Object List

If you have many objects, then create a simple target list before your observing run. It can be fed into the telescope control computer and saves you from typing coordinates late at night.

• Write your object list in the format:

  name ra(hh mm ss.ss) dec(dd mm ss.ss) equinox

  where name can have up to 20 characters and equinox specifies the epoch of the source coordinates ("B1950", "J2000" or "APPARENT").
   
  Example:

  M33       01 33 51.02   30 39 36.70  J2000
  NGC157    00 32 14.40  -08 40 20.00  B1950
  GJ398.2   10 39 36.74  +43 06 09.25  J2000
  

• The list file must have extension .cat (e.g. mylist.cat).
• Once you are at the telescope, copy mylist.cat into the directory /wht/cat/
• Tell the observing support assistant (OSA) to include mylist.cat as an user catalogue into the TCS
• Now you can move the telescope to each object loaded into the TCS, by typing this command into the window that also accepts all the other observing commands.

  SYS> gocat M33

  The OSA can do it for you, too.