Go-to database query

[NGC 1502]

Hi Guys & Gals, if you are familiar with what commonly available go-to telescopes have stored in their clever electronics, I'd be most grateful for your advise.

I'm writing a series of talks for my local club on double and multiple stars. As I'm a traditional starhopper, I don't know if double stars can be directly accessed via Meade and Celestron go-to scopes.

Of course, I could just give the RA & DEC of each object, but wonder if catalogues of Struve and others are included in the database ? Or maybe well known double stars are listed as "Gamma Andromeda" for instance ? Or is it done by constellation ? Or a mixture of all those ?

As I would like the talks to be relevant to as many club members as poss, I'd be pleased if you could advise.

Many thanks in advance, Ed.

[ronin]

Meade's have a sub section called Double Stars.

If I recall they are named, so you pick the name as in Albireo, Almaak, Mizar etc.

Do not think they are listed by Flamsted reference, as in Gamma Andromeda.

This also means that they are listed as named stars also as in Rigel, Albireo in somewhat of a mix.

Doubles are also listed by the SAO and HIP references in Meades, not all SAO  and HIP references are present as they are just too many.

So in effect a number of ways to get at them.

I wouls guess the same for Celestron+Skywatcher.

Just checked: Meades do not have the HIP listings in the software only the SAO as well as "Double Stars" and "Named".

So using Gamma Andromeda I think it is listed:

Under Double Stars as Almaak.

Under named Stars as Almaak,

Under SAO as SAO 37734.

As far as I am aware it is not listed as Gamma Andromeda, however never actually looked/tried but Gamma And is a Flamsted name and Flamsted are not listed in the manual tree. I suspect it is simply too many under that naming convention for all the possible constellations.

I may be wrong on the "Flamsted" name, might be another.

[ronin]

Quick look at the 4SE manual and that also lists Named Star, Double Star and SAO as selection options so I guess much the same.

Exact contents unknown.

[NGC 1502]

Many thanks ronin, further advice from anyone most welcome.

Regards, Ed.

[ronin]

May be easier to follow from the data that appears to be in the Autostar:

http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_content.html

From the Flags anything flagged as "d" is a double, from reading it it appears that SAO are the main method to identify any star.

Cannot work out how Variables are defined, no "v" as a flag.

[NGC 1502]

Cheers again ronin, Ed.

[Owmuchonomy]

The Synscan database has similar. Named stars and double stars. The choice is quite limited though.

[goodricke1]

On the nexstar 8SE there is a default list of about 30 well-known doubles, but after that you have to search out the catalogues and enter them manually. It's possible that other targets are listed as double under the 'object info' tab, after you've actually slewed to them, but of course that's not much help in planning an observing campaign...

It's one area I think the database could be improved upon; after all there are hundreds of doubles within the scope's range, many of them more satisfying than the 'easy' default list.