Star Calc and new comet data

Starman73 · #1 25-10-2008, 10:03 PM

Hello All,

I have started using Star Calc, I found it when I was looking at astronomy programs to drive my EQ6 Pro mount. It works perfectly drive the mount but I was looking into adding the add on for Coments and asteroids, got that part working fine too, but I was thinking about updating the list of comets from the data available from SkyMap which is the recomendation fromt the Star Calc website.

The only problem is the directions on how to take the data from SkyMap and put it into Star Calc is not very clear. I have saved the comet data from the SkyMap Pro website suggested in the Star Calc website.

If anybody can help me out that would be wonderful? Maybe someone out there has done it before?

Thank you
Paul

raya · #2 10-11-2008, 01:16 PM

Down load & save comet data from http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/Ephem.../Soft01Cmt.txt.

Open Starcalc
select services
select asteroids & comets
click on the comets radio button.
click on import data
browse to downloaded & saved file.
Click on yes to remove previous comet data
Select required comets to display.
exit asteroids & comets

Starman73 · #3 10-11-2008, 11:41 PM

Hi Raya,

Thank you so much for that information, all done and updated. That was so easy. How often do those lists get updated, do you know?

How long have you been using Star Calc for? How do you find it?

Regards
Paul

raya · #4 11-11-2008, 06:59 PM

Paul

I have been using starcalc for about 4 years. I find it very easy and intuative to use. I have only used it to give me a quick visual guide of what will in the sky on a viewing night. The main piece of software I use is astroplanner which has more support and development from the writer.

I do not know how often the ephemeris is updated.

Ray

Starman73 · #5 12-11-2008, 12:46 AM

Hi Ray

Thanks for that. Your info was very helpful. There doesn't seem to be many people using Star Calc but I like it. I will have to keep a copy of your reply safe and close so I can refer to it again if I need to.

Regards
Paul

Coen · #6 14-11-2008, 05:02 PM

I too have been using StarCalc for many years and find it fits most of my purposes and it is generally more intuitive than some of the other packages but then again I am a casual observer.

Regarding the updating of the lists, I think it is approximately monthly but the answer is it depends on new discoveries.

Note that when you download the latest asteriod data and import that not all of it will get imported. StarCalc stops when it reaches the first entry that has columns not separated by spaces. If you view the text-file you'll see that every entry is separated by a white space and furthermore that each column is of fixed width. That is until you get to an asteriod or two that the numbers run into each other - at that point StarCalc will stop loading (about the 74,000 or 94,000 mark can not remember which). I think it is the newer discoveries whose semi-major axis is very large but not sure if that is it or something else.

Starman73 · #7 18-11-2008, 11:32 PM

Hi Coen,

Thanks for the tip on the asteroid data. I think I will only be using the comet stuff and that seems to work OK but I haven't studied it too much. I was a little worried when I couldn't find the instructions on how to ad the data though, but thanks to you guys thats fixed. From what I have seen of the programme its not perfect, may not the be best to use, but it works quite well.

So far you guys are the only ones I have seen who confess to actually using Star Calc.

Anyway, got to go now, so thanks again

Paul