It’s a great tool for learning the sky, for finding out where the planets are, and for planning and looking for sights to see when you get out to see the real sky.
The second tool, which is far more powerful but still easy to use, is the planetarium software called Stellarium. This computer-based software shows a realistic sky, very much like you see with your unaided eye, binoculars or a telescope. It’s a great tool for learning the sky, for finding out where the planets are, and for planning and looking for sights to see when you get out to see the real sky. Stellarium is available for PC and Mac at this link (it’s free).