Plot of Earth

PlanetPlot3D[Earth, {1994, 11, 17, 3, 20, 0}, 
      ViewPoint -> Zenith]; 1;

Plot of Earth as viewed from directly over Melbourne, Australia. The darker area represents night, which is the half of the globe not illuminated by the Sun.

Optional Labeling

Block[{$DefaultFontScale=3},
	StarChart[Orion,
	   StarLabels->True,
	   Epilog -> StarNames[Orion]]];

Star chart of constellation Orion using double-size labeling.

Overhead Sky

ZenithStarChart[{1993, 11, 17, 3, 20, 0}, MilkyWay -> True, 
      StarColors -> True, RotateLabel -> False]; 1;

Star chart showing entire overhead sky as seen from latitude 38 degree south at 03:20 on November 17. The Milky Way is the dark blue band across the sky.

Lunar Eclipse Chart

EclipseTrackPlot[LunarEclipse[{1993, 6, 5}]];

Chart showing circumstances of a total lunar eclipse.

Solar Eclipse Chart

EclipseTrackPlot[SolarEclipse[{1948, 11, 1}]]; 1;

Chart showing circumstances of the total solar eclipse of 1948 November 1. The black line is the line of totality and the gray region is where a partial eclipse was visible.

PlanetPlot3D[Earth, {1948,10,31,22,30,0},
	  ViewPoint->Earth[30,0,200000]];

Plot of the eclipse as it moves off the eastern edge of Africa. The shaded region on the left side of the Earth is night.

Compass Direction Star Chart

CompassStarChart[South, {1995, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0}, Ecliptic -> False, 
      StarColors -> True, MilkyWay -> True]; 1;

Star chart showing the southern aspect of the sky. Our Milky Way galaxy is the vertical blue band slightly to the left. The chart below shows the northern aspect.

CompassStarChart[North,{1995,1,1,1,0,0},Ecliptic->False,StarColors->True,MilkyWay->True];1;

Motion of Asteroid Vesta

StarChart[{{210, 240}, {-30, 0}}, ConstellationLabels -> True, 
      Epilog -> {RGBColor[1, 0, 0], 
          OrbitTrack[Vesta, {1996, 1, 1}, {1996, 9, 1}], RGBColor[0, 0, 1], 
          Table[OrbitMark[Vesta, {1996, m, 9}, PlotLabel -> m], {m, 1, 
              8}]}]; 1;

Plot showing orbital track of asteroid Vesta during opposition in 1996. Blue numbers are months of that year; Vesta reaches its brightest at month 5 (May).

Solar Eclipse of 1998

EclipseTrackPlot[SolarEclipse[{1998, 2, 26}]]; 1;

Chart showing circumstances of the total solar eclipse of 1998 February 26. The black line is the line of totality, which passes directly through Panama but otherwise is visible only over the ocean. The gray region is where a partial solar eclipse is visible.

PlanetPlot[Earth, {1998,2,26,12,15,0}];

Chart showing eclipse shadow at a particular instant. The dark region covering most of the right of the graphic represents the night side of the Earth. The small black dot at the top of South America is the point of total eclipse at the given instant.