ACP Sky Survey application released

[John Winfield]

Hi all,

I've got to the point where I think the Sky Survey app is ready for an initial release.

I've had a number of good sessions gathering minor planet survey data, pulling it into Visual Pinpoint to locate minor planets automatically, plus gathering some data points for some variable stars.

I've also gathered a lot of galaxy exposures looking for super novae, processed using an analysis program written by Joerg Hanisch which is available for download from his website:

http://de.geocities.com/joe_hande/domepage/Downloads

My survey app is available for download from my website:

http://winfij.homeip.net/acp/ACPSurvey.html

If you give it a go, let me know how you get on with it.
I'd also like to hear any improvement suggestions you may have, plus obviously about any problems you find.

Cheers,

John

[Bob Denny]

This is so fantastic!!!!! I have "stuck" this thread so it is plainly visible to all. I hope that's OK.

[John Winfield]

Absolutely, it's released as a service to the community, I hope people find it useful (or at least fun!).

John

[higginsdj]

Hi John,

I haven't had an opportunity to run the survey as yet due to an unprecedented number of cloudy nights of late.

Cheers

[Larry Clark]

Hi, I downloaded your app and started it in a equipment simulated environment. Received a 'Runtime error 53: file not found'

I assume it is looking for an input file of targets but there is nothing
in the notes mentioning one or how it might be created.

[Jörg Hanisch]

Hi Larry,

I assume it is looking for an input file of targets but there is nothing
in the notes mentioning one or how it might be created.

yes, indeed it is looking for a target list.
You have to create it on your own.

The Application needs the following files:

1) MPSTargets.txt - containing Targets for Minor Planet Survey
2) SNeTargets.txt - containing Targets for Supernova Search
3) SLCTargets.txt - containing targets for Stellar Lightcurve-work

Creating is pretty simple. Each target is written into 1 line. Just the same as you would do for a "normal" ACP-Plan.
This line is to be followed with a line of 4 "****".

An example file of two targets would look like this:

 
NGC 6798       19h 24m 03s        +53°37'27"       
****
NGC 6801       19h 27m 36s        +54°22'21"       
****

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Jörg

[Larry Clark]

Was this posted somewhere with the application?

[Jörg Hanisch]

Hi Larry,

I'm guessing that John simply forgot to tell about the file-names.
This is information I have got because I helped debugging and beta-testing a bit.

John described the format of the target lists on his website: http://winfij.homeip.net/acp/ACPSurvey.html

Regards,

Jörg

[Larry Clark]

Yes, I had looked at that page, but there was no mention of the file name requirements there either.

Now I'm thinking it expects to find those files at a specific (also unnamed) location..............

[Jörg Hanisch]

Hi Larry,

Now I'm thinking it expects to find those files at a specific (also unnamed) location..............

Yes, of course

It expects the Target-Files in the same folder as the ACPSurvey.exe.

Regards,

Jörg