[Kstars-devel] Star coordinate inaccuracy -- Hipparcos Epoch bug

[Massimiliano Masserelli]

Il 19/03/2013 20:15, Akarsh Simha ha scritto:

>> I think the error derives from old stars.dat, that has been somehow
>> "compiled" into data kstars is using now. I already provided a copy
>> of stars.dat with coordinates corrected using novas-c library
>> (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/software/novas/novas_c/novasc_info.
>> I think this corrected file has been committed into kstars current
>> sources, the only problem is that it isn't referenced anymore in any
>> of the other source files...
>
> Wow. That is odd. I'll look for it. Any recollection of what it is
> called?


Ehm. The file is stars.dat, and it's in the source tree. Problem is, 
grepping for stars.dat in all of the tree returns no results. I _assume_ 
it's been compiled into binary format, but I wasn't able to understand 
how it was done.

> I designed the star catalog binary files, so it might in fact
> be good for me to set up the star catalog machinery on my computer and
> clean it up with sufficient READMEs etc. In the process, I'll
> incorporate these changes.

That would be great!

> Wow. I didn't know Skychart did custom and online catalogs. What
> exactly do you mean by "Online catalogs"?

You can download latest asteroid and comet data from IAU Minor Planet 
Center and have them integrated into DB: 
http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/documentation/solar_system

You can also download and parse textual catalogs and integrate them into 
the program. We used that procedure for having updated ephemeris for the 
close approach of 2011DA14 and let our visitors have a look at the tiny 
and not so bright dot running through the field of our telescope, moved 
every other minute to catch up with the object.

For reference: 
http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/documentation/display_of_neos . The 
approach is the same as importing a catalog, only in this case you 
import different positions of the same object.

 From the interface, you can also import catalog from vizier, there are 
some presets for accessing them: 
http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/documentation/catalog

> It's been quite a long while since I used Cartes (I used it on Windows,
 > version 2.8 or something).

Well, there's a Linux version now, you can have a look yourself.

 > I also didn't know Skychart did observatory control.

It does telescope control via INDI. The interface is very minimal, but 
it's there and it works quite reliably (oh well, me and the local 
astronomy group are using this setup since a month ago, but it mostly 
rained all the time :) ).

I'd love being able to use kstars too. Actually I'm trying to write an 
indi driver for an old CCD we have here (HiSis 33) and I'd love to use 
it with Ekos!
-- 
Massimiliano "Max Negro" Masserelli