SAO to other naming standards

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #1 28-04-2006, 08:58 AM

Hi guys,

I don't know if this was the exact group to post in, but I don't think the others are better....

Anyway, my GoTo has the SAO catalogue for star location. Although particular stars are stored under constellations in other naming standards (Alpha Centauri, Theta 2 Blah, 145 CMi etc). Problem is that a lot of the stuff I have with "things" to look at, like Hartung, S&T, S&S, use various naming standards other than SAO. I expect most of these stars will have associated SAO numbers. Does anyone know if there is a site that has a list of cross references between catalogues?

SAO 156865 -> h4854 -> Theta 2 Ori -> Fred's star...blah blah blah

I found one site which allows you to do an SAO search
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin...se/w3browse.pl

but what I would really like is a comma or tab delimited text file I can import into Excel. I can then add this to my observation list on my iPAQ. It doesn't need to have a lot of extra data; RA, Dec, Mag, Type would be nice...maybe even number of planets, number of earthlike planets, level of technology established, current population, email addresses of some inhabitants....oops...getting silly now

Thanks

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #2 28-04-2006, 09:26 AM

I have actually done this for most of the Hartung one's at least. (I have a list of about 700 SAO numbers with matching designations, eg ADS, etc). I'll try to remember when I get home and email them to you. (I have them in both Excel and Filemaker Pro.)

I've also created a star map with the SAO numbers and separations of these stars plotted. Great for the GOTO. Huge Photoshop File. Did the same things for the Hartung DSOs.

Yes, I am insane.

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #3 28-04-2006, 03:19 PM

Well, I took about 3 months to copy the table and some data in the text descriptions (object sizes, aperture required etc) from Hartungs into a spreadsheet and then into my iPAQ. Now I can use the iPAQ to give me a list of objects that should be viewable from my backyard without selecting something only to find it is mag 12! I also add the "good stuff" from astronomy magazines each month or two.

Insanity seems to go hand in hand with astronomy!

Mick (Michael) · #4 28-04-2006, 07:05 PM

Go to the star data and search in BSC, this may help.
http://www.alcyone.de/cgi-bin/search.pl?object=HR4853