Software is great for planning your observing times and anticipating where to look for rare and interesting objects. There are many software packages available for amateur astronomers and most software will allow you to input your location, or may automatically detect your location, and present a 360-degree view of the sky.

These programs often default to the current date and time, but also allow you to move, virtually, forward and backward through time. Skipping ahead is a great way to see what the sky will look like from your location.

Stellarium is a free and open-source software that can be downloaded or used on the web with a browser. It’s free to use and also very easy to navigate the user interface. It’s a great place to start with amateur astronomy software.

Heavens-above.com is another free, online resource that provides customized star charts for any location in the world. Heavens-above also has satellite pass prediction with comprehensive data on where and when to look to see various satellites, including the international space station.

Many telescopes from the major brands will also come with an astronomy software package. Having multiple options available will allow you to find the software that is most suitable for your viewing activities.