion:








Now, let's zoom in on Orion.

1: Select the Area Zoom button from the sidebar.
 
2: Drag out a rectangle around Orion by clicking down the mouse button in one corner, then holding it as you move it to the opposite corner of the area around Orion.
Now you've got an up close and personal view of the constellation Orion. Notice the numbers in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, down underneath of the bottom toolbar. It will probably say something around 300% or 400%. That's how much larger the picture you're looking at is, as compared to the full sky.

There's another way to zoom in, which doesn't require you to select an area. This way, you can scroll around the screen and view all areas of it at the same magnification level.

1. Select the Zoom In button from the sidebar.

2. Your cursor will now look like a magnifying glass. Click on an area of the screen to zoom in.

To return to a view of the entire sky, click the Full Sky button, the third of the Zoom controls set.

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