Lost In The Sky Mac OS
- I was drawing my favorite scene from a episode of TAWOG where the goblin's larva hisses, until, my computer turned on, and redirected To Ebay, and I found an fully-working clean iMac G3, with an installation disc of Mac OS 9, but looks like some weirdo drawn it, it only says 'MAC OS 9', with a poorly-drawn illustration of finder of the front, I got it for like 0 dollars, it was free, and the.
- Step 1: Restart your Mac and while the startup disc is walking up, hold down the Command + R keys simultaneously. Your Mac will boot into macOS Recovery mode and you will see the macOS Utilities window. (If your Mac won't boot into macOS Recovery mode, please try again).
Your Mac can use Wireless Diagnostics to perform additional analysis. Quit any apps that are open, and connect to your Wi-Fi network, if possible. Press and hold Option (Alt) ⌥ key, then choose Open Wireless Diagnostics from the Wi-Fi status menu. Enter your administrator name and password when prompted. And Mac OS 10.13/10.14 users must disable SIP on Mac firstly before you start to recover lost data. It is an easy operation on Mac, please follow these steps. Step 1 Firstly, go to reboot the Mac and press 'Command + R' keys simultaneously after you hear the startup chime, then you will boot OS X into 'Recovery Mode'. Make sure that your Mac has a connection to the internet. Then turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R until you see an Apple logo or other image. If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter their administrator password.
This page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about SkySafari for macOS.
I have more than one Mac computer (or I bought a new Mac). Can I run SkySafari for macOS on more than one Mac?
If you bought SkySafari, SkySafari Plus or SkySafari Pro from the Mac App Store, you should be able to download it again onto any other Mac computer that is authorized for your iTunes account, free of charge. But it needs to be the same iTunes account as on the computer where you first bought the software!
I already bought your iOS version of SkySafari for my iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch. Can I get a free copy of (or discount on) the macOS version?
No. SkySafari for macOS is a complete rewrite of our iOS app, running on a computer with a different kind of processor, under a separate operating system with a very different user interface. Our Mac and iOS apps are sold through different app stores. Even if we could offer you discount, Apple won't let us.
We hope that this won't dissuade you from purchasing our Mac version separately. Most desktop astronomy programs competing at SkySafari's level of sophistication cost hundreds of dollars - ours is priced, like our iPhone apps, at the cost of a pizza. At these very low prices, we hope that SkySafari for macOS will provide you with tremendous value, in spite of being a separate purchase.
How does SkySafari for macOS differ from SkySafari for iOS?
Feature-wise, they are very similar. SkySafari for macOS can do a few things that the iOS version can't (like print hard-copy sky charts), and vice-versa (like use the compass/accelerometer - which don't exist in desktop Macs - to give you a 'live view' of the sky.) You can find a complete list of the differences between the versions of SkySafari for macOS on this page, and SkySafari for iOS on this page.
However, SkySafari for macOS has a completely rewritten user interface, with 100% native Cocoa macOS controls. It 'looks and feels' like a proper macOS application, just like SkySafari for iOS 'looks and feels' like a proper iPhone app. And the experience of running SkySafari on a Mac with a full-sized monitor, keyboard, and mouse is qualitatively different from running it on a tiny iPhone screen. We've already brought SkySafari's fluidity and smoothness from the iPhone to the Mac, and the much faster processor and graphics card in your Mac will make it run that much better.
Our best suggestion is just to try out the basic version of SkySafari for macOS. It only costs a few dollars, and if you like it, there's more where that came from!
I have a planetarium dome, and a projector with a fish-eye mirror. Can I project SkySafari's output onto my planetarium screen?
Yes! Paul Bourke has created instructions for how to warp SkySafari's output for projection onto any planetarium dome using Quartz Composer.
Using a Mac with such a projector, the Mac's primary screen lets the planetarium operator control all display functions. Isolate the control panels and menu bar to the primary screen. Use the projector as the second display, letting the warped sky display on the projector at a resolution of 1200 x 1200 or larger.
I'm searching for Comet X or Asteroid Y, but it's not in your database. How can I find it?
Recently-discovered comets and asteroids may not be present in SkySafari's original database. To add them, go to the Settings menu's Solar System item. Then tap the Update Orbit Data button. This will import the latest asteroid/comet data from the Minor Planet Center. If you still can't find your asteroid or comet, the MPC may not yet have added it to its export files. Try again in a few days.
Please note: this feature is only present in SkySafari Plus and Pro. It is not available in the basic version.
I'm trying to observe a satellite, or the International Space Station. But SkySafari's predictions for where the satellite is/when it passes overhead are wildly wong. What's the problem?
Your satellite orbital elements are probably out of date. To update them, select to the Settings menu's Solar System item, then tap the Update Orbit Data button at the bottom. This will import the latest satellite data from the CelesTrak. Satellite orbits change rapidly due to atmospheric drag, and due to perturbations from the Earth's non-spherical gravity field, so it's important to update your orbit data frequently - at least once a week - to get accurate predictions for them.
Please note: this feature is only present in SkySafari Plus and Pro. It is not available in the basic version.
SkySafari is predicting a rise/set time for the Sun/Moon/some other object which is clearly wrong. Is it broken?
No - this is really basic celestial mechanics that has been tested many times over by our users. The problem is almost certainly that your location, time zone, or the date/time are set incorrectly. Go to SkySafari's Settings view to adjust them.
If your Mac's WiFi is turned off, SkySafari may be unable to determine your current location. A common symptom of this problem is that your latitude, longitude, and time zone are all zero. To correct this, make sure your Mac's WiFi is turned on, and that you are connected to the internet. Even then, auto-location using WiFi may fail - in that case, just enter your location manually.
If rise/set times are off by exactly one hour, the problem is almost certainly that your time zone is incorrect, or that SkySafari thinks daylight savings time is in effect when it really isn't (or vice versa). Governments frequently change the rules for Daylight Savings Time, and while we try to keep up with them, we may have missed something. You can manually set your time zone, and turn SkySafari's automatic daylight savings time correction ON or OFF, in SkySafari's Settings > Date & Time view.
I'm running SkySafari on my Mac and none of the objects are labelled. What's going on?
SkySafari on Mac uses the Arial font for its labels. If you or another application have disabled Arial, SkySafari cannot use it. Check the Font Book application to see if Arial is there and enabled.
I'm using SkySafari to control my telescope. But the directional arrows don't work - I get an error message that says 'Use the telescope's hand controller'. What's up?
Some telescopes (for example, the Celestron Ultima 2000 and original NexStar 5/8; and the Argo Navis) lack external commands for directional motion. Even though they are mechanically capable of doing so, their control language has no command to (for example) 'move north' or 'move south'. When these telescopes' manufacturers add those commands, we will be happy to support them!
How do I get my own horizon panorama into SkySafari? Can you show me an example?
Read the Help file included with the program, under the Settings > Horizon & Sky section! Briefly: first use a program like Photoshop to create a panorama from individual pictures. Your finished horizon panorama must be a 4096 x 2048 pixel image in PNG format, with alpha (transparency) indicating clear sky vs. opaque ground. North is at the left edge; south is in the middle. Then go to the Horizon & Sky settings in SkySafari, click the + button next to the menu of panoramas, browse to the select your panorama PNG file, and open it.
Here's an example, sent to us with permission by Roger Greenwood in Massachusetts, USA. Click the preview image below to view the full-sized PNG, which you can import into SkySafari as an example:
Click the preview image above to view and download the full-sized PNG of Roger's Back Yard.
Joshua Bury, creator of the Observer Pro iOS app, has created a web-based application that converts a numerical horizon representation (altitude/azimuth points saved as an Observer Pro .hzn file) into to a panorama that can be used in SkySafari. It's not as accurate as a well-done photographic panorama, but it is really easy to create, especially if you've used Observer Pro to measure your horizon.
The horizon is not visible! But I've got 'show horizon and sky' checked, and/or a panorama selected, in my Horizon & Sky Settings. What's wrong?
If you're running SkySafari Plus or Pro, make sure your coordinate system is set to Horizon coordinates. Look in your Coordinates settings. If set to Equatorial, Ecliptic, or Galactic coordinates, the horizon will not be shown. This is deliberate - these other coordinate systems do not align to your local horizon, so it would appear skewed at a weird angle. A printed star chart uses equatorial coordinates, and does not show the horizon either. SkySafari is no different.
Can SkySafari compute the exact angular separation between two objects in the sky?
Yes! SkySafari Plus and Pro can do this, but the basic version cannot. There are two ways:
1. Click the first object to select it, then double click the second object. This turns on measurement mode. A blue line is drawn from one object to he next with the angular separation. Clicking and dragging on the second object will allow you to move the end point to another object. To exit measurement mode just click anywhere else in the chart.
2. Select the first object by clicking on it or searching for it. Then select the second object (also by clicking or searching). Finally, click the Info button on the main toolbar. The Object Info data table shows the angular separation from the 1st object to the 2nd object, and the position angle. It also shows the 2nd object's angular separation and position angle from the Sun, and from the chart center.
Some double stars don't show their companion when I zoom in. Why is that?
The only stars we plot on the chart are the ones in SKY2000, Hipparcos, and Tycho 2 catalogs (and GSC2, in the Pro version). If your star isn't in those catalogs, it won't be displayed.
The only exception to the above are stars whose primary is in the above catalogs which also happen to have orbits in the 6th Binary Star Orbit catalog. If that star has an orbit, and its companion isn't already obviously listed as a separate entry in SKY2000/HIP/TYC2, then we generate a separate binary companion for it.
You also might want to make sure that your location, time zone, date/time, etc. are correct - if you've accidentally set your observing location to California, but you're really in Colorado, that will make a big difference!
Summary: Mac won't boot after Catalina update? Lost everything stored on your Mac after macOS Catalina or Big Sur upgrade? Want to downgrade from macOS Big Sur to Catalina? Don't freak out! Free download the best data recovery software for macOS - iBoysoft Data Recovery Software for Mac to recover lost/missing files after macOS update, and then go ahead to find solutions.
- Table of contents
- 1. What's new in macOS 11 Big Sur?
- 2. How to recover lost/missing files after macOS Big Sur update?
- 3. Potential problems after macOS update
- 4. How to downgrade from macOS Big Sur to Catalina?
- 5. Final thoughts
What's new in macOS 11 Big Sur?
When everyone is looking forward to macOS 10.16, the next major release of macOS - macOS 11 Big Sur comes out in WWDC 2020. Like every macOS update, macOS Big Sur has a bunch of great features.
- The biggest new feature is the refined user interface, which includes reworked icons, menus, Control Center, Notification Center, and Widgets, Finder, etc.
- Built-in software updates including Safari, Stocks, Messages, Mails, Calendar, Notes, Music, and Podcasts, etc.
- Catalyst has been updated. Mac Catalyst is a developer's tool, but users will benefit from it by better experiencing a favorite iPhone or iPad app on Mac machine.
macOS Big Sur is expected to be released in September or October if it's not delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more detailed features, you can click to see the Big Sur preview from Apple's official site.
But before the official releasement, macOS 11 Big Sur Beta opens the gate for more people who are interested in testing out the upcoming software on their Macs and providing feedback for improvements.
• Learn known issues in macOS 11 Big Sur and how to fix them
Lost files after upgrading to macOS Big Sur, help!
Hi all, after recently trying to update to macOS from Catalina to Big Sur, my entire hard drive has been wiped. Nothing on my desktop, documents, mail, folders, etc. and the files I used most often all disappeared. The applications are there but that's it. I search for Trash, but no luck. Very annoying. Is there any way I can restore the lost files?
As macOS Big Sur is coming with many attractive features, you probably already have upgraded to the new operating system. However, like the problems found in macOS Catalina update, macOS Big Sur could also run into troubles in updating. The worst part is, just like what happened above, some Mac users reported that after macOS upgrade, files on their MacBook or iMac are gone. If you have encountered a similar situation, try the following solutions to recover lost files after macOS Catalina or Big Sur update.
• How to downgrade macOS Big Sur to macOS Catalina
How to recover missing files after macOS Big Sur update?
Before upgrading to macOS 10.15 or macOS 11, you should make a backup of your Mac. This is always a good idea in case the changes bring something unexpected like data loss. But if you forgot to back up important files, no worries! You can follow the steps below:
Solution 1:Check another folder
This had happened in macOS Catalina update last year. Apple Developer indicated in macOS 10.15 release notes that Macintosh HD contains files on the root of the volume, so files/folders stored at the root level of the volume will be relocated to /Library/SystemMigration/History/Migration-UUID/QuarantineRoot/ when the Mac upgrades to macOS Catalina. So, you can go to this folder to check if you can find those relocated items after macOS Big Sur update as well.
Solution 2:Restore lost data from Time Machine Backup
When it comes to restoring some of those files or your entire Mac, Time Machine app makes it easy. But this method works well only if you have Time Machine backups. You can try the following steps to see if you can restore lost data from Time Machine Backup.
1. Restore specific files/folders from your Time Machine backup
If you only want to restore specific files and folders from a Time Machine Backup, you can restore them by proceeding with this tutorial.
Step 1: Open up Launchpad on Mac and click Other.
Step 2: Find the Time Machine icon and click it to enter.
Tips: You can also open Time Machine by clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and then choose Enter Time Machine. If the Time Machine icon isn't in the menu bar, go to Apple menu and choose System Preferences, click Time Machine and then check the box next to Show Time Machine in menu bar.
Step 3: Use the arrows at the bottom and timeline on the left to browse the backups.
Step 4: Select the files or folders that you want to recover and click Store.
2. Restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup
If your Mac crashes and you lose it all after upgrading to macOS Catalina, you can use Time Machine backups to restore your Mac.
Step 1: Restart your Mac and while the startup disc is walking up, hold down the Command + R keys simultaneously. Your Mac will boot into macOS Recovery mode and you will see the macOS Utilities window. (If your Mac won't boot into macOS Recovery mode, please try again).
Step 2: Select Restore from Time Machine Backup; under the macOS Utilities and click Continue.
Step 3: Read the info on the Restore Your System page and click Continue.
Step 4: Select the disk that contains the Time Machine backup and click Continue.
Step 5: You will see a list of all versions of backups in the form of APFS snapshot. Choose the most recent backup of your hard disk and click Continue. Your Mac will restore the Mac from the selected version of backup and then restart once it is finished.
Solution 3:Recover lost files from the iCloud backup
If the Time Machine Restore failed or greyed out, you can rely on iCloud Drive. As the most common cloud storage service on iOS and Mac computers, iCloud drives are used to store and sync files between various devices. People store more and more items into iCloud storage in order to reduce the local storage space of Macs. But don't ignore the hidden restore feature on iCloud. With this feature, you can recover deleted/lost files, recover photos, videos, contacts, bookmarks, calendars, and reminders from iCloud backup.
Step 1: Go to iCloud.com in any web browser and log in.
Step 2: Click on the Setting icon and then scroll down to the bottom of the page that appears.
Step 3: At the bottom left, click on Restore Files under Advanced.
Tips: If you want to restore contacts, bookmarks, calendars and reminders from iCloud, click the corresponding option under Advanced.
Step 4: Check off the boxes to the left of the files you want to restore or click Select All if you really need to restore everything. Click the Restore button to recover them to iCloud Drive.
Solution 4:Recover lost data with the best data recovery software
Unable to restore files from Time Machine backup or iCloud Drive? Relax! You still have a chance to recover lost data with professional Mac data recovery software.
iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is the best file recovery software for macOS. It can recover missing files after macOS update, recover lost data after downgrading from macOS Big Sur to macOS Catalina (vice versa), recover lost data from Mac startup disk. Even when your Mac is not booing up after macOS Catalina update, iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac can handle it with ease. What's worth mentioning that the program is the most comprehensive APFS data recovery software. It can easily and completely recover recently deleted files, recover lost data from formatted, corrupted, inaccessible APFS volumes/drives.
Besides, iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac works on different storage media, including hard drives, external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, memory cards, CF cards, etc. It can support almost all file types including photos, videos, documents, emails on Mac.
Note: iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac now supports data recovery on macOS 10.15 Catalina, and the version that is fully compatible with macOS Big Sur is under development and will be unveiled soon.
Tutorial to recover lost data after macOS Big Sur 11/10.15 Catalina update
Step 1: To avoid overwriting the lost files, please download iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac to an external drive, instead of your Mac startup disk.
Step 2: Double click iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac installation file, then double click iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac icon to directly run it.
Step 3: After launching iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac, select the startup disk where you lost data.
Step 4: Click Scan to search for all lost files on the startup disk.
Step 5: Preview the listed recoverable files, choose those you want and click Recover to get them back.
Tips: If you can't see the desired files, you need to check File types option in the Preferences panel, check the Deep scan option and try again.
Potential problems with macOS Big Sur upgrade
Whether it is a beta version or a public release, the operating system upgrades or updates were designed to go smoothly but things always didn't go as what you have expected. It's possible that you might get into more troubles than the previous macOS has as a whole. Here are some potential problems after macOS upgrades.
Case 1: macOS Big Sur won't download
The most common problem is that users fail to download the upgrades of macOS Catalina or Big Sur. This is because a lot of people are trying to download the new macOS 11 Big Sur at the same time. Meanwhile, downloading may also fail if you don't have a reliable internet connection or enough storage space available on your Mac. If you have tried several times but macOS updates still won't download, here is what to do exactly to fix this issue:
Fix 1: Clean App store and download cache
Go to Finder and press ⌘ + Shift + G. Locate ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore and empty this folder. Then reboot your Mac and try to download macOS Catalina upgrades again.
Fix 2: Check the internet
To check the internet, go to Apple menu and then click on System Preferences. Next select Next from the Control Panel. You can try to switch a Wi-Fi connection to an Ethernet cable in order to ensure your internet connection is as stable as possible.
Fix 3: Check the RAM (memory) and available storage
To check whether your Mac has enough space to download the new macOS Big Sur, you need to click on the Apple menu on the top left of your screen and then select 'About This Mac'. Make sure you have less than 4 GB of memory. Then click on the Storage tab on the same window. You will see how much storage has been used and how much free space is available (make sure you have at least 16 GB of free disk space). If your computer doesn't have enough space, you can add more memory or free up as much as disk space as possible.
Case 2: macOS Big Sur won't install
The macOS Big Sur installation stops at 99% loading bar and won't move forward? This can sometimes point to a compatibility issue. From the preview of macOS 11 Big Sur, you can ensure that your Mac is actually compatible with Catalina
Fix: Check if your Mac can run macOS Big Sur
Firstly, you should check your Mac model and make sure you have a Mac that can run macOS Big Sur. You will see your model specifications from the a list of all the Macs that can currently run macOS 11:
- MacBook models from early 2015 or later
- MacBook Air models from 2013 or later
- MacBook Pro models from 2013 or later
- Mac mini models from late 2014 or later
- iMac models from late 2014 or later
- iMac Pro from 2017 and later
- Mac Pro models from 2013 and later
Moreover, the new version cannot be installed onto an encrypted volume unless it's already in the APFS format. Last but not least, if your Mac has macOS 10.10 or earlier installed, you must first upgrade to macOS 10.14 Mojave or High Sierra before upgrading to macOS 11. If unfortunately, your Mac computer doesn't support macOS Big Sur, you should not upgrade or you can downgrade to the lower version.
Case 3: Apps freeze, crash or quit unexpectedly after macOS upgrade
App crashing after a macOS update is related to app incompatibility issues after a macOS update. This issue can mostly occur when the developer of the app hasn't released app updates compatible with the new OS requirements, or when the user hasn't installed the released app updates.
Fix 1: Force quit and restart the app
You can quickly fix a frozen and unresponsive app by forcing it to quit. Click on the Apple Menu. From the drop-down window, select the Force Quit option, choose the name of the App and then click Force Quit. After that, simply restart the app and see if it runs normally.
Fix 2: Check for App updates
If the app is downloaded from the App Store, you need to open the App Store, and then click Updates and then check the updates for the faulty app. If the app was downloaded from a third-party vendor, you should visit the vendor's website to check if there are any updates available for the app.
Fix 3: Uninstall and reinstall the crashing app
The last solution is to completely uninstall an application. This operation is more than just dragging and dropping the app in the Trash. You have to delete all of its preference files.
First of all, you need to go to Finder > Applications and locate the crashing app and drag it to Trash. Afterward, you should get rid of all of its linked files and folders. Open Finder click Go in the menu bar, hold down on the Alt/option key to bring up the Library option and then click on it. Search for the name of the application and the name of the company that created it.
Make sure you have deleted all of them. After completely uninstall the app, download and install the update again.
Case 4: Mac runs slow after macOS update
It's possible that you make the macOS update, but the system runs slow. The first reason could be that your Mac has too many programs that automatically run when your machine boots. It is also caused by the almost full startup disk on your Mac, leading to the slow performance issues. Beyond that, if you are using a mechanical hard drive or fusion drives, chances are your Mac will take much longer to start up.
Fix 1: Disable unnecessary login items
Click on the Apple menu on the top-left corner and go to System Preferences >Users & Groups. Click Login Items on the top of the window. Select the apps you don't want to open automatically and hit - option.
Fix 2: Free up the startup disk space
If you check the storage of your startup disk and find it is almost full, you need to make room for getting macOS Catalina running efficiently.
Fix 3: Replace your old hard drive with a new SSD
If your Mac has a spinning hard drive or fusion drive, the only fix is to swap out your old hard drive with a new SSD.
Case 5: Mac computer won't boot after macOS Big Sur update
If your MacBooks and other Macs won't turn on after macOS Big Sur update, the problem might be caused by a lack of power, some issues with Power Management System, corrupted files system of the boot drive, etc.
Fix: Click to learn about how to fix if Mac computer won't boot after macOS upgrade and share.
How to downgrade from macOS Big Sur to macOS Catalina?
The new released macOS may not be stable. That means it might crash or some features might not work properly when you use them. If you regret upgrading to macOS Big Sur, luckily, it's possible to downgrade. The following is how to downgrade from macOS 11 Big Sur to macOS Catalina:
Warning: This approach will completely erase your Mac. If you've been using your Mac for a while, you should make sure you have backed up important data.
Similar to downgrade from macOS Catalina to macOS Mojave, you need an internet connection. If your Mac won't boot after macOS update, you have to enter Recovery Mode and choose Utilities from the upper left sidebar. From the drop-down window, select Network Utility.
Step 1. Erase your Mac hard drive
1: Restart your Mac. When it is starting, hold down Command + Option + R until the macOS Utilities menu appears.
2: Select Disk Utility in the macOS Utilities window.
Lost In The Sky Mac Os Download
3: Click Continue and then click on the startup disk.
Lost In The Sky Mac Os X
4: Click Erase and give the disk name, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS as the file format.
5: Click Erase and quit Disk Utility.
Step 2. Downgrade from macOS 11 to Catalina or Mojave
After you erase the startup drive, you can quit Disk Utility and go back to the main macOS Utilities screen.
Step 1: Choose Reinstall macOS under macOS Utilities.
Step 2: Click Continue and then follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall macOS Mojave.
Final thoughts
It's quite common if you are faced with some annoying problems after macOS Big Sur update, such download issues, performance and app problems. Even worse, your Mac computer becomes frozen or won't boot after Big Surupdate. In this case, you may think all data stored on your Mac will lose forever.
Not at all! Fortunately, recovering missing/lost files after macOS update could be quite simple if you have iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac at hand. Don't hesitate to download it for free.
Lost In The Sky Mac Os Catalina
What's more? If you're fed with a macOS Big Sur problem that we haven't covered or you have any problem with data recovery, please feel free to let us know.