hello

[stickman]

hello everyone , i just down loaded the program last night , i love it , i dont know much about how it works or any thing like that be i like the plants and stars , my kids like it to and i think it will help them in school , thanks

[TERRIER]

Welcome stickman, and glad you like the program.
Keeping in touch with the forum is a good way of getting the most out of Celestia. There are many add-ons that you can install, from larger and more detailed planet textures, nebulae, 3D spacecraft models, asteroids, moons, more stars, and many other items too numerous to mention. Check out the Textures and Add-on sections of the forum for the latest available, as well as previous items going back to early 2002.
These can raise the file size of your basic downloaded version from 11MB to (as in my case at the moment) 2.8GB, I know some users out there will have an even larger file size than this!
I've managed to add the vast amount of extra items over a period of approximately 1 year.
BTW I have another version of Celestia that I'm using for Education Activities, which brings me onto your second point.
You mention that your kids like Celestia, and that it might help them in school. I highly recommend that you take a look at Frank Gregorio's Education Activities. Check out the link;
http://www.fsgregs.org/celestia
I can't think of a better way to start adding extra items to your Celestia, while learning how to use the controls, and using the program in a well structured and interesting way.

Finally, some links that I think are good starting places to visit, in getting to know Celestia better;
Seldons users FAQ; http://www.celestiaproject.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2291
The sticky item at the top of this page!

Seldons list of Celestia Resources; http://www.lns.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/
Just about everything needed for Celestia is included in here, from user tips, to links to add-ons, and to other sites for astronomical resources, and tips on creating your own add-ons.

Frank Gregorio's Users Guide; http://www.fsgregs.org/celestia/files/C ... e1-3-1.doc
This is a direct link to the latest version of the users guide for Celestia 1-3-1 in WORD format.

Hope this helps and makes sense (I've returned a wee bit drunk from a football match), and that you and your family continue to enjoy Celestia for a long time to come.

Regards
TERRIER

[stickman]

thanks for the info , i am goign to try to down load soem of the data, i have dial up so it will take a while to get

[TERRIER]

It'll be well worth it.

I started off with a pay as you go dial-up, not intending to use the internet often, and ended up spending a small fortune. Glad I got my broadband connection before the VT's came out!