Before doing any of the planetarium activities, you should install Starry Night, read the user's manual, and experiment using the planetarium controls until you are familiar with what the various controls do. When the registration box appears, click on "ok."

Click on the "Location" button to bring up the Viewing Location window. Set the geographic location to a major city near you or enter your own longitude and latitude. Set the time to 9 P.M. on today's date. Click on the "Lo" button at the top of the screen to display local coordinates (altitude and azimuth). Click on the blue daylight button at the top of the screen to turn off daylight. On the vertical toolbar on the left, set the field of view to 100º. If the horizon isn't displayed, click on the "Display" button and turn on the horizon. Scroll in azimuth until you reach 270º (due west). Scroll in altitude until the horizon is about a third of the way from the bottom to the top of the display. Click on the "Time" button to bring up the Time Palette. Set the step size to 1 minute and start the clock. Watch the motion until a couple of hours have passed. Then scroll to azimuth 360º (due north) and observe the motion of the sky until a couple of hours have passed. Try to find the location of the Polaris. Compare the motion of the sky when looking west and north.