Map - Sky Atlas and User Catalogue Tool

Map is a general tool that facilitates orientation on the sky, object selection and identification, telescope pointing and mosaic aquisition. As a default, map displays stars from the SAO catalogue. It can display also point sources from the IRAS catalogue (four different wavelenghts) and from the user supplied catalogue. SAO stars can be visualized in the colors corresponding to their spectral types. Map size can be changed within the range of 1 arc minute to 8 degrees. User may supply many catalogues, but Map displays objects just from one of them. However switching to another catalogue requests only one mouse action. Air-mass tool gives you immediate information about when and how long selected object will be observable. Map consists of the three main windows: Sky Map, User Catalogue and Airmass Display.

Sky Map

is divided into four areas:

Menu Bar with the pull-downs:
- View
  
  Visualize Spectral Types toggle selects whether SAO stars are displayed as a black spots with sizes proportional to magnitudes or in colours representing spectral types.
  Hide Previous Frames button tells the application not to plot outlines of the previously taken images.
  Show Previous Frames button tells the application to plot outlines of the previously taken images.
  IRAS Point Sources menu enables/disables display of objects (12,25,60 and 100 um) from the IRAS catalogue.
  Airmass Window may be used to open Airmass Display.
  User Catalogue may be used to open User Catalogue window.
- Help button which starts Netscape navigator.
- Map Size Display shows the size (in arc minutes) of the map.
- Map Size Arrows may be used to change the Map size.
Sky View is the main graphic window of the Map tool. It can display SAO stars (black spots or in colours representing spectral types), IRAS point sources (crosses and small error ellipses in magenta), user objects (magenta crossed circle), saved image position and sizes(in green), telescope pointing position (yellow or green if it is out of the viewing frame), detector area outline (in red).
- Mouse input: Point the cursor at any object and click the left mouse button to preselect object (its outline colour changes to red). Information about the preselected object will be displayed in the Info window.
Information and Search Field displays compact information about the selected object. It is also an input window for locating SAO and IRAS objects by the number. To find a SAO star it is enough to enter its number (SAO prefix can be added). To find IRAS source one has to enter IRAS prefix followed by the source number. To activate search one has to hit RETURN key.
Telescope Controls
- Telescope button finds and displays the telescope pointing position.
- Select button changes the preselected status of the object to the selected one, i.e. the object becomes centered and its coordinates are sent to the Data Base (which causes them to be displayed in the Requested Position window of the Telescope tool).
- Move To acts as a Select command, but in addiition it activates the telescope Move to the selected position.

User Catalogue

is a list tool from which user can easily select targets for observations. User can prepare many catalogues and switch beteen them with the single mouse click. It is posiible to edit or create catalogues using the edit window, or prepere object lists with any text editor.

To open User Catalogue window one must select User Catalogue option from the View menu of Sky Map window.

User Catalogue consists of

Object List - scrolled window displaying user objects. Objects can be preselected (see above) with a single mouse click.
Command Bar
- Load button loads the user catalogue which file name is given in the File Name (next to the right) window. If the File Name is empty File selection box will be poped up.
- File Name of the user catalogue in use. Can be used to input the name of the catalogue to be loaded in which case either Load button or RETURN key must be hit afterwards. Clicking the right mouse button in the window brings up menu with previously selected user catalogues. Selecting any of them immediately loads the catalogue.
- Select button causes the highlighted object to become selected, i.e. the object coordinates are sent to the Data Base (which causes them to be displayed in the Requested Position window of the Telescope tool).
- Move To acts as a Select command, but in addiition it activates the telescope Move to the selected position.
- Edit brings up Edit Window - simple user catalogue editing tool.
- Close button removes User Catalogue from the screen.

Airmass Display

is a graphic display of the airmass vs. time for the selected object. Time is displayed in UT and airmass is displayed in the 1-3 range suitable for observations. If the object is invisible then Object below horizon message appears instead.

Arrow buttons may be used to change the time extent of the graph and Close butoon to remove Airmass display from the screen.

To open the Airmass Display one must select Airmass option from the View menu of Sky Map window.

You may now return to System Overview or select Tutorial, Frequently Ask Questions, Feedback, Technical Refernce Manual.

Grzegorz Pojmanski / gp@sirius.astrouw.edu.pl