Lunar GOTO version 1

Lunar GOTO version 1.0 beta 1.0
(for Meade LX-200 telescopes)
November 7, 1998

Description :

Lunar GOTO allows users of Meade LX-200 (and - presumably - compatible) telescopes to select a lunar feature and use the "go-to" capabilities of the telescope to place that feature in the field of view. The database contains approximately 1,985 sites (however, this contains some farside fields which haven't been screened out yet).

Location : http://www.considine.net/mac/lunargoto/lg2v1beta.zip

Installation :

Unzip the archive file to the directory from which the program will be run. That's it. The program can be run from the DOS command prompt window or be run via a Windows shortcut. To uninstall, delete all the files that were extracted from the archive. No changes are made to the registry or any systemsdirectories/files.

Cost :

The program and its components are freeware. If it is referenced, then the authors and the program's location should be cited also. While no money is expected, heaps of praise, adulation and compliments are gratefully accepted ...

Directions for use:

- After starting the program, select the comm port that the scope is attached to using the arrows in the upper left corner.

- Select initialize scope. If everything goes well, there should be a pause of a few seconds, and then the RA and DEC numbers on the righthand side of the screen should continue changing. If not, there should be a dialog box that tells you what it thinks is wrong.

- Select a category to check out using the radios buttons. These will make a list of features visible.

- Either doubleclick on a feature for an automatic GOTO, or highlight a feature and select GOTO.

- Alternatively, you can enter a "raw" selenographic coordinate in the "Custom" box and the select the "Use Custom" button.

Problems/Bugs/Suggestions :

Hey, it's version 1.0! As this is a beta, there are some points (particularly where you enter your own selenographic coordinates) where error-trapping could probably be a bit better. Also,there are bound to be some we haven't caught, so we appreciate the users' patience. Bugs/errors should be reported to both authors who will do what they can to get them fixed. Providing as much detail as possible about the circumstances under which the program is used would be helpful. The likelihood of a bug being fixed or feature added varies in proportion to the amount of detail provided, as well as the amounts of praise, adulation and compliments that have been previously tendered by the user (see above under "Cost :"). ;)

One minor bug is at the start, where a dialog box pops up saying an "unsupported operation" is attempted. (Matt is still trying to stomp that one dead ...)

Farside features will also be filtered out at some point. We left them in, however, to allow people to differentiate their telescopes from average (if you can't see one) to truly exceptional (if you can see one).

Constructive suggestions for changes/additions are also welcomed.

Future additions being considered :

- addition of a dynamic crescent and feature spot showing the user what the moon looks like at the moment and where the feature they selected is located.

- identification of whether or not a feature is in shadow or on the farside.

- high precision tracking for photographic purposes

- a reverse identification mode, where you slew the telescope to an unknown feature and the program reads (continually) where you are, outputting the result in selenographic coordinates so that you can refer to an atlas for identification

References/Credits/Thanks

Thanks first to Bob Preston for posing the problem.

Thanks also to E. Myles Standish at JPL for some pointers and references early in the project. If you really want to hunt asteriods, comets, etc., figure out what is visible along those lines during a given time or figure out what you saw at a given place and time, check out their HORIZONS work at :

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.html

Steven Moshier's programs provided the staring point for figuring out how to find the moon in the first place. See

http://people.ne.mediaone.net/moshier/index.html

The Lunar Nomenclature page at the USGS in Flagstaff provided the listing of features and their lunar locations. See

http://wwwflag.wr.usgs.gov/USGSFlag/Space/nomen/moon/moonTOC.html

Apollo and unmanned lunar mission landing info as well as impact sites for jettisoned Apollo LMs can be found at :

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/lunarussr.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ranger.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/surveyor.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/lunar_sites.txt

http://www.xs4all.nl/~carlkop/stenneck.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apolloloc.html

Sites reported to have Transitory Lunar Phenomena (i.e. reportedly geologically "active" sites on the moon) can be found at :

http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/lunar.html

and at sites referenced there.

Other lunar-related links can be found at :

http://www.media.wright.edu/studorgs/lunar/als.htm

http://members.vienna.at/salzgeber/moon/link.html

Disclaimer :

The authors have made every effort to use data and methods believed to be accurate, but do not guarantee accuracy. In fact, the program comes with no gurantees of any kind. The user assumes all risks, liabilities and responsibilities that arise from using the program, including but not limited to the lack of fun one ends up experiencing from not giving it a try when there's nothing else to look at. Additionally, since a good part of the month has heretofore been unusable for deep-sky astrophotography, and whereas this program provides easy access to features to photograph for that part of the month, the authors accept no responsibility for any disruption of domestic tranquility resulting from the use of the program and now-full-time involvement with their telescope. Have a nice day.