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Object-Specific Functions (Context Menu)

Object specific functions appear on the context menus of deep-sky, star, planet ephemeris, comet ephemeris, comet search, asteroid ephemeris, asteroid search and observing plan reports. They are activities that you can perform on a single selected object. These functions can be invoked by either clicking on the menu item or by pressing the appropriate hotkey.

Two additional functions - View Observations and View Images are available on brief and detailed log reports.

These functions include:

▪Slew To moves the telescope to the object's position¹ (disabled if telescope control is not set up or connected).

▪Push To sends the position of the selected object to digital setting circles (DSC). This allows you to use the normal object locating function of the DSC to find any object in a Deep-Sky Planner report.
Select the communication settings for DSC in Digital Setting Circles. Note that this function is disabled if Push To is not enabled for any digital setting circles.

▪Sync To sets the telescope's current position1 to that of the selected object (disabled if telescope control is not set up or connected).

▪Show Chart displays a star chart in an external program centered on the object's position¹ (disabled if star chart program is not set up).

¹ A cataloged object's equatorial position (RA & Declination) is shown on reports referred to epoch and mean equinox of J2000. The object's position is precessed to the epoch and equinox of the report's ephemeris date when it is transmitted to Cartes du Ciel or Starry Night; it is not precessed for Stellarium, TheSkyX or TheSky6; it is precessed to the epoch required by the telescope if necessary (usually the report's ephemeris date.)

A solar system object's position is shown on reports referred to the epoch and mean equinox of the ephemeris date. This position is transmitted to Cartes du Ciel and Starry Night without precessing; it is precessed to J2000 when transmitted to TheSkyX or TheSky6; it is precessed to the epoch required by the telescope if necessary (usually report's ephemeris date, so no precession occurs.)

Object positions in observing plan reports are precessed as selected in the observing plan document.

SUN WARNING:

Deep-Sky Planner can move a telescope using the ASCOM software platform. Pointing a telescope at the sun without a proper filter can damage your equipment. Viewing through a telescope pointed at the sun without a proper filter will cause immediate, irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point the telescope near the Sun. Do not use the Slew To feature during daytime.

What about?

I slewed my telescope to an object. Why does the telescope slew to an equatorial position slightly different from the object's cataloged position?

Cataloged objects' positions are referred to epoch J2000, but an object's position in the sky changes slightly over time due to precession. Deep-Sky Planner precesses a cataloged object's position to the epoch of the report's ephemeris date before sending the Slew To command to the telescope.

Additional Information:

▪Setting up your telescope to enable Slew To

▪Telescope Control Panel

▪Setting up Deep-Sky Planner to interoperate with a star chart program