Hi Greg,

Searching for objects in ST is something I do very often, it's perhaps the most often used function for me. AFAIK, currently it involves using the mouse twice so it's less efficient than I'd wish it were. 

To open the search dialog, I need to click on Tools then Designation Search. There is no accelerator key for either (otherwise, Alt-T then S would have been acceptable; a single global shortcut like F3 ideal).

I then can perform the search by typing the criterion than hit Enter. This is fine.

But to open the first result of the search (which most often is the desired one), I have to use the mouse again. I cannot move the focus out of the search textbox by pressing Tab (if I do, it types that special character in which replaces what I searched for). If Tab moved the focus to the Search button then to the results, pressing Tab twice and enter on the first result (or going down in the list with the down arrow key) would have been very fine.

In the field, with the laptop, I miss the keyboard even more because using the touchpad is not as fast or precise than a mouse and if I have a glove, it may not work at all. Sometimes I carry a Bluetooth mouse, but it requires a surface and it's an extra object.

Is there a way to achieve the above? If not, could it be in the future?

Thanks,
Razvan

Hi all

Firstly I apologies if this is a constant question, but I am baffled by databases at the best of times.

I have an understanding of the basics of planning a night session, what I am having issues with are the types etc.

I want to create an evenings viewing by being able to see what stars are about, where my issue lay is where in the database do I click to give me just stars, SAO, Hip etc. I can see Messier and the like but nothing singular for a star.

I would welcome any feedback and again apologies if this question has been raised but I dont know what to ask in search.

Many thanks and good to meet you all.

Terry

CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered NEO, 2024 HK1, will make a close approach on  2024-May-04 19:20±03:36 UT at a distance of 0.00460 AU moving with V Relative=8.67 km/sec. H=25.4 magnitude, diameter 22 m - 49 m and 'Rarity'=1. There is a  2 day observation arc, the Condition Code=8 and the Earth MOID=0.00459959 AU. The solution date was 2024-Apr-24 18:12:02 PDT. The initial reported observation was by Pan-STARRS 2, Haleakala on 2024-04-21. This object's orbit will be refined over the next few days to provide more accurate predictions of its position.

I'll provide another update after the orbit is refined further. This object will probably be best from the southern hemisphere.

Phil S.

Hello Everyone,

Please perform a full backup before you download and apply the update to version 4.x.11.06. I had two reports about problems with log entries right after I released this update, so I pulled it out of an abundance of caution. But the problems seem unrelated to each other and unrelated to the update. Therefore I am going to make the update available once again. Just in case there is a problem with the update after all, making a backup via the Tools menu before applying it will ensure your data is safe.

CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered NEO, 2024 HY, will make a close approach on 2024-Apr-22 17:50±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.01471 AU moving with V Realative=9.22 km/sec, H=23.3 magnitude, diameter 57 m - 130 m and 'Rarity'=1. There is a 1 day observation arc, the Condition Code=7 and the Earth MOID=0.00745199 AU. The solution date is 2024-Apr-22 05:48:07 PDT. The initial reported observation was by ATLAS Chile, Rio Hurtado on 2024-04-20. CNEOS predicts that it will pass within 0.00832 AU on 2036 Apr 23, so it will probably make it on MPC's list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).

Using MPC's elements downloaded on 2024 Apr 22 0000 UT, ST4Visual predicts that this NEO reached a maximum brightness of 15.6 magnitude on April 21 ~2300 EDT while travelling through Crater at 50"/minute. This object should be visible in a 13" telescope on April 22 at 2200 EDT moving through Leo at 15.9 magnitude and 0.01 AU distant with apparent motion of 52.1"/minute. Close approach is predicted (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Apr 22 1400 EDT when the NEO is predicted to be 15.8 magnitude moving through Leo at 52.1"/minute, but in daylight and below the horizon as seen from Columbus, Ohio.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this NEO:     

Good hunting,

Phil S.

CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered NEO, 2024 GN2, will make a close approach on 2024-Apr-16 14:20±00:01 UT at a distance of 0.00312 AU moving with V Relative=18.51 km/sec, H=26.4 magnitude, diameter 14 m - 31 m and 'Rarity'=1. The orbit has been refined over a 5 day observation arc. The Condition Code=8 and the Earth MOID=0.00303177 AU. The solution date is 2024-Apr-14 06:17:36 PDT. The orbit has been refined since it first appeared on the MPC's list of NEAs at Today's Epoch downloaded by SkyTools on April 11. The initial reported observation was by Pan-STARRS 2, Haleakala on 2024-04-09. This NEO will probably be added to MPC's list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids due to the small MOID value.

Using MPC's orbital elements for 2024 Apr 14 0000 UT, ST4v predicts that this NEO will reach a maximum brightness of 16.3 magnitude on (to the nearest hour) 2024 Apr 16 0500 EDT at 556.5k km distance moving through Crux at 300"/minute, below the horizon as seen from Columbus, Ohio. Close approach (to the nearest hour) is predicted on 2024 Apr 16 1000 EDT at 468.5k km distance and 17.0 magnitude moving through Mensa at 476"/minute, still below the horizon  and in daylight as seen from Columbus, Ohio. This object will be best seen from the southern hemisphere.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this NEO:     

Anyone wishing to observe this object should download orbital elements from the MPC's NEAs at Today's Epoch datafile or JPL's HORIZON website near the time of the close approach, since parallax will affect the apparent position of the nearby NEO relative to the stars.

Good hunting,

Phil S.

CNEOS presicts that the large NEO, (439437) 2013 NK4, will make a close approach on 2024-Apr-15 14:51±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.02177 AU moving with V Relative=16.49 km/sec, H=18.8 magnitude, diameter 460 m - 1.0 km and 'Rarity'=2. The orbit calculations were made with a 3634 day observation arc. The Condition Code=1 and the Earth MOID=0.0149312 AU. The solution date was 2024-Apr-09 17:48:20 PDT. This large minor planet is on the MPC's list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. The MOID for Venus is 0.00878 AU. Several close encounters with Venus are predicted in the next 100 years, but this is the closest approach to earth during that time.

Using MPC's orbital elements for 2024 Apr 9 0000 UT, ST4v predicts that close approach will occur (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Apr 15 1100 EDT when the MP will be 0.02 AU distant moving through Hercules at 13 magnitude and 63"/minute, but in daylight as seen from Columbus, Ohio. Maximum brightness of 12.4 magnithde will occur on April 17 0300 EDT at 0.03 AU distance with the NEO moving through Serpens Caput at 42"/minute. This large NEO should be visible from Apr 13 at 15.8 magnitude (in Vulpecula, 32"/minute) to May 1 at 16.3 magnitude (in Virgo, 1.2"/minute), so there's plenty of time to observe this large rock.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this object:     

Good hunting,

Phil S.

CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered NEO, 2024 GJ2, will make a close approach on 2024-Apr-11 18:33±00:11 UT at a distance of 0.00013 AU moving at 14.37 km/sec with H=30.4 magnitude, diameter 2.2 m - 5.0 m and 'Rarity'=1. There is only a 1 day observation arc. The Condition Code=7 and the Earth MOID=5.35095E-5 AU with a solution date 2024-Apr-10 04:42:02 PDT. The initial reported observation was by Pan-STARRS 2, Haleakala on 2024-04-09.

Using MPC's elements for 2024 Apr 10 0000 UT, ST4v predicts that the close approach will occur (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Apr 11 1500 EDT at 25.86k km distance and 16.4 magnitude moving through Capricornus at 92.1"/second in daylight and below the horizon as seen from Columbus, Ohio. Maximum brightness of 13.6 magnitude is predicted (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Apr 11 at 1400 EDT with the NEO moving through Libra at 35.5"/second, again in daylight and below the horizon as seen from Columbus, Ohio. This object should be best from the southern hemisphere, especially Australia. It's a real screamer, too.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this object:     

Since this object will pass very close, parallax will be an issue. Observers should download the latest elements from the MPC's NEAs at Today's Epoch or ideally from JPL's HORIZON website.

Good hunting,

Phil S.

I was fortunate to observe the total solar eclipse on April 9 from Plain City, Ohio just north west of Columbus. There was quite a bit of excitement.

Here's an image of totality that I was able to capture:     

There were a lot of cirrus clouds throughout the whole event, so the sky was never really clear. Still, it was a fantastic experience.

I hope that everyone else who tried to observe the eclipse was as lucky as I was.

Phil S.

I have just updated from SkyTools3 to SkyTools4.  I want to import my old data from version 3 to version 4.  I can settle for just importing my log entries, and can fill in the rest manually if I have to.
 
I have tried the protocol where I go into the Data Manager on version 3 and created a Sync Database file.  I then went into version 4 and, under the "Tools" heading, I click on "Sync Databases".  After that, using the section marked "Merge User Data from Another Computer" i browse to the file created by version 3 (entitled "SkyTools Sync").  I then click on the "Sync" button.  I get a very short interval where the little vertical bars appear appear on the bottom (probably no more than a second), and then the weird voice says "completed".  The program prompts me to restart the program.  But when I do restart it, there is no transferred data.
 
Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?
 
Thanks.

Bernie Poskus