Comet path plotting software?

[Vega]

Can anybody recommend the best software for plotting the path of comets on to star charts from ephemeris data? I want to make finder charts of my own. Any help greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

[ronin]

Will say: Not a clue. Just a possibility of elsewhere to ask.

But it may be worth looking at the BAA site as they have a comet section. They would be about the best I can think of, might be someone here who is a BAA member and maybe of the comet section also. SPA (popastro) appear to have a comet section but the BAA one looks the more significant.

[Paul M]

I'm not clear exactly what your requirements are, but SkySafari and (I think) Stelarium can both display a comets path across the sky as it's goes about it's orbit. Just provide the ephemerides in the form of TLE's (two line elements as distributed by the Minor Planet Centre) and you're all set.

 

 

[Phil Fargaze]

If you are happy for having it done for you, these web sites have loads of info, for example  http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/

and there is the BAA computing section comet charts http://britastro.org/computing/charts_comet.html

Heavens Above comet page http://www.heavens-above.com/Comets.aspx

and Calsky https://www.calsky.com/cs.cgi/Comets?obs=98812324165283

About time we had a decent naked eye comet I reckon!

 

 

[Paul M]

So,  Stellarium doesn't seem to do it. 

Here is a very quick job in SkySafari.  I just found any old comet already in my comet file that is above the horizon. Then selected to show path of selected object. 

The resultant screen can be zoomed in or out to show the position over just one night if desired. Then select for inverse monochrome screen and it produces a zoomable finder chart that can be further configured to add or remove field stars and other objects and their labels. Time stamp intervals are configurable also. 

Wow,  this SkySafari just gets better!! 

[Vega]

Wow thanks Paul, Sky Safari continually surprises me all things considered. I wonder if it can accept tle data... hmmm

This is the kind of thing I'm looking for but with the ability to import the data.

[Paul M]

1 hour ago, Vega said:

Wow thanks Paul, Sky Safari continually surprises me all things considered. I wonder if it can accept tle data... hmmm

This is the kind of thing I'm looking for but with the ability to import the data.

I actually thought it was possible but it looks like I'm confusing that feature with Stellarium, which has a configurable if complicated minor planet and comet input utility.

Just looking at SkySafari on my Android Phone there seems to only a single button to press to update all Solar System data but on doing so it just updated over 800 comets!

It downloads the observable comets list from the Minor Planer Center. So very new discoveries aren't likely to be listed. I guess that's where the ability to manually enter TLE's would be beneficial.

I'm using SkySafari 4 Pro. Perhaps version 5 pro, which recently became available for Android has the ability. I'll update soon I imagine. Just waiting for the next "sale"

[Guest]

SkyTools may be one of your best bets

 

Owen

[alexwolf]

On 06.12.2016 at 02:00, Paul M said:

So,  Stellarium doesn't seem to do it. 

Really?

[Ruud]

That looks great, Alexander!

How do you open the astronomical calculations panel?

[Paul M]

59 minutes ago, alexwolf said:

Really?

Ok, I rephrase that!

My version of Stellarium doesn't seem to do it, v 0.14.3.

 

[alexwolf]

12 hours ago, Ruud said:

How do you open the astronomical calculations panel?

F10 ;)

But I recommend using 0.90.0.xx versions for AstroCalc usage, because it has many improvements in compare to version 0.15.0.

[Paul M]

7 hours ago, alexwolf said:

F10

But I recommend using 0.90.0.xx versions for AstroCalc usage, because it has many improvements in compare to version 0.15.0.

Great function!

I just glanced through some of the documentation and saw that it is mentioned there, hidden away in the user guide. No chance of me finding it there without direction. I mean, who reads the instructions anyway!?  

[han59]

The bigger (orbital) picture

[Paz]

In Sky Safari you can switch comets on and switch most of the other clutter and names off. Then go to sky view and hit fast forward / accelerate time and watch as the comets whizz in and out - the comets even have tails pointing the right way and get brighter or fade out of sight depending on the magnitude. You can vary the speed to show how one moves over a few weeks or you can fly through a whole decade (or millenium!) in no time and comet-hunt what's coming up in the longer term.

[SonnyE]

I don't do a lot of comet tracking. But Stellarium has given me the Universe.

And the Comet Catalina as it was bookin out of here. Several nights in fact.

02-06-16 and 02-17-16

The stars in the background show how Stellarium was tracking the comet.

[iapa]

On 11/12/2016 at 07:49, alexwolf said:

F10

But I recommend using 0.90.0.xx versions for AstroCalc usage, because it has many improvements in compare to version 0.15.0.

Im missing something somewhere - Stellarium site shows latest version is 0.15.0

Where does 0.90.xx come from?

Ta

[Davey-T]

23 minutes ago, iapa said:

Im missing something somewhere - Stellarium site shows latest version is 0.15.0

Where does 0.90.xx come from?

Ta

https://launchpad.net/stellarium/trunk/0.90.0/

Dave 

[iapa]

2 hours ago, Davey-T said:

https://launchpad.net/stellarium/trunk/0.90.0/

Dave 

I've been looking here : http://www.stellarium.org

 

[Davey-T]

4 minutes ago, iapa said:

I've been looking here : http://www.stellarium.org

 

May still be in beta so not on the main site.

Dave 

[SonnyE]

5 hours ago, iapa said:

Im missing something somewhere - Stellarium site shows latest version is 0.15.0

Where does 0.90.xx come from?

Ta

Along the top of the page, second from the right, there is a 'B' and it shows a link for the beta version.  http://stellarium.org/

Myself I am quite content with 0.15.0, and I use it to control my mount, too. But I'm just a casual garden variety astro imager.

[iapa]

I tend not to look at much Beta software these days - more interesting in using than debugging since my programming days are long behind me.

Using something pre v1.x is also unusual - however, with Stellarium needs must  to 0.15 it is for me

[SonnyE]

1 minute ago, iapa said:

I tend not to look at much Beta software these days - more interesting in using than debugging since my programming days are long behind me.

Using something pre v1.x is also unusual - however, with Stellarium needs must  to 0.15 it is for me

Like you Sir, I prefer something stable.

I found if I sit back from the cutting edge of technology, I don't get my legs chopped off. 

If you use PHD, the PHD2 is quite a bit different than PHD1 was. But I've gotten use to it now and it works great.

I think I'm quite comfortable in the second row of seats on the bus.

[iapa]

1 hour ago, SonnyE said:

Like you Sir, I prefer something stable.

 

Sorry, I am a Laird, but have not yet been knighted 

1 hour ago, SonnyE said:

I found if I sit back from the cutting edge of technology, I don't get my legs chopped off. 

If you use PHD, the PHD2 is quite a bit different than PHD1 was. But I've gotten use to it now and it works great.

I think I'm quite comfortable in the second row of seats on the bus.

Agreed - need them to walk back and forward to make the necessary corrections to polar alignment (I've been thinking bout ways to minimize/eliminate that - but that needs testing which we agree we dont want to be involved inf LOL

I'm still fairly new at this (only a 3yo, so very little success yet  or expected.  ) - so PHD2 was a fairly early uptake in my career.

 

Hmmm - I still like to be able to get off first.

[SonnyE]

13 minutes ago, iapa said:

Sorry, I am a Laird, but have not yet been knighted 

Agreed - need them to walk back and forward to make the necessary corrections to polar alignment (I've been thinking bout ways to minimize/eliminate that - but that needs testing which we agree we dont want to be involved inf LOL

I'm still fairly new at this (only a 3yo, so very little success yet  or expected.  ) - so PHD2 was a fairly early uptake in my career.

 

Hmmm - I still like to be able to get off first.

For me, I need my legs for focusing, as well as the Polar Polka, while squinting at the laptop's screen trying to make out the changes. My Kingdom for a stepper focuser.

I've only been at this for 2.5 years currently, not subtracting warranty issues and sitting on my hands waiting. Just a tadpole at astro nonsense.

But long in the tooth on the web, and why tend to take second row.