In my electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA) session last night, I was *amazed* at the detail in SkyTools 4 Pro's Atlas. I was trying to see if I could see the galaxy cluster labeled ACO 2065 in SkyTools. This galaxy cluster is known as Abell 2065, but often listed (not just in SkyTools) with the "ACO" designation so it won't be confused with the Abell Catalog of Planetary Nebulae. (I was curious as to why we use "ACO" for the galaxy cluster catalog listing and found that ACO is an acronym referring to the *three* authors of that catalog, George Abell, H. Corwin, and R. P. Orowin.) Make no mistake - these are difficult targets. In Harrington's Cosmic Challenge, Harrington maintains that this target is extremely difficult in an 18-inch scope. In fact, as the author of the book, he's honest about the fact that he rarely can detect these galaxies through his own 18-inch. (Part of the reason is - the galaxy cluster is 1 billion light years away.) But the stunningly beautiful charts built into SkyTools serve patient observers amazingly well. Here's a screenshot of the moment I found the galaxy known as MCG 5-36-18 (also known as PGC 54868).



The left window of the screenshot above is the "live" view through my RASA 11. I believe my cursor might just be pointing directly at MCG 5-36-18 (PGC 54868). The *right* window, obviously, is the Atlas from SkyTools. There's a lot of information there. But it REALLY helped. 

In contrast, for what it's worth, please allow me to insert below a screenshot of Stellarium's view of the area:



If you're confused by the screenshot above, it's no wonder. Essentially, Stellarium just provides a placeholder for ACO2065 -- and this is in spite of the fact that I have loaded into Stellarium every last catalog that is possibly available. Note the message at the bottom of this dialogue box in Stellarium attesting to the fact that "all star catalogs have been installed:"



So whereas SkyTools has an *enormous* amount of sky data about *each* *individual* *star* (let alone the galaxies and galaxy cluster), Stellarium shows *dead* *black* *empty* *space*.

Blank space.

This is Version 23.4 of Stellarium. It's the very latest version:



Now that I've experienced SkyTools  - with an 11-inch RASA telescope -- I can't *imagine* using Stellarium as my primary atlas ever again. I'd be missing so much!

Of course, now I'm all-the-more eager for Greg to release the EAA version of SkyTools - because SkyTools was bound and determine to tell me that it was impossible for my RASA 11 to *detect* these galaxies -- which is one of the many reasons why I'm relying on EAA instead of an eyepiece.

If you'd like to see my painstakingly (and I'm sure, *annoying*) search to get oriented in this part of the sky hahahaha, check out the live stream below. I've taken the liberty of cueing it up to the moment I start working with the Atlas to try to find these galaxies (which are, by the way, Magnitude 17 and 18 -- and a mere 1 BILLION Light Years distant... and are only pinpoints at that distance). (Again, apologies for the fact that I'm still very new at using SkyTools. But even in the hands of a downright newbie, it's still incredibly helpful.)

https://www.youtube.com/live/o6urHY1f7rE...s08&t=5736

So - if you're listening Greg, thank you for your work. I'm not sure if you will hear the part of the video in which one of the viewers of the live stream chimes in, "Oh yes...  SkyTools was developed by a professional astronomer. That's why it has all this information." : )

(But also, if you're listening, please keep this kind of astronomy in mind for the EAA version and please remove all of the suggested limitations on my scope. With EAA, many of those limitations just don't seem to apply any more. Please let us see the entire list of targets, regardless of what SkyTools thinks we *ought* to be able to detect, and let the *scope* decide which ones it can see - please. Thank you brother!!!)

I'm "all in" on SkyTools.

Doug

I note that many other planning software and charting programs are now using the 5 million strong HyperLeda galaxy catalogue. Although this is probably far more than myself as a visual observer would ever need I would have thought for the EAA version this might be something of interest. Do you have any plans to update these catalogues, perhaps for 4.2?

If anyone's interested, here is the Observer's Sky Atlas (4th edition)  by Erich Karkoschka
DSOs only

Attached Files

  Observer's Sky Atlas.stx (Size: 1.39 KB / Downloads: 7)

Hello All,

I am using the Sky Tools 4 Imaging to find PHA Asteroids visible at my location at a given night.

I downloaded the Latest list of PHA's through the Data -> Minor Planets tab.

When I try to search for asteroids in my location, I am not able to view asteroids from this list, and only see the default 55 bright asteroids.

How do I add all these downloaded PHA's into my Target List Folders?

Thank you.
Arushi

Thanks to SkyTools, we were able to see 6 comets, a planet, and an asteroid - all in one night. Here's the YouTube Live Stream:

https://www.youtube.com/live/4-F_w_6wN-M...LagYgYtd8L

Thanks to Greg for inventing SkyTools, which undergirded this session. I'm still learning how to use it - but I'm already loving it... The unified, curated list, the atlas, the attractive night vision mode... it's all amazing.

Here's the list, 1001 Celestial Wonders to See Before You Die, taken from the book by the same name:


  1001_Celestial_Wonders.stx (Size: 57.77 KB / Downloads: 26)

I have used the "Brief Notes" field for several lists now.
X = Hidden Treasures
SD = Secret Deep
CC = Cosmic Challenge
and the 4-digit number (e.g., 0045) is the number taken from the 1001 Celestial Wonders list, as assigned by Bakich. (So it's the one number that is 4 digits and has no preceding initial.) A handful of Bakich's objects weren't in SkyTools. I've added them to Supplemental Deep Sky Objects. I'm hoping they transfer in ok for those who want to use this list. Good luck and happy observing!

A few things about smart project builder.    
I wanted to see how it compared to my own project of IC410, the tadpoles.     So I entered my imaging system, filters, etc.     Used the search tool to find some targets in target selection.   Then entered the smart project builder.  

First thing, instead of opening with all of the things I had selected in the target tool like location, imaging scope, etc, smart project builder opens with some default items which are totally different (maybe authors stuff).   So first thing you need to do is reset everything to what you have already selected in the target selection tool.      They should be carried over, to make the tool smart.    I agree you should be able to edit them, but they should at least be the same as in the target selection tool.

Next thing, all of the sub exposures, for every filter, are 20 minutes (my max exposure time) when I set total exposure time to 5 hours (I guess this is per filter).    L, R, G, B, Ha, SII, OIII.. every one is 20 minutes sub-exposure.     I'm not sure how useful that is.
As a sub note here, when you have multiple filters, you should allow a range of possible exposure times per filter...  because narrow band may be 20 minutes, but I'd never see doing a luminance image for 20 minutes.    And the SNRs aren't balanced across filters, just maximum for what 20 minute exposure gives for each filter.

But If you instead set SNR quality, which is exclusive of setting time per filter, then you get more reasonable exposure times, but you can no longer set total exposure time, you just get the amount of time to hit an SNR, which I'm not clear is all that useful from a practical standpoint.   The Tadpoles are primarily a narrowband target.  A lot of Ha, and much dimmer OIII, and get RGB for stars.   In this case, the smallest exposure time is for Ha which is really going to make your object, and the longest for SII.  I'm not sure I'd run things this way for a pleasing image.    Not doing science here, just looking for a pleasing image.    It recommends G at 70 minutes and Ha at 20 minutes, SII for 240 minutes, OIII for 30 minutes, and so on.    OIII in this object needs much longer exposures than 10 minutes because the signal is so low, so this doesn't match my experience.  Why is that?     Now I understand that this is to hit an fixed single SNR for all filters.   Just wondering how practical it is.     For star data only, you need minimal time and exposures such that you don't blow out stars.   Maybe there should be a setting for this kind of an image.    It's really SNR for stars much of the time when you take RGB for narrowband targets. 

Total exposure time.   I set this to 5 hours but at first I didn't realize it's per filter, not total for the object.    Every filter is set for 15x20 minutes, or 5 hours.     I thought I'd get some mix of exposures to fit within an imaging time.    Just setting them all to the same total exposure, not sure how useful this is.    Is there a way to set total imaging time.   Say I'm at a star party, I wanted to image this object and it's going to be up for 8 hours, is there a way to get an optimized use of that time?

Total object exposure:   I'm wondering if it makes sense to have a total imaging time (that you have).. and what's the best mix or exposures to fit into that and show the maximum object SNR you can get.

Gain.  Gain seems fixed, so while I have 2 different gains, one 0 and one 100, it just uses whatever you pick.     Might make sense to pick intelligently as I'm not really clear with the ASI6200 when to use gain 0 and use mostly gain 100.    

I haven't had the tool for long, so apologize if I'm not using it correctly.    Entirely willing to learn.   It's why I entered this in newbie area.

Thanks,
Terri

First, let me say - this is a remarkable set of catalogs. It's -- rather amazing. So... this is just one tiny little detail. Please don't let it detract from the huge body of work represented by SkyTools. But... in the interest of even more amazing completeness....

I wonder why we can't find IC4617, a spiral galaxy in the same field as M13?

Doug

This seems like the most basic question ever, but how do I go see all the log entries I've ever made for a given object? I've looked at the help file for the past 15 minutes and I can't find it? How is this possible? I must be "super-slow" sometimes.

Here's Phil Harrington's Cosmic Challenge from the book by the same name, written by Philip S Harrington, Cambridge University Press, 2011. In this list, we've included objects that Harrington included in his Appendix (table) beginning on page 450 of the book - as one unified list. Note that I used the "Brief note" field for a code that represented Harrington's numbering system. I numbered the categories 1 through 6, with 1 referring to naked eye ("Eye") and 6 referring to "monster scope" ("Mon"). I couldn't figure out how to list all the moon features. When targets were listed twice, I just made a notation of the second follow-up target in the "Brief note" field following the designation. Hope you can have as much fun with the list as I'm having!

Doug
Emerald Hills Skies
www.EmeraldHillsSkies.com

  Cosmic Challenge by Phil Harrington.stx (Size: 14.22 KB / Downloads: 11)