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Observing Plan Object Editor
The Observing Plan Object Editor allows you to manually enter or change the detailed information required to define an object for a plan. The Editor helps to limit the data shown for editing to those items pertinent to the type of object. For example, separation and position angle are shown for a double star but not a planetary nebula.
The Editor is divided among several tabs which help to organize the detailed information. Quick links to the tabs follow:
General Tab
Some data items on the General tab are shown only for certain object types. The top section is shown for all types.
Object (User) allows you to enter a designation for the object. Deep-Sky Planner searches the database for a matching object designation. If one is found, the system's preferred object designation is stored in Object while the user's entry is stored in Object (User).
Lookup allows you to search the database for Object (User). Lookup can find catalog designations or common names of objects. You can learn more about entering object designations in Object Designation Lookup Engine
Simbad allows you to search for the object designation entered into Object (User) in the SIMBAD astronomical database service at the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg. See Simbad Lookup.
NED allows you to search for the object designation entered into Object (User) in the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) service. See NED Lookup.
Object Type allows you to select one of several predefined object types. Object Type also controls which further data items are available for entry in the Editor.
Clear resets all data on the Editor.
User Defined Data is used for free-form data as desired by the user. These data appear on reports and can be transferred to other devices. For example, comet's perihelion date and time may be stored in the User Text data item, and it can be transferred in the description field in an Argo Navis user catalog file.
Text may have a maximum of 100 characters.
Integer may contain any integer value between -2147483648 and +2147483647 inclusively.
Double may contain any floating point value.
Source allows you to cite the source of the data for this object.
Object contains the system's preferred object designation. The system's preferred designation is used to link observations of objects.
Note: The following data are not shown for planets, asteroids and comets because they are computed when the plan is Run.
Position
RA allows you to enter the object's Right Ascension in hours, minutes and seconds as determined in preferences.
Decl allows you to enter the object's Declination in degrees and arcminutes as determined in preferences. Declination is unsigned so be sure to select the correct hemisphere for the declination (North or South).
Reference Equinox is used to define the equinox to which RA and Decl are referred and must be one of:
unknown - the reference equinox is not known. This is a default value which makes the coordinates somewhat useless.
now - equinox of date. This is the default for planets, asteroids and comets. Apparent coordinates of cataloged deep-sky and stellar objects are referred to the equinox of date (now).
J2000 - the standard equinox J2000.0 is the default for all cataloged deep-sky and stellar coordinates in the database.
J2050 - for future use.
Constellation abbreviation is calculated and shown for the position.
Magnitude
na indicates whether the adjacent magnitude value is pertinent (checkbox) for the type of object. The default value of na is appropriate for most objects of the selected type but can be changed as needed to specify a magnitude value.
Mag allows you to enter the primary magnitude of the object.
Mag.2 allows you to enter a secondary (or associated) magnitude of the object. For example, planetary nebulae catalogs do not typically have a magnitude value for the nebula but may have a magnitude associated with the central star of the nebula. This may also contain the magnitude of a companion star in a double star system.
Photometric System allows you to enter the photometric system used to acquire the magnitude value(s). See Magnitude for a description of each photometric system code.
Color Index
na indicates whether the adjacent B-V value is pertinent for the object.
B-V allows you to enter a color index value in the B-V scale for the object.
Size
na indicates whether the adjacent size value is pertinent (checkbox) for the type of object. The default value of na is appropriate for most objects of the selected type but can be changed as needed to specify a size value.
Size allows you to enter the primary size of the object. This is the diameter of a circular object or the major axis of an elliptical object.
Size.2 allows you to enter a secondary (minor axis) size of the object.
Unit of Measure allows you to define the units in which the size values above are expressed. The selected Unit of Measure applies to both Size and Size.2.
Mean Surface Brightness
Mean surface brightness is a measure of the brightness of an extended object. Mean surface brightness is not included in any catalog in the Deep-Sky Planner database, but it appears in some catalogs, and it can be measured by observers. Deep-Sky Planner calculates surface brightness in the plan report if it is NOT included in the plan. This data item is meant for cases where the surface brightness is specified in a catalog or has been measured by an observer.
Computing surface brightness: Surface brightness is computed from an object's size and magnitude. If either of these values is missing, surface brightness cannot be calculated. Furthermore, surface brightness is not appropriate for certain types of objects, like point sources (stars, quasars) and other types like dark nebula. Note that surface brightness can be calculated for open clusters, but since this type can usually be resolved into individual stars, surface brightness is not calculated for open clusters.
na indicates whether the adjacent Mag/Sq Arcsec value is pertinent (checkbox) for the type of object. The default value of na is appropriate for most objects of the selected type but can be changed as needed to specify a Mag/Sq Arcsec value.
Mag/Sq Arcsec magnitude per square arcsecond is the typical metric used to measure surface brightness. Values range up to 26.00 theoretically, but a very dark site has a value of around 22.
Miscellaneous
Inclination is the angle at which a galaxy is inclined to an observer's point of view on earth. It is measured in degrees where 0 is edge-on and 90 is face -on. Not all galaxy catalogs contain Inclination data, but the MCG and PGC catalogs in the database do.
Position Angle is the angle, measured clockwise from 0 degrees = north, at which a spiral galaxy is oriented.
Brightest Emission Line
na indicates whether the adjacent emission line Wavelength value is pertinent (checkbox) for the type of object. Emission line Wavelength may be pertinent for diffuse nebulae, planetary nebulae and supernovae. The default value of na can be changed as needed to specify an emission line Wavelength value.
Wavelength specifies the wavelength in nanometers of the brightest emission line of an object. Values for Ha (Hydrogen alpha), Hb (Hydrogen beta), OIII (Oxygen III) are listed for your convenience. These are found among optical filters used by visual observers and narrowband imagers. Values are also shown for SII (Sulfur II) and NII (Nitrogen II). These are often seen among narrowband imaging filters.
Spectral Type
Spectral allows you to enter the spectral class code for a star. You can enter up to 2 characters.
na indicates whether the adjacent Spectral.2 value is pertinent (checkbox) for the type of object. The default value of na is appropriate for most objects of the selected type but can be changed as needed to specify a Spectral.2 value.
Spectral.2 allows you to enter a spectral class code for the secondary star in a double star system.
Variable Star Detail
Variable Type allows you to enter the variable type code associated with the star.
Epoch (JDE) allows you to a Julian date on which the maximum or minimum brightness of the variable star occurs. This value is used with Period to predict the date and time of the next minimum brightness for eclipsing and ellipsoidal types or maximum brightness for other variable types
Period (days) allows you to enter the period in days for a complete light variability cycle for the star.
na indicates whether the adjacent Duration value is pertinent (checkbox) for the type of variable star. The default value of na is appropriate for most variable stars but can be changed as needed to specify a Duration value.
Duration (%) allows you to specify the percentage of the total variability period spent in eclipse for eclipsing types, or in increasing brightness for intrinsic variables.
Double Star Measurement
Year allows you to specify the year in which the measurement data were acquired.
Sep (arcsec) allows you to specify the angular separation in arcseconds between the primary and secondary component stars in the double star system.
na indicates whether the adjacent PA value is available for the double star system.
PA allows you enter the position angle in degrees of the secondary component relative to the primary component of the double star system.
Names
Common Name allows you to enter a commonly used name by which the object is known, including a cross reference in the database. Up to four common names can entered for an object. You can click any of the Swap buttons to exchange 2 adjacent common name entries on the tab.
DSS (Digitized Sky Survey)
Digitized Sky Surveys are online services that require an Internet connection to access. Please see Digitized Sky Survey Overview in the appendix for a general explanation of the DSS feature in Deep-Sky Planner.
The settings on this tab allow you to review the current DSS image settings for the object described in this Observing Plan Object Editor (the target). These DSS settings are set for you when you add an object to a plan. The settings are based on system-wide settings shown in Preferences, and on the size of the target (deep-sky objects only). When object size is unavailable for a target, the default image size set in Preferences is assigned. Deep-Sky Planner chooses an image size just large enough to accommodate the size of the selected target in order to maximize the efficiency of image download, image display and image storage. You can override the settings for this target as described below.
Server allows you to select a web server from which an image is to be retrieved. <none> disables image downloading for the object. STScI (US) indicates the Space Telescope Science Institute; SkyView (US) indicates the NASA SkyView project; SkyServer (US) indicates the project supported by the National Science Foundation that provides public access to Sloan Digital Sky Survey; CDS (Fr) is the second generation DSS survery that uses Hierarchical Progressive Survey (HiPS) technology to generate color images. The service is provided by the Centre de Données Astronomiques de Strasbourg in France.
Servers are not always available and may have slow service at times. If the selected server is giving inadequate service, try another server or wait and try the server again later.
Survey allows you to select the mission used to produce the images and the (color) filter through which images were acquired.
Image Size (arcminutes) allows you to select an image size between 1 and 90 arc seconds (length and width). You should choose the smallest image size that adequately depicts the object because larger images sizes take more time to download and display, and more space to store locally on your hard drive.
Download Image allows you to download the requested image from the Internet. The image is displayed once the download is complete. Note that downloading the image does not store the image on your local storage.
Note: Socket error 11001 indicates that you have no Internet connection
Save Image stores the displayed image on your local storage. An image that is stored locally is available instantly on the DSS detail tab of the plan report without accessing the Internet further. If the image is already stored, the button is disabled.
Processing allows simple processing to be applied to an image while you view it, but a processed image cannot be stored. Processing options include:
▪Invert Colors: reverse colors; for example, black stars on white background
▪Rotate Image +90°: rotate the image clockwise
▪Rotate Image -90°: rotate the image counterclockwise
▪Flip Horizontal: flip the image right to left
▪Flip Vertical: flip the image top and bottom
▪Revert Changes: view the original image and delete all processing changes
The image status box (beneath Server) shows the disposition of the selected DSS image as defined by Server, Survey and Image Size:
▪No Image indicates that Deep-Sky Planner has no image to display whether stored locally or downloaded from the Internet
▪Local Image indicates that the image displayed was retrieved from the local storage - either a hard drive or solid state drive
▪Online Image indicates that the image displayed was downloaded from the Internet and has not been stored locally
Help file version 9.2.3.0 ▪ Copyright © 2024-2026 Knightware, LLC
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