Which 'official' object lists/databases to use?

[badhex]

Hello all

tl;dr I am looking for information on the best 'official' lists/databases of objects (DSOs, clusters, multiple stars) for visual observing. So far I have included Messier and Caldwell. 

Longer version:

I'm moving all my visual observing notes which were previously in Google Keep to a database I'm building in Notion. If you're not familiar with Notion, it's a cloud-based tool designed for note keeping, project tracking etc. and allows simple creation of relational databases. 

In general I'm pretty comfortable with what I am tracking in the notes themselves, but where I need a bit of help is on which object catalogues to use, and which info to track for each object. 

Essentially I want to keep it reasonably simple and focused (hah) on objects that are feasible for visual observing with a small telescope. 

So far:

 - I've imported the Messier catalogue, Caldwell catalogue, and manually created a few objects like Brocchi's cluster

- I'm tracking the Messier, Caldwell and NGC/IC numbers where appropriate as well as which constellation they are in

- I have the RA/Dec for the Caldwell so may add for the Messier as well

- I like clusters, so may add the Collinder catalogue but I don't know how much of it is visible with a small telescope

- I'm considering adding the NGC/IC catalogue, but worried it is *a lot* of objects, again many of which are not visible with a small telescope

- I'd also like to add some double stars (and appropriate but not sure what catalogues to use. Struve perhaps if I can find it, the WDS is probably too big. 

- Are there any other object lists I should be including? 

I'd really appreciate any input or feedback from the SGL hive mind! 

Edited November 7, 2022 by badhex
Edited for clarity

[badhex]

Just giving this a tiny bump and edited for clarity. Can anyone advise? 

[wookie1965]

http://web.archive.org/web/20170419050003/http://astronomy.eaglecreekobservatory.org/doubles/

Great resource for double stars.

https://freestarcharts.com/ngc-ic

https://in-the-sky.org/data/catalogue.php?cat=NGC

NGC and IC charts 

Is this the type of thing you want

Paul

Edited November 7, 2022 by wookie1965

[badhex]

Thanks Paul, I'll have a look. 

[Martin Meredith]

Hi

For 'official' catalogues I tend to rely on Vizier. For instance, the WDS is here: https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=B/wds&-to=3

You could then either download it all in an appropriate format and use a spreadsheet to select the entries you want, or use the filters on the Vizier page itself to select them.

As far as Collinder is concerned, I believe some would be visible with binocs; they tend to be very large.

I have my own versions of most of the DSO catalogues in comma-separated value format if they're useful. I'm attaching the open cluster example to see if of any use. Let me know if you'd like the rest...

cheers

Martin

 

OCs_new.csv

[badhex]

Thanks Martin, very helpful. I'll take a look at the link and the csv you attached.

[Zermelo]

There's a list of deep sky catalogues here: https://www.messier.seds.org/xtra/supp/cats.html (it includes double stars), though it looks like the website certificate has expired and you may have to over-ride the warning. There is an alarming number of lists, though I think it's moot as to which would count as "official".

The makers of the SkySafari software also have lists of deep sky objects and stars that they use to populate their own databases, which presumably are ones that are more relevant for amateur observers (though I'm sure that neither of their lists is complete, as I find references from other catalogues held against some objects).

 

[Tiny Clanger]

 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have worked my way through the Messier list, am still working on Caldwell, the Herschel 400 and 2500 lists, Brightest Planetary Nebulae, and the Revised Shapley Ames Catalogue of Bright Galaxies (which I found for a bargain in hard-cover online).

[badhex]

Thanks all this is super useful. I'll have a look at all the links tomorrow when I'm at a computer and let you know how I get on. 

[Nyctimene]

https://www.saguaroastro.org/sac-downloads/

Stephan

[badhex]

Bit of an update! Firstly thanks to everyone who sent sources, super helpful. 

For now, I've added the list of colourful doubles from Eagle Creek observatory, and plan to add more from there when I have a bit more time. 

I've also added the Burnham's Celestial Handbook database (DSOs) from the Saguaro Astro downloads site.

It took a while to merge some of the duplicates e.g. Messier objects that I had already added, but now I have a decent catalogue of Messier, Caldwell and NGC objects as well as about 80 double stars, which is a really solid base. 

I'm now in the process of copying over my existing observing notes and populating them with objects from the database. 

[AstroKeith]

I've got to ask ...

Why not use Astroplanner or similar?

Or is it the fun of building your own?!

[badhex]

A fair question! A couple of reasons really:

1. As you mentioned, the fun of building it myself. I work in tech for a living, building and implementing cloud tools, so this comes naturally to me. I also wanted to learn the Notion tool in a bit more depth. 

2. Flexibility. Notion allows me to add more or less detail as I see fit, and build pretty customised views of my notes, objects etc. 

3. Similarly, most apps either have functionality I don't need, or don't have functionality that I want. 

4. Usable across desktop, mobile app, web seamlessly and very little chance of losing and data as it's all cloud based. 

 

Ultimately it's a fun little project that started out as a better way to catalogue my observing notes, but I quickly realised that I could add a bunch of additional functionality that would be helpful, like building observing lists etc as well. 

[starhiker]

On 19/11/2022 at 16:36, badhex said:

Bit of an update! Firstly thanks to everyone who sent sources, super helpful. 

For now, I've added the list of colourful doubles from Eagle Creek observatory, and plan to add more from there when I have a bit more time. 

I've also added the Burnham's Celestial Handbook database (DSOs) from the Saguaro Astro downloads site.

It took a while to merge some of the duplicates e.g. Messier objects that I had already added, but now I have a decent catalogue of Messier, Caldwell and NGC objects as well as about 80 double stars, which is a really solid base. 

I'm now in the process of copying over my existing observing notes and populating them with objects from the database. 

Thank for sharing! This is exactly what I want! I may try to replicate a similar system in notion as well. Though I prefer other local note taking system for work, a cloud based system like notion is actually more suitable for observing notes.

[badhex]

7 hours ago, starhiker said:

Thank for sharing! This is exactly what I want! I may try to replicate a similar system in notion as well. Though I prefer other local note taking system for work, a cloud based system like notion is actually more suitable for observing notes.

I can probably share something or make a duplicate to give you a head start, if that's helpful, then you can just delete or add new properties as you see fit and populate with your own notes. 

Honestly the most time consuming bit was importing the objects and consolidation of the data (as well as standardising it), so even if you only use the object database it should save you a ton of time. 

[starhiker]

37 minutes ago, badhex said:

I can probably share something or make a duplicate to give you a head start, if that's helpful, then you can just delete or add new properties as you see fit and populate with your own notes. 

Honestly the most time consuming bit was importing the objects and consolidation of the data (as well as standardising it), so even if you only use the object database it should save you a ton of time. 

Thanks a lot. It would be really great if you are so generous to share it or part. I am not familiar with how the sharing works in notion. Maybe sharing a Messier database and the template if it uses one? So I can start from there? Cheers.

I can imagine that it is very time consuming if trying to import the data manually one by one. But luckily I am just starting my visual journey not too earlier before. So I can build up it slowly while I proceed the hunting journey..

Edited November 22, 2022 by starhiker

[badhex]

9 hours ago, starhiker said:

Thanks a lot. It would be really great if you are so generous to share it or part. I am not familiar with how the sharing works in notion. Maybe sharing a Messier database and the template if it uses one? So I can start from there? Cheers.

I can imagine that it is very time consuming if trying to import the data manually one by one. But luckily I am just starting my visual journey not too earlier before. So I can build up it slowly while I proceed the hunting journey..

No worries. I'll look into duplicating it in the next day or two, although unfortunately my internet went down earlier today and I'm waiting for the engineer to come and fix it 😭

If you are already signed up to notion, I'm reasonably certain I can transfer a duplicated database to you or at the very least share it with you that way, so when the times comes I'll PM you to discuss further. 

[starhiker]

3 hours ago, badhex said:

No worries. I'll look into duplicating it in the next day or two, although unfortunately my internet went down earlier today and I'm waiting for the engineer to come and fix it 😭

If you are already signed up to notion, I'm reasonably certain I can transfer a duplicated database to you or at the very least share it with you that way, so when the times comes I'll PM you to discuss further. 

Thanks a lot. I have a notion account, but please just deal with it when you really get time to spare. No hurry at all. Cheers.

Broadband issue is annoying. I had experience of waiting for a fix for nearly a month after moving home. Eventually they had to dig the front yard and bury a new cable...

[badhex]

29 minutes ago, starhiker said:

Broadband issue is annoying. I had experience of waiting for a fix for nearly a month after moving home. Eventually they had to dig the front yard and bury a new cable...

Second time in a month for me unfortunately. It was out for a week which is basically unacceptable given that both my partner and I work remotely, then was subsequently fixed, and three weeks later has gone down again. 

It turns out that a new neighbour in our building has been having issues getting the internet up and running, and on both occasions the technician somehow managed to knock out our DSL connection whilst attempting to fix theirs 🙄

At least one of the two flats has Internet I suppose. I said to my neighbour today "Internet für Sie oder Internet für Uns - aber nicht beides!" 

[badhex]

@starhiker @k_martensen just a quick update that I've actually created a templated version of my Notion site, but still not finished annotation on each of the sections.so it's clear which bits interact and how. I'm currently recovering from shoulder surgery which has delayed me a bit! Hopefully will have the notes done in the next week once I'm feeling a bit better, will keep you updated here. 

 

Edited December 4, 2022 by badhex

[starhiker]

6 hours ago, badhex said:

@starhiker @k_martensen just a quick update that I've actually created a templated version of my Notion site, but still not finished annotation on each of the sections.so it's clear which bits interact and how. I'm currently recovering from shoulder surgery which has delayed me a bit! Hopefully will have the notes done in the next week once I'm feeling a bit better, will keep you updated here. 

 

Thanks. Please really have a good rest from the surgery and dont worry about the notion template. I had been using @k_martensen template and imported a messier list. I had been playing around it. But not quite get the motivation to really devote my energy into it yet, because I had no observation for really quite a while now. The weather is so bad here, I even forgot when was the last time that the weather allows me draging the dob outside after I am back home from work. I occasonally saw partially clear sky when driving home, and it became fully cloudy immediately when I check it from my garden...

[k_martensen]

On 04/12/2022 at 18:46, badhex said:

@starhiker @k_martensen just a quick update that I've actually created a templated version of my Notion site, but still not finished annotation on each of the sections.so it's clear which bits interact and how. I'm currently recovering from shoulder surgery which has delayed me a bit! Hopefully will have the notes done in the next week once I'm feeling a bit better, will keep you updated here. 

 

Thanks, i hope the surgery went well, and take your time, i'm in the same situation as @starhiker, here the weather has just been cloudy all the time, or too cold, to go out and stand still around a telescope for a while  But take your time, i'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with, when you're ready to continue

[jjohnson3803]

I go straight here as my primary resource:

SAC DB

Addendum:

There's also this:

Darker View

 

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by jjohnson3803