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THE arrival of Halley's comet in our solar system has generated interest in astronomy.

Spacescan is a program designed to introduce you to star maps and the position of the constellations. Fifteen constellations are displayed with a map, named stars plus some information. Those maps can be printed out for observation. Another program, Starsearch, allows you to search through 75 heavenly bodies. There is also a quiz and a glossary.

Astronomy, by Scisoft, contains similar information but scattered across four programs. The information contained is more detailed and the graphics are not as good as Spacescan. Moon phases and Saturn draw are two facilities which could well have been left out, though the Ephemeris section could prove useful. Keen observers could use printouts to identify stars.

Both programs use database techniques but without the stunning graphics found in most astronomy books. As with a great deal of educational software the price seems just too high for what you receive.