[net.space] Stellar info

rickc@iddic.UUCP (06/11/84)

Netters:

A recent request for an equation for the spiral galaxy renewed my
interest in stars.  Does anyone know of databases (position, name, etc.)
available of stars?  Obviously, I mean in machine readable form, hopefully
in net available form.


						Thanks,

						Rick Coates
						tektronix!iddic!rickc

mike@rice.ARPA (06/15/84)

From:  Mike Caplinger <mike@rice.ARPA>

When I asked this question a while back I got two pieces of info;

SKYMAP 4.0 from

       Wayne H. Warren Jr.
       Code 601             < this code is very important or they will lose
                              your letter>
       Goddard Space Flight Center
       Greenbelt, Maryland
       20771
       (301) 344-6695

and

"I believe one can get a copy of the SAO (a revised version at that) on a
9-track tape from: Dr. Wayne Warren, Astronomical Data Center,
National Space Science Data Center, Goddard Space Flight Center
Code 601, Greenbelt, MD 20771, 301-344-8310."

Don't know whether either or both phone numbers are right.  SKYMAP is
newer and larger, I think.

		- Mike

consult@uwmacc.UUCP (06/23/84)

With regards to the request for a stellar object DB:

Believe it or not, there does not exist a comprehensive DB for
stellar objects, although there are a number of sites that are
working on it. The most notable of these sites is at Mt. Palomar.

A number of years ago, they composed the "Mount Palomar Sky Survey,"
which was a photographic atlas of the northern hemisphere. They have
released a computerized version of this survey, called PSS. It is, as far
as I am aware, not as complete as the photographic atlas, but it 
isn't bad. (I've used it) They are currently working on a similar 
computer DB for the southern hemisphere as well.

As to what computers they are available on, they mostly reside on
VAX/VMS machines. As a matter of fact, there is a computer network
called MADRAf, composed of VAXs running VMS which has the PSS
on it. 

I am, unfortunately, not aware of any UNIX based astronomical databases
at all.

(One other thing you might wanna look into, is the Plato (Trademark)
planetarium program on the CDC PLATO system. It is not a professional
astronomer's database, but it presents the locations of the better known
stellar objects with reasonable accuracy for everyone else...

                   Rob "stars are my life" DeMillo
                   MACC