"Sol" is a name for our Sun that is commonly used in astronomy and science fiction.

The stars have been colored and sized relative to their spectral type and comparative difference in size. Grey objects are stars of unknown spectral type and/or size. Substellar objects that may be white and brown dwarfs or giant extrasolar planets should now be displayed with a radius of one pixel on the Homepage Map, but the "27ly Map" still displays them at the red dwarf radius of two pixels. In addition, perturbations in the positions of close multiple stars are not displayed in the Homepage Map.

A sample of routes that can be taken between stars are also shown. In the Homepage Map, lines with distances are now displayed between stars that are within 10 light-years apart. In the Windows version of ChView, you can also display lines colored by distance category (e.g., light green for lines of one light-year or shorter) that can be labelled with the distance represented, as well as display a field grid and drop lines, a frame that "scopes" out the distances shown in the entire field of view, and many other features. Distance numbers and links can be turned off with the menu commands under the "?" button. In addition, display "scope" (initially set at 12 ly radius) and "scale" (set at 12) now can also be adjusted when selected through the "?" button menu, then with the "+" and "-" buttons thereafter. Lastly, when you wish to return to the original center star (e.g., currently set as Sol), simply click on the "Reset" command under the "?" button.

Animations of elliptical orbits have been created for the Solar System and its major planetary satellite systems, based on four variables: semi-major axis, period, eccentricity, and inclination. In order to improve the initial orbital displays for the Solar System, the xy plane has been rotated (300°) and tilted (60°). However, you can use the same ChView Java controls used in ChView star maps to rotate, tilt, expand, contract, re-center, and double-click to "jump" to your final destination.

To better visualize actual deviations from ideal observational measurement conditions, orbital displays of extra-Solar planetary systems retain their inclination angle from Earth's line of sight -- initially displayed without added rotation or tilt.

The initial settings of orbit displays for multiple star systems are as noted at the bottom of each animation.