• How do I get the text from the web?

• How do I label the positions?

• How do I search the data?

• How do I slew to an ephemeris position?

• How do I combine several NEO positions into a single file?

• How do I change the Paramount rates to match the NEO's?

• How do I create my own NEO object symbol?

• Lowell Ephemeris Plotting page

Grabbing the Ephemeris Text

First create an "Ephemeris" for your observatory code using the NEO Confirmation Page. The following example is using Observatory ID:673.

Followed by the actual text,

Date       UT   *  R.A. (J2000) Decl.  Elong.  V        Motion     Object     Sun         Moon
            h                                        "/min   P.A.  Azi. Alt.  Alt.  Phase Dist. Alt.
2005 09 27 16     00 17 31.1 -06 01 04 172.2  18.9    3.99  066.8  106  -32   +27    0.28  120  +80   !
2005 09 27 17     00 17 47.1 -05 59 32 172.2  18.9    4.53  070.5  118  -43   +38    0.28  120  +71   !
2005 09 27 18     00 18 05.2 -05 58 03 172.2  18.9    4.92  073.0  134  -53   +47    0.27  120  +59   !
2005 09 27 19     00 18 24.7 -05 56 39 172.2  18.9    5.14  074.6  158  -60   +53    0.27  121  +47   !
2005 09 27 20     00 18 44.8 -05 55 20 172.2  18.9    5.16  075.7  189  -61   +54    0.26  121  +35   !
2005 09 27 21     00 19 04.7 -05 54 06 172.2  18.9    4.98  076.1  217  -57   +49    0.26  122  +23   !
2005 09 27 22     00 19 23.5 -05 52 56 172.2  18.9    4.61  075.9  236  -48   +41    0.26  122  +12   !
2005 09 27 23     00 19 40.4 -05 51 50 172.2  18.9    4.07  074.8  250  -36   +31    0.25  122  +01   !
2005 09 28 00     00 19 54.9 -05 50 48 172.2  18.9    3.41  072.6  260  -25   +20    0.25  123  -09   !
2005 09 28 01     00 20 06.5 -05 49 47 172.2  18.9    2.67  068.1  269  -12   +07    0.25  123  -18   !
2005 09 28 02     00 20 14.8 -05 48 48 172.2  18.9    1.94  059.1  277  +00   -05    0.24  124  -25   !
2005 09 28 03     00 20 19.9 -05 47 47 172.2  18.9    1.33  040.4  286  +12   -17    0.24  124  -30   !
2005 09 28 04     00 20 21.8 -05 46 45 172.2  18.9    1.06  007.0  296  +24   -29    0.24  125  -33   !
2005 09 28 05     00 20 21.1 -05 45 41 172.2  18.9    1.21  336.4  308  +35   -41    0.23  125  -31   !
2005 09 28 06     00 20 18.1 -05 44 32 172.2  18.9    1.51  321.6  324  +43   -50    0.23  126  -27   !
2005 09 28 07     00 20 13.8 -05 43 19 172.2  18.9    1.73  316.5  344  +49   -56    0.23  126  -20   !
2005 09 28 08     00 20 08.8 -05 42 01 172.2  18.9    1.82  317.2  007  +50   -58    0.22  127  -12   !
2005 09 28 09     00 20 04.1 -05 40 38 172.2  18.9    1.78  323.0  029  +46   -53    0.22  127  -02   !
2005 09 28 10     00 20 00.5 -05 39 11 172.2  18.9    1.64  335.0  046  +38   -44    0.22  128  +09   !
2005 09 28 11     00 19 58.8 -05 37 40 172.2  18.9    1.55  354.6  060  +29   -34    0.21  128  +21   !
2005 09 28 12     00 19 59.5 -05 36 06 172.3  18.9    1.68  018.8  070  +17   -22    0.21  129  +32   !
2005 09 28 13     00 20 03.2 -05 34 29 172.3  18.9    2.08  039.3  080  +05   -10    0.21  129  +44   !
2005 09 28 14     00 20 10.2 -05 32 53 172.3  18.9    2.67  052.9  088  -07   +03    0.20  130  +56   !
2005 09 28 15     00 20 20.4 -05 31 16 172.3  18.9    3.33  061.5  097  -19   +15    0.20  130  +67   !
2005 09 28 16     00 20 33.6 -05 29 42 172.3  18.9    3.97  066.9  106  -32   +27    0.20  130  +76   !

When the Ephemeris text is listed in your browser use your mouse to drag and highlight the text as shown below.  When highlighted RIGHT MOUSE Click and use the option to "COPY" the text from the menu and it will be copied to the clipboard as shown below.

Ignore the heading AU52949 and "No comments so far!"  They are not needed.  However, you will be saving the TEXT file with the name "AU52949.TXT"!

Next launch any text editor like WordPad, or NotePad.  I prefer WORDPAD myself for this.  The key is you MUST use the Edit | Paste Special option!  Using this Paste option the text will not be formatted in anyway.

Microsoft WordPad

Use Paste Special

You do not want the text to be formatted.  The header text will not work if you have altered the data in any way.  Just one column shift causes the header to be inaccurate.

And then Select the

Unformatted Text Option

The text from the NEO Confirmation page will look as follows,

Date       UT   *  R.A. (J2000) Decl.  Elong.  V        Motion     Object     Sun         Moon        Uncertainty
            h                                        "/min   P.A.  Azi. Alt.  Alt.  Phase Dist. Alt.
2005 07 12 21     21 01 49.5 +45 54 17 109.0  17.4   39.28  151.2  175  -10   +71    0.33  118  +31   Map/Offsets
2005 07 12 22     21 03 37.2 +45 19 53 109.4  17.4   39.17  151.4  185  -10   +60    0.33  119  +41   Map/Offsets
2005 07 12 23     21 05 22.7 +44 45 31 109.9  17.4   39.02  151.7  196  -09   +48    0.34  119  +50   Map/Offsets

Now by attaching the header text that follows you have everything you will need to plot this Ephemeris data in TheSky.  The text will be compiled into an SDB file TheSky database file using TheSky's Database Compiler.  Here is the header text that defines the fields of information for the text.  You can highlight the following text and copy it to the clipboard to save it.  Or

DOWNLOAD header text here! Choose Save As to save the text header to your hard disk.  Or just mouse drag the text that follows and copy it to the clipboard.

Now add the header text (EDIT COPY | EDIT PASTE) to the Ephemeris data as shown below.

>SEARCH 1,18
>RAHOURS 19,20
>RAMINUTES 22,23
>RASECONDS 25,29
>SEARCH 1,18
>DECSIGN 30,30
>DECDEGREES 31,32
>DECMINUTES 34,35
>DECSECONDS 37,38
>MAGNITUDE 47,50
>OBJECT TYPE 55
>IDENTIFIER NEO AU52949
>PARSE "Date U.T." 1,18
>PARSE "Elong." 40,44
>PARSE "Motion arc secs/min" 53,58
>PARSE "P.A." 60,65
>PARSE "Object Alt. Az." 66,78
>PARSE "Sun Alt." 78,84
>PARSE "Moon Phase Dist. Alt." 85,102
>PARSE "Uncertainty" 103,114

;Date       UT   *  R.A. (J2000) Decl.  Elong.  V        Motion     Object     Sun         Moon        Uncertainty
            h                                        "/min   P.A.  Azi. Alt.  Alt.  Phase Dist. Alt.
2005 07 12 21     21 01 49.5 +45 54 17 109.0  17.4   39.28  151.2  175  -10   +71    0.33  118  +31   Map/Offsets
2005 07 12 22     21 03 37.2 +45 19 53 109.4  17.4   39.17  151.4  185  -10   +60    0.33  119  +41   Map/Offsets
2005 07 12 23     21 05 22.7 +44 45 31 109.9  17.4   39.02  151.7  196  -09   +48    0.34  119  +50   Map/Offsets

... and so on

The new text file is both the header text and the ephemeris text data combined.  Save the new TEXT file with the name of the NEO for convenience.  Using WORDPAD use File Save As and enter the name AU52949.TXT making it easy to identify.  Place the text file in any folder you like.  Better yet use the My Documents Folder and create a NEW SDB folder named something like "NEO SDB's".  You must remember where you have placed the files because you will need to load them from TheSky.

Once the new combined text files have been saved they will need to be compiled using TheSky's Data | Import.

Data | Import

Select Object Type Reference Point
and Load to memory as shown

Next click the Browse button highlighted above to locate the TEXT file you have created.  See below.  You will have to locate the FOLDER that contains the text file.  In my example My Documents | NEO SDB's folder as shown.

Find the text file you created

with the header and ephemeris data

Once you have found the file note the Identifier is "NEO AU52949".  This is being filled in from the header text above.  The folder name being used is also displayed.  If you do not see the identifier "NEO's from MPC" display you HAVE NOT loaded the correct text file.  That is the text file does not have the header.

Check Identifier field first

Also check "Load To Memory"

Now just use the COMPILE button located on the Import dialog to create the SDB file.  You will be asked to Add to Auto Load Database List answer yes.

Auto Load?

Answer "Yes"

You will know if the data is successfully compiled.  The Import dialog shows how many objects were found in the data and the purple dots represent the location of the objects in  the sky.  The more objects you have the easy the purple dot distribution is to see!

Data has been compiled

Now the Ephemeris can be accessed

Now, because the ephemeris data has been compiled as object type "Reference Point" these must be set to visible to see them!  Use the View | Display Explorer to check this.  Just type in "Reference Point" in the field "Go to:" and you are taken directly to the object type "Reference Point".  See below.  Place a check next to "Reference Point" to make them visible.

View | Display Explorer

Enable Reference Point

How do I find my objects?

Because the text header has a "SEARCH" field specified you can use the Find dialog to show the individual SDB entries.  This makes centering on them easy.  Check mark the options "Frame Object" and "Object information" on the top of the Find dialog.  Next go down under the Sky Databases (SDBs) entry and expand the SDB file named  "NEO AU52949".  Here are the individual entries from the Ephemeris in the list.  When you click on an entry in the list you are taken directly to the object and its' data is displayed for when you have Frame object and Object Information checked on the Find dialog!  See below.

Edit | Find

Search the SDB by name

If you do not see the reference point on TheSky display after it has been centered, showing the position, you have not enabled Object Type Reference Points see above.

You can also go DIRECTLY to the coordinates of the minor planet if you like.  This assumes you know them.  Right Mouse Click on TheSky display and the following menu shows.  By choosing the Move To option you can go directly to any ALT. AZ. or RA and DEC coordinates.

Right Mouse Click TheSky display
 
Choose Move To

Enter coordinates here

Note SLEW button too!

When the telescope is connected the option to "Slew To" the coordinates is available.  There maybe times when it is easier to just slew to the coordinates directly like this or you can simply use the Data | User-Defined data area to quickly add the object.

Add the NEO here

Another Option

You can quickly Center on the object added using the Center button above.

How do I label the Ephemeris data??

You can label the data as you see fit.  Any or all of the fields can be included.  Using the Display Explorer expand the NEO SDB file listed under the Sky Databases (SDB's).  Here you will see the fields associated to the data.  Check mark those that apply.  See below.

Label Date/UT and Motion (rate)

The labels show the fields you have selected

The EXTENDED labels must by enabled to see them.  Use View | Labels | Extended Labels and make sure they are on.

Extended Labels

 

How can I plot all of the NEO's in one file

Here is exactly how.  This is more work but certainly a workable option.  Add all of the NEO ephemeris' texts into a single text file.  By adding the NEO name to the end of each entry you can distinguish each position with the name of the NEO it belongs to.  See below. 

NOTE: Only two entries per NEO are shown for clarity!

So now the text file as all NEO's in a single place.  Just make a new field at the end of each entry and add the name of the NEO.

NOTE: There were two changes made to the HEADER text to accommodate this new file.  They are as follows.  The name of the SDB is now ALL NEOS not just the single NEO name!  And secondly the SEARCH field has been specified as columns 105,155 to allow searching by the new NEO name field that was added!
 

>SEARCH 105,114
>IDENTIFIER ALL NEOS

Now new searching on the SDB file becomes ALL NEOS and the individual entries are listed.  See below.

Changes to the HEADER text

Shown here

How do I slew to an ephemeris position?

Easy.  Once you have clicked on an Ephemeris position on TheSky display (or easier) found it in the SDB file use, the Object Information | Telescope Tab and choose Slew.

Slew to the position here

Note Position in the dialog!

How do I set the Paramount tracking rates?

Because there is insufficient data needed to compute the correct rates for RA and DEC, as there would be when using orbital elements, you have no choice but to manually enter the tracking rates in the control system.  Use Telescope | Options | More Settings to access the settings for the control system.  Here you will see the NON-sidereal rates for both RA and Dec.

NOTE:  The tracking rates entered for both RA and DEC are in arc seconds/second so adjust accordingly to match!  The value on the NEO Ephemeris page is  "/min (arc seconds/minute).  That number must be divided by 60 to get the rate in arc seconds/second.

Example.  A rate of 7.3 arc seconds/minute is equal to only 0.12166 arc seconds/second.  The control system needs the rate in arc seconds/second!

Set RA tracking rate

Default rate is zero

Set DEC tracking rate

Default rate is zero

WARNING!

DO NOT FORGET TO SET THE RATES BACK TO ZERO OR ALTER THEM TO MATCH THE NEXT NEO!  If you forget to change the rates for the next NEO or do not set the zero defaults you will experience tracking related problems since the rates have been altered!