Suggestion for addition of a new Data Update menu item.

[Daniel Holler]

Hello,

A recent attempt on imaging comet 2016A8 resulted in KStars positioning our
telescope with not enough accuracy.  The target was probably close, but not
within the camera field.  The attempt was made after using the Data Updates
and downloading of supposedly recent comet data.  However, inner solar
system objects frequently have angular velocities which require positional
calculations to be within hours, or even minutes, of the time of
observation.

It is possible to use the JPL Horizons Web-Interface to obtain up the hour
calculations of such positions, and, the site does allow a wide variety of
input and output parameters.

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi

I propose the addition of a menu line be added for searching a single
object or objects, using this web site as the source.  The result of this
search would be downloaded, saved on the local machine, and utilized for
positional calculation data by KStars.  I further propose the menu line
would transfer to the JPL site the following KStars data:  the selected
object name, the user's location data, set the Time Span to step =1 hour,
change the Display / Output to 'download/save'.  The site would then
generate an ephemeris table of data on that specific object for the next 30
days, in one hour increments.  This data, could then be used by KStars for
that specific object's positional calculation.

Any and all help on which software files should be altered and how to
accomplish this, would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes,
Dan
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