Autostar Suite

The "Autostar Suite" is a robust digital astronomy application designed by Meade Instruments Corporation to enhance the experience with your Meade telescope. The program's latest version is 6.0.0 and comes with handy executables such as AU2.exe, AutostarSuite.exe, and AutostarSuiteWebEdition552.exe. This software falls under the Education category, specifically the Science Tools subcategory and is categorized as Freeware.

One of the standout features of Autostar Suite is its ability to control all Autostar functions from your PC, offering a seamless connection between your computer and telescope. Moreover, users can select objects from the planetarium display and have your telescope automatically slew to those objects, making stargazing and astronomical research much more efficient. Another innovative feature is the Talking Telescope app, which translates Autostar text to synthesized speech via your PC speakers, providing an audio guide to the cosmos.

The program also supports remote telescope control over the Internet, facilitating astronomical exploration from virtually anywhere. A particularly exciting aspect is the ability to create custom tours of the objects of your choice directly from the planetarium display, which can then be uploaded into the Autostar controller for a personalized adventure through the stars.

Autostar Suite runs on various Windows operating systems, including Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11, ensuring broad compatibility. It also supports the ".aud" file extension, which is specific to the application. For those working with different versions, prior iterations of the program like 6.0, 5.9, and 5.8 are available, catering to various needs and system compatibilities.

Pros:

• Free download option.
• Comprehensive control over Meade telescopes from a PC.
• Remote control capabilities enhance accessibility.
• Customizable tours and synthesized speech features enhance user experience.

Cons:

• Limited to Meade telescopes, making it less useful for other brands.
• The interface may require a learning curve for beginners.

You may want to check out more software, such as Seq Manip Suite, BioImage Suite or Passcovery Suite, which might be similar to Autostar Suite.