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Column Name
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Description
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Object (User)
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User's preferred object designation. This may or may not be the same as Object. See Designations & the Lookup Engine
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Object
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System's preferred object designation. See Designations & the Lookup Engine.
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Source
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For stars and deep-sky objects, the catalog from which data is taken. Asteroids - Minor Planet Circular number or similar. Comets - IAU Circular number or similar. A missing value indicates that the reference source is unknown.
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Object Type
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Object type name. Note that Sun and Moon are assigned the type name Planet.
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Observed
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Whether the object has any entries in the observing log
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Common Name
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Commonly used name by which the object is known or catalog cross reference in the database. Up to four common names can be listed in the report for an object.
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RA/ Decl
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For stars and deep-sky objects, these are the equatorial coordinates as recorded in the plan. This may be the astrometric coordinates precessed to epoch and standard mean equinox J2000.0 or J2050.0, or they maybe the apparent coordinates referred to the epoch and equinox of date.
For all solar system objects, these are the apparent equatorial coordinates computed from orbital elements or an orbital model.
The data are formatted as specified in Preferences.
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RA (app) / Decl (app)
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Apparent equatorial coordinates of the object for the instant. The data are formatted as specified in Preferences.
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Constel
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Constellation in which the object is located
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Alt
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Apparent altitude at the ephemeris date and time. The angle is formatted as specified in Preferences.
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Az
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Apparent azimuth at the ephemeris date and time. The angle is formatted as specified in Preferences.
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LHA
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Local hour angle at the ephemeris date and time. The angle is formatted as hours and minutes East or West of the meridian.
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Moon Dist
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Angular distance between object and the Moon, unless:
▪Object is down
▪Sun is up
▪Moon is down
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Airmass
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Airmass indicates the relative amount of air that light must travel through to reach your eye or optic. A missing value indicates that the object is below the horizon.
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Mag
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Magnitude of the object and code identifying the photometric system used to derive the magnitude value. A missing value indicates that the magnitude is unknown or not available.
Magnitude codes are:
B=photographic using Johnson Blue filter
R=photographic using Johnson Red filter
V=photographic using Johnson Visual filter
b=photographic using another blue filter, including POSS blue plates
r=photographic using another red filter, including POSS red plates
v=visual or photovisual
p=photoelectric
<none>=not available
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Mag.2
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Secondary magnitude associated with the object, for example the magnitude of the central star in a planetary nebula or the dim magnitude of a variable star.
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B-V
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Color index of the object in the B-V scale. A missing value indicates that the color index is unknown or not available.
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Spectral
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spectral type classification of a star. A missing value indicates that the spectral type is unknown or not available.
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Size
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Angular size of the object in the indicated unit of measure. A missing value indicates that the size is unknown or not available.
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SB
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Surface brightness in magnitudes per arcsecond. This value may be recorded in the plan or it is calculated for galaxies, globular clusters and some nebulae. A missing value indicates that the surface brightness is unknown or not available.
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Emission
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Emission is the wavelength of the brightest emission line emitted by a nebulous object. A missing value indicates that the brightest emission line wavelength is unknown or not available. Otherwise, Emission may be one of Ha (656.3nm), Hb (486.1nm) OIII (500.7nm), SII (671.6nm) or NII (658.4nm). A numeric value specifies a wavelength in nanometers other than the common ones listed above.
Emission is not a recommendation for the best filter to use, but it can be used to choose the best optical filter for observing or imaging a nebulous object. Choose a filter that includes the brightest emission line in its bandpass.
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Incl
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Inclination of the principal plane of the galaxy in degrees
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PA
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position angle in degrees of the principal plane of a galaxy, or the position angle between components of a double star. If orbital elements are available for a double star, PA is calculated for the instant.
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Sep
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separation angle in arcseconds between components of a double star. If orbital elements are available for a double star, Sep is calculated for the instant. Separation is displayed to higher precision than a cataloged value.
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Year
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year of the double star PA and Sep measurement above. If orbital elements are available for a double star, PA and Sep are calculated for the instant.Year is displayed to higher precision and matches the instant.
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Grade
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Grade of the orbital elements for the double star
1 = Definitive.
2 = Good.
3 = Reliable.
4 = Preliminary.
5 = Indeterminate.
8 = High Quality Interferometric
9 = Poor Quality Astrometric
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Var Type
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Variable star type code
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Var Epoch
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epoch in Julian days of the observed minimum light for eclipsing and ellipsoidal types and maximum light for other variable types
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Var Period
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period between minimum and maximum magnitude values.
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Var Duration
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duration in percent of the total variability period spent in either:
▪eclipse for eclipsing types, or
▪increasing brightness for intrinsic variables
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Next Extremum
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predicted date and time of next minimum for eclipsing and ellipsoidal types or maximum light for other variable types
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User Text
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user defined text area (100 characters)
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User Integer
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user defined integer number
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User Double
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user defined floating point number
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SA2000
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Chart number on which the object appears in Sky Atlas 2000.0
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U2000
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Volume and page number on which the object appears in Uranometria 2000.0. Note that there is some overlap in the two volumes, but the page number is valid for either volume
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MSA
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Volume and page number on which the object appears in Millennium Star Atlas
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HB
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Chart series (B & C) and page number on which the object appears in Herald-Bobroff AstroAtlas.
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U2000.2
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Volume and page number on which the object appears in Uranometria 2000.0 2d Ed. Note that there is some overlap in the two volumes, but the page number is valid for either volume
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PSA
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Chart number on which the object appears in Pocket Sky Atlas.
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IDSA
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Chart number on which the object appears in interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas.
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Rise(Az), Set(Az)
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Time of rise, set, and apparent azimuth at rise and set time for your location. The data are formatted as specified in Preferences.
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Transit(Alt)
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Time of transit and apparent altitude at transit. The data are formatted as specified in Preferences.
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Best(Alt)
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Best time to view and apparent altitude at best time. The best time to view depends on the type of object:
▪Sun - the transit time of the sun. If the Sun does not rise locally on the ephemeris dae, Best time is None.
▪Moon and most planets - highest altitude during the time period starting at sunset on the ephemeris date (or at the ephemeris time if sunset has already occurred) and ending at sunrise on the following date. If the Sun does not rise locally on the ephemeris date, Best time is None.
▪Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, asteroids, comets, stars and deep-sky objects - highest altitude during the time period starting at the beginning of astronomical darkness on the ephemeris date (or at the ephemeris time if it is astronomically dark) and ending when the astronomically dark period ends (at the ephemeris date or the following date). If the object doesn't rise locally above the horizon, or there is no astronomically dark period between the ephemeris time and noon the following day, Best time is None.
The data are formatted as specified in Preferences.
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Vis Pred
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Predicted visibility of the object computed by one of the visibility models. Please see visibility modeling for possible values for different object types.
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