Database Power Search Multiple Stars

[dnorton618]

I have all of my observational logs in SkyTools. Over 2100 entries. What I would like to do is perform a database power search for all double/multiple stars I have observed (logged) so far.

In the database power search tool, under the Stars tab, there are many filtering options. If I select no check marks under "Databases to Search" and leave all other selections as default, except for the "Include Objects With Log Entries" and choose "Logged", I return 679 entries. If I choose "Multiple Stars Only" in the "Databases to Search" and again leave all filters default except the "Logged" option, I return 568 entries. When I do a search with both "Multiple Stars Only" and "Variable Stars Only" checked, again with "Logged" objects, I return 214 entries. If I then do another search and choose "Variable Stars Only" I return 114 entries.

I know that there are many stars designated as variable/double stars, "Component of Multiple Star". So how do I get an accurate count of how many multiple stars I have observed and logged if some multiple stars are also designated as variables?

It seems that if I'm choosing "Multiple Stars Only" I may not be getting returns for all of the stars that are designated as variable/double stars. Does anyone have any idea how to get an accurate search return for all multiple stars I have observed? Does the "Multiple Stars Only" checkbox include variable/double stars?

For example: V376 Cep. Its Object Information reads as a "Variable" and a "Component of Multiple Star".

It is in the "All Stars" search results. (No check marks under “Databases to Search”)
It is in the "Variable stars Only" checked search.
It is not in the "Multiple Stars Only" checked search.
It is not in the "Multiple Stars Only" and "Variable Stars Only" checked search.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. Or if there is another way to filter out and search just for all Double/Multiple Stars I have logged.

If I go to the Log Browser and choose the Class of object, only Stars is available, and it lists 690 objects. Thanks in advance.

[theskyhound]

Hello,

The way it is intended to work, all you should need to do is select Multiple Stars Only. It won't care if any are variable.

However, I believe that I can explain your result for V376 Cep. If you logged the variable star itself (V376 Cep) then you made a log entry for that specific star. True, it also is part of a multiple star system, but what you logged was that star only. In SkyTools, multiple stars are organized into systems that are identified with the primary star, so in order to count as a multiple star system, you would have to have logged the primary star of the multiple star system. It will not count V376 Cep as a logged multiple star system if you log the component star itself. This makes sense from the point of view of types of log entries, because presumably you selected this component because it is variable not because it is part of a pair. It also makes sense in the general search case, where you are searching the database for multiple stars that have a component that is variable. But it fails for what you are trying to do in counting all of the multiple star systems you have logged, due to the technicality of V376 being singled out when you logged it.

Its no so much that the result is wrong, as it is looking at what you chose to log, which in the case of V376 Cep, is the variable star independent of the multiple star system. Had you logged the whole system, it wouldn't be an issue.

Unfortunately, other than doing what you did to find V376 Cep, I can't think of a way to get exactly what you want. It looks like you may need to check all of your variables in the Object Info.

Another option is to consider if V376 really was an observation of a multiple star after all. I mean, if you didn't note the pair, then is it really a multiple star observation?

I'll think about ways to accomplish this, but it may be cooked into the system. Even if I added types of stars into the Log Browser Search, we would run into the same problem.

[dnorton618]

All good information. Whenever I make a log entry for a multiple star system, I start the "New Log Defaults" window. Under "Object" I click "Select From List" and the "Object Requestor" window comes up for searching the database for the new object I want to make the log entry for.

For example, STT 288. Once I hit Search, the B component (STT 288B) comes up as default. What I usually do is go down to the "Double Star Pair" dropdown and choose the Primary component to make the log entry for. I have always been a bit confused if I should make the log entry for the B component or the primary. I mean, technically if I make a log entry for the primary star, I could make an entry for the secondary component as well. I did technically observe both. So, is a double/multiple star designation, such as STT288, a label for the system? Not the individual stars? Looks like I have some work to do in ferreting out these stars and correcting my log entries.

[theskyhound]

Hello,

I looked into it some more, and I think I see the possibility of better handling this issue. The object type for the "B" star in both cases is "Component of Multiple Star." I would think that I could latch onto that in the search, which would fix the problem. I'll have to look at the code though. If its possible I will have fix in an upcoming update.

[dnorton618]

Much appreciated. Very much appreciated.