Data updates

You can update the asteroid, comet, and meteor shower catalogs used by your copy of CyberSky 4 or CyberSky 5 by using the instructions below.

Note  If you’re running CyberSky 5, you can update all three catalogs automatically from within the program. To do so, on the Catalogs menu, click Download catalogs. In the dialog box that appears, click the three Download buttons to download the catalogs, save them to the correct locations, and begin using them immediately. If that doesn’t work, or you’re running CyberSky 4, use the instructions below to download the catalogs manually.

Asteroid catalog

The Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory maintains a catalog of “bright” asteroids that reach opposition during the current calendar year. This catalog contains the orbital elements and magnitude parameters needed to calculate the positions and magnitudes of these asteroids.

The orbital elements of asteroids change over time, and asteroids are added to and removed from the MPC’s catalog. You should therefore periodically replace the catalog your copy of CyberSky is using with the latest one from the MPC’s Web site so that you have the most up-to-date information.

To update the asteroid catalog
  1. If CyberSky is running, quit the program.
  2. Right-click the link below, and then click Save Target As.

    https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/Ephemerides/Bright/2024/Soft00Bright.txt

    The Save As dialog box appears.

  3. Find the text document Asteroids in the appropriate folder:
    CyberSky 4 on 32-bit Windows: \Program Files\CyberSky 4\Data\Asteroids\
    CyberSky 4 on 64-bit Windows: \Program Files (x86)\CyberSky 4\Data\Asteroids\
    CyberSky 5: \My Documents\CyberSky 5\Data\Asteroids\
  4. Click the text document Asteroids, and then click Save.
  5. Start CyberSky. The program will now use the new asteroid catalog.

Comet catalog

The Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory maintains a catalog of potentially-observable comets. This catalog contains the orbital elements and magnitude parameters needed to calculate the positions and magnitudes of these comets.

The orbital elements of comets change over time, and comets are added to and removed from the MPC’s catalog. You should therefore periodically replace the catalog your copy of CyberSky is using with the latest one from the MPC’s Web site so that you have the most up-to-date information.

To update the comet catalog
  1. If CyberSky is running, quit the program.
  2. Right-click the link below, and then click Save Target As.

    https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/Soft00Cmt.txt

    The Save As dialog box appears.

  3. Find the text document Comets in the appropriate folder:
    CyberSky 4 on 32-bit Windows: \Program Files\CyberSky 4\Data\Comets\
    CyberSky 4 on 64-bit Windows: \Program Files (x86)\CyberSky 4\Data\Comets\
    CyberSky 5: \My Documents\CyberSky 5\Data\Comets\
  4. Click the text document Comets, and then click Save.
  5. Start CyberSky. The program will now use the new comet catalog.

Meteor shower catalog

The meteor shower catalog used by CyberSky has been corrected and updated with new information for 2024. If you have not yet replaced the catalog supplied with CyberSky 4.0 through 5.2.1 with the 2024 catalog, you should do so now so that you have the most up-to-date information.

To update the meteor shower catalog
  1. If CyberSky is running, quit the program.
  2. Right-click the link below, and then click Save Target As.

    http://www.cybersky.com/Meteor Showers.txt

    The Save As dialog box appears.

  3. Find the text document Meteor Showers in the appropriate folder:
    CyberSky 4 on 32-bit Windows: \Program Files\CyberSky 4\Data\Meteor Showers\
    CyberSky 4 on 64-bit Windows: \Program Files (x86)\CyberSky 4\Data\Meteor Showers\
    CyberSky 5: \My Documents\CyberSky 5\Data\Meteor Showers\
  4. Click the text document Meteor Showers, and then click Save.
  5. Start CyberSky. The program will now use the new meteor shower catalog.