Meade Autostar Quick start guide

M e a d e I n s t r u m e n t s
A u t o s t a r
S u i t e _
Desktop Observing
For Windows_
Version 3.12
7 January 2004

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A KNOWLEDGMENTS
Images have been provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Santa Barbara Instrument Group, Astrolink, Inc., SS Observatories and other private sources.
The SKY ATALOG 2000.0 database is published by Sky Publishing orp..
The NG 2000.0 catalog is published by Sky Publishing orp..
Packaging design by Hee Moon Design and Assoc.

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Table of Con en s
Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 5
A No e on Accuracy..................................................................................................................................... 5
Sys em Requiremen s .................................................................................................................................. 5
1. Installation.............................................................................................................................................. 5
Quick S ar .................................................................................................................................................. 6
2. File .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Open............................................................................................................................................................ 7
8 Bit versus.12 or 16 Bit Images.......................................................................................................................8
Close............................................................................................................................................................ 9
Save............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Save As........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Prin ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
Prin er Se up............................................................................................................................................... 9
Page Se up..................................................................................................................................................10
Se Cus om Ca alogs...................................................................................................................................10
Compile......................................................................................................................................................11
Build Tables ...............................................................................................................................................11
Exi .............................................................................................................................................................11
3. Time....................................................................................................................................................... 13
Time Display ..............................................................................................................................................13
Se Time & Da e .........................................................................................................................................14
Gregorian ..................................................................................................................................................14
Julian........................................................................................................................................................14
Se Timezone ..............................................................................................................................................14
Se Loca ion................................................................................................................................................14
Save Parame ers.........................................................................................................................................15
4. Ephemeris ............................................................................................................................................. 17
Moon Calendar...........................................................................................................................................17
Eclipse Calendars .......................................................................................................................................17
Show Curren Values..................................................................................................................................17
5. Starmap................................................................................................................................................. 19
Previous View.............................................................................................................................................19
Redraw.......................................................................................................................................................19
Anima e S armap .......................................................................................................................................19
Viewpoin ...................................................................................................................................................20

Objec Selec ion..........................................................................................................................................21
Lock Az/El..................................................................................................................................................22
Zeni h Up ...................................................................................................................................................22
Magni udes.................................................................................................................................................22
Hubble S ars...............................................................................................................................................22
Inver Screen Colors...................................................................................................................................23
Mirror ........................................................................................................................................................23
Zoom ..........................................................................................................................................................23
Op ions.......................................................................................................................................................23
Projec ions..................................................................................................................................................24
Precision.....................................................................................................................................................24
Rese Parame ers........................................................................................................................................25
6. Starmap Utilities................................................................................................................................... 27
Cen er Objec .............................................................................................................................................27
Se Dis ance Ref...........................................................................................................................................27
Objec Descrip ion......................................................................................................................................27
Add o User Da a........................................................................................................................................27
Slew Telescope............................................................................................................................................27
Sync Telescope............................................................................................................................................27
View Log ....................................................................................................................................................28
Show Image................................................................................................................................................28
Crea e Tour................................................................................................................................................28
Add To Tour...............................................................................................................................................29
7. Telescope............................................................................................................................................... 31
Pro ocol ......................................................................................................................................................31
None.........................................................................................................................................................31
Autostar Via omm Port...............................................................................................................................31
Via Modem ................................................................................................................................................31
Via Network...............................................................................................................................................31
A Single Machine Networks/Port Sharing ........................................................................................................32
Se Field Sizes.............................................................................................................................................32
Remo e Handbox........................................................................................................................................33
A Talking Telescope/Port Sharing ..................................................................................................................34
Con rol Panel .............................................................................................................................................34
Scope Se ings.............................................................................................................................................35
Au o Track .................................................................................................................................................35
Communica ions.........................................................................................................................................35
S ar Ne work Server..................................................................................................................................35
Comm Por Se up.......................................................................................................................................36

Tes Comm Por .........................................................................................................................................37
Dome Con rol.............................................................................................................................................37
. Image..................................................................................................................................................... 39
LPI .............................................................................................................................................................39
Pic or..........................................................................................................................................................39
Pic or Guiding............................................................................................................................................40
9. Options.................................................................................................................................................. 43
Nigh Vision................................................................................................................................................43
Grayscale Pale e and S andard Pale e......................................................................................................43
Appendix A .................................................................................................................................................. 45
Image Processing Basics .............................................................................................................................45
Appendix B .................................................................................................................................................. 47
Cons an s....................................................................................................................................................47
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................ 49
Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 51
Index............................................................................................................................................................ 55

Chapter 2 File 5
Introduction
Welcome to Autostar Suite, the Desktop Observatory. Now you can perform many of the same computer assisted
observing tasks as professional astronomer would do on a large institutional observatories. With Autostar Suite you
can: • View the sky as it appears from anywhere on Earth.
• See over 45,000 stars in their B-V colors.
• View scaled representations of over 13,000 clusters, nebulas, galaxies and other deep sky objects.
• Accurately display and animate all of the planets, 7700 asteroids and 650 comets.
• Using the high precision option, determine the position of the solar system object to an accuracy better than 1
second of arc.
• Zoom-in to a field-of-view less than 1 second of arc.
• Measure angular distance between stellar objects.
• Enhance high resolution D images using advanced image processing techniques.
• Determine stellar magnitudes directly from D images, and a number of other powerful features.
• ontrol your telescope with your computer either from a direct connection, or remotely via a network.
• Monitor your telescope’s position on your computer as you observe
• ontrol solid state astronomical imagers.
• Analyze your observations
• Process image in color or black and white.
A Note on Accuracy
Autostar Suite was designed to be extremely powerful and accurate. Many programs designed for the P have taken
shortcuts to appear faster, but at the expense of accuracy! Not Autostar Suite! By carefully coding each section of the
program using 64 bit floating point numbers, Autostar Suite takes full advantage of your Math oprocessor to provide
fast and accurate performance. This gives you the power and accuracy that rivals main-frame computer performance.
The high precision does come with some cost in performance. Even though great care was taken to provide the most
efficient code possible, Autostar Suite may be slower at certain functions, such as starmap generation, than programs
that calculate positions only to a precision barely suitable for display purposes.
All calculations are performed using the most rigorous forms of the algorithms. The resulting values are comparable
to those found in the Astronomical Almanac. Any resulting discrepancies are a result of the original values of the
input data, not from programming short cuts. For example, the positions of the asteroids and comets, are first
calculated to a high level of accuracy using Newton's method to solve Kepler's equation for the solution of an elliptical
orbit. Then the coordinates are corrected for the time it takes for the light from the object to reach the Earth and for
planetary aberration. This assures that the resulting values are correct for that exact instant of time. Finally, the
coordinates are corrected for the precession and nutation of the Earth. If you have chosen the Topocen ric precision
option, the values are then corrected to show the position from your selected viewing site's latitude, longitude and
elevation. Many other programs only use approximate formulae which may be valid only for a small time span.
System Requirements
The minimum system required to run Autostar Suite are as follows:
• 64 Meg Ram.
• Hard Disk with 12 Megabytes of free space.
• Super VGA adapter and compatible monitor.
• Windows 98SE or greater
• Pentium PU IBM-P /AT or faster.
• A Microsoft compatible mouse.
1. Installation
Insert the Setup disk into the cdrom drive. Normally, after a moment or two the following display will appear on the
your monitor:

Chapter 2 File 6
To install the entire Autostar Suite, simply move the cursor over the “Install Autostar Suite” button and click the left
mouse button. You will prompted through the balance of the installation. In addition to the Autostar Suite, the D-
ROM also contains this manual and manuals for the Autostar Image Processing module and the LPI camera. To view
manuals, click on the “Manuals Screen”. To view the Meade product catalog, click on the “Meade General atalog”
button. Finally, to access Meade’s website for the latest updates and product information, click anywhere on the
Meade logo.
If the window above does not automatically appear after a few seconds, you can select the Run option from the
Program Manager window. Then type:
D:SETUP then press Enter.
Where “D:” is the drive letter for your DROM reader. The Setup program will prompt you for the desired drive and
path in which to install the program and data files. Use may also choose the star database that you would like to
install. Then it will begin uncompressing the files from the distribution disks and copying them to the appropriate
locations on the Hard disk. Make sure you have at least 12 Megabytes of free space on the destination drive if you
have selected the magnitude 8.0 star database and approximately 5 Megabytes if your using the magnitude 6.0 data.
If you change your mind and would like to install a different database option, just run the Setup program again, but
select only those features that you would like to change.
Once the installation is complete, Autostar Suite will be ready to help you begin your own exploration of the osmos.
Quick Start
To get a quick overview of some of Autostar Suite features, follow the steps below:
To Se Loca ion:
1. Select the Time menu, by clicking on the name or typing Al +T.
2. Then select the Set Location entry. The Se Loca ion Dialog Box will now be displayed.
3. Select either Ci ies or Observa ories, then select your desired location.
4. heck the Timezone and Daylight Savings status by clicking on the Se Timezone button. The Se Timezone
dialog box will be displayed.
5. lick on the OK button in the Se Timezone dialog box to return to the Se Loca ion dialog box.

Chapter 2 File
6. If you are satisfied with your selection, click on the OK box. Otherwise, make another selection, then click the
OK button.
7. If you want to save these selections for the next session, select the Save Parame ers from the Time menu.
To View he S armap:
1. Select Zoom from the Starmap menu.
2. hoose 50% coverage, if it is not already selected. This will give you a view of approximately 50% of the sky
when looking straight up. You may also enter the Field of View directly in degrees if you desire. lick the OK button
when finished.
3. hoose Viewpoin from the Starmap menu. lick on Sou h. This will allow the Starmap to display the sky as it
appears at the selected location looking southward at this exact instant!
4. hoose the Op ions menu item. This displays a selection menu of all of the Starmap options such as grid lines and
names. Select the Deepsky Objec s check box, then click on OK. The Starmap will now be displayed with lusters
(yellow circles), Nebulas (green squares) and Galaxies (red ellipses). If you zoom-in for a closer look at these objects,
you will notice that they are drawn to scale. Each class of object has its own minimum size so that they will still be
visible with a wide field of view.
5. Move the mouse so that the cursor is directly over a Star. lick the Lef mouse button. You should now have the
S armap U ili ies dialog box displayed and a bullseye is drawn around the object that you have selected.
6. hoose the Ge Descrip ion radio button. If your aim was good, the Objec Descrip ion dialog box will be
displayed. Here you will find information such as the objects actual location, magnitude, B-V color, and a number of
other features. lick on OK when you're done.
7. Open the Objec Selec ion dialog box from the S armap menu.
8. Select the Messier catalog and enter 51 (do NOT enter the M prefix) in the Number field. This will select M51,
The Whirlpool Galaxy. Then click on the OK button. The starmap will redraw with M51 at the center of the display.
9. Open the Zoom Fac or dialog box by selecting the Zoom entry from the S armap menu or by holding down the
control key and pressing “Z”.
10. Set the Field of View to 0.5 degrees, then click the OK button. This will redraw the starmap showing both M51
and its companion galaxy. You may hit the ESC key to abort the drawing of each phase of the starmap.
11. To see an image of M51, just click on M51 and when the Star Map Utilities Box appears, click on Show Image.
After a moment an image of M51 will be displayed in a new window.
16. lose the image display by clicking on the “x” icon in the upper right corner of the image window, or by choosing
the Close function from the File menu.
By now you should have a good feel for the overall structure and methods used in Autostar Suite. You can now begin your
journey into discovering the osmos!
2. File
The file menu contains a number of commands for opening and closing image files, printing images and selecting and
maintaining the various databases used by Autostar Suite.
Open The Open command allows you open either images or spectrographs in any of the following formats.
TIFF - Tagged Image File Format (8 or 16 bit grayscale)
FITS - Flexible Information Transport System (8, 16 bit bit grayscale)

Chapter 2 File 8
BMP - Windows Bitmap Format (8 bit grayscale/256 color)
LNX - Spectra Source Lynxx format (12 bit grayscale)
ST6 - Santa Barbara Instrument Group (16 bit grayscale)
ST4 - Santa Barbara Instrument Group (8 bit grayscale)
08B - Raw (8 bit grayscale). Similar to ST4.
Images may only be saved in TIFF, FITS or BMP formats.
To open a file:
- Select the desired format.
- Select the directory and filename from the list boxes
OR
- Enter the desired filename in the Edit box.
If the filename is specified without an extension, a default extension will be automatically added to the filename to
reflect the current format. If the extension is provided, it will over-ride the current selection
The file will be loaded into two separate memory buffers, namely the display buffer and buffer A. The display buffer
contains the image that is currently displayed on the screen, while buffer A is used as the source for the image
processing functions. When an image processing function begins it copies the current display buffer into buffer A.
If the image file is part of an RGB composite image (red, green or blue), you may choose which RGB buffer to use as
the destination. If you have selected either the Red, Green or Blue buffer, the buffer will be created, and the image
will be copied into the buffer automatically. You may also copy the current image into the RGB buffers at a later time
by using the Copy Image command.
8 Bit versus.12 or 16 Bit Images
When 12 or 16 bit images are loaded, they must first be compressed down to 8 bits (256 gray levels), which is the
maximum number of simultaneous colors that Windows can display at one time. To prevent the loss of important
data, Autostar Suite automatically senses the larger data format and displays the Image Prescale dialog box, which
allows either automatic or manual setting of the parameters used to compress the data into an 8 bit format. This dialog
box displays the histogram of the 16 bit data in a large graph at the top and, at the bottom, a smaller graph of the
resulting data after compression.
After the image is loaded in 16 bit format, a histogram is constructed that shows the distribution of the data contained
in the image. Normally the data is distributed in a rather narrow range of values which lends itself to scaling to the 8
bit format. Once the histogram is constructed, the Threshold values of the data is calculated and are used to set the
scaling range. This gives a reasonable starting point for scaling most images. The threshold values may be reset at
any time by pressing the Threshold button.
Since the data is not evenly distributed, some fine-tuning of the limits is usually needed. This is accomplished by
using one of the predefined scaling options or by moving the red markers located under the main histogram display.
Generally, the best images are obtained with the markers set just at the high and low edges of the important data.
Values that are above the upper marker result in pure white pixels, while those below result in pure black.
If the S d. Dev. button is depressed the Mean and Standard Deviation of the image are calculated. The upper limit is
set to the Mean plus 5 Standard Deviations, while the lower limit is set to the Mean minus 1 Standard Deviation.

Chapter 2 File 9
The Min Max button sets the pointers to the extreme minimum and maximum values contained in the image, while
Full Scale sets the values to 0 and 65535 which are the minimum and maximum values possible in a 16 bit image.
If you are loading images from an RGB composite set of files, you may find it useful to use the same scaling values
for each of the individual images. This is easily accomplished by using the Use Previous Scale Values button located
at the bottom the the dialog box. Since many astromonical images contain a large amount of red light, you may want
to load the red image first, scale it properly, then use the same scaling values for both the green and blue images.
Close Selecting lose will close the current file and remove its display window and any support windows, such as the
Histogram.
Save Saves the current file using the current filename and format type. This function is only available if the current format
type is TIFF, FITS or BMP.
Save As
Displays the Save As dialog box and allows saving the current image in any of 3 different formats, TIFF, FITS or
BMP.
To save a file:
- Select the desired format.
- Select the directory and filename from the list boxes
OR
- Enter the desired filename in the Edit box.
If the filename is specified without an extension, a default extension will be automatically added to the filename to
reflect the current format. If the extension is provided, it will over-ride the current selection
NOTE: All images are saved in he 8 bi versions of heir respec ive forma ype.
Print The Prin command sends the current starmap to the print spooler for the current default printer. The starmap is
scaled so that it completely fills the printing area of the paper in the horizontal direction. The vertical scale is then
chosen to preserve the original aspect ratio of the star map. Additional information pertaining to the starmap is also
printed at the bottom of the page, below the image.
Printer Setup
Displays the Prin er Se up dialog box which allows the selection of any of the currently installed printers.
By selecting the Se up button, the Setup dialog box for the current printer is displayed. You can alter the settings for
printer using its setup dialog. To make the highlighted printer the default printer, you must click on the “Set As
Default Printer” button. If you do change the default printer, remember this may affect other applications run
subsequently on your computer.

Chapter 2 File 10
Page Setup
Displays the Page Se up dialog box which allows you to control headers, footers and margins that will be used in
printing your star maps.
Set Custom Catalogs
The Se Cus om Ca alogs dialog box allows you to select the user data files to be used in drawing the starmap. You
can create unique data files for each of your different projects, or import any popular astronomical catalog and
imcorporate it into your star map displays.
Autostar Suite allows up to 8 custom catalogs and on minor planet/cometary catalog to be used in any starmap. To
change edit the custom catalog, you can simply type the name of the catalog or you can use the browse button to
navigate around your system to locate a desired catalog. atalogs can be enabled or disabled by checking the box next
to the catalog name.
ustom catalogs are simple ascii text files with columns of data. To edit a catalog using Windows notpad or wordpad,
just click on the Edi button. A window similar to the one shown below will open for you to edit your data.

Chapter 2 File 11
There are two different data file types: User Objec s and User Plane oids. The User Objects consists of a table of A
unique key number, Name, Object Type, R.A. (Right Ascension) , DE . (Declination), Magnitude, Size and a
comment. The User Planetoids file consists of a table of orbital elements followed by a descriptive name. Each entry
in either file must be contained on a single line terminated with a R and LF to delimit the line. There is no limit to
the number of objects that may be contained in these files.
See the header at the beginning of the supplied user files “.UOB “ and ”.UPL” for a description of the format of the
files.
Compile
Re-builds the binary versions of any of the following databases:
Stars - (STAR.DAT)
Deepsky Objects - (DEEPSKY.DAT)
onstellations - ( ONSTELS.DAT}
Planets - (PLANETS.DAT)
omets - ( OMETS.DAT)
Asteroids - (ASTEROID.DAT)
Each of the above files are in a simple AS II format, each line is delimited with a R and LF character. You may
modify these files to update any of the information for the particular class of objects. Each file begins with a brief
description of the format of the data that follows. The length of each line must remain the same.
WARNING: The data contained in these files is copyrighted. You may not distribute this data in any form, EVEN
if you have modified it. Modifying any of the data may corrupt the integrity of the database. You may consider
adding new objects to the database, but, DO NOT modify the existing values unless you are sure that the new values
are correct!.
Build Tables
Re-builds the files used for the Right Ascension and Declination crosses or circles. This is useful only if the data files
have been corrupted.
Exit Shuts down Autostar Suite in an orderly fashion and returns to the Windows Manager. If there are any modified files
opened, you will be prompted to save those files.

Chapter 3 Time 13
3. Time
The Time functions allow you to set the time and date, display the current time in a variety of formats, and select the
location from which you want to observe. You may select a time and date anywhere from January 1, 4713 B. . to
December 31, 9999 A.D.. However, you would normally select dates that correspond to your planned observing
sessions.
If you set a date or time, Autostar Suite's internal clock is halted and all calculations will use your chosen time and
date. If you choose to use the system time, the internal clock will again begin running and will be accessed in real-
time as the system requires.
When Autostar Suite is communicating directly with an observatory, the observatory will provide an accurate time
source for Universal Time (UT1). When not connected, Universal Time is derived from the internal clock of the P .
Time Display
The Time Display function displays a modeless dialog box that allows you to continuously monitor all of the current
times required by Autostar Suite. Since the Time Display is modeless, you may keep the display active while using
other program functions. The display can be disabled either by selecting the Time Display menu item, or by double
clicking the lef mouse button on the symbol in the upper right corner of the display.
The first time display is that of the Local Zonal Time for the currently selected location. If Autostar Suite is not
connected to an observatory, this value is derived from the internal clock of the P . The current status of daylight
savings time is shown below the Local Solar display.
The Local Mean Solar Time is the actual local time based on the mean position of the sun. This time, plus the value
of the Equation of Time yields Local Apparen Solar Time, which is the time indicated by a sundial at the current
location.
The Universal Time display shows the value of the time at Greenwich, England. This is the precise time used in all
astronomical calculations. The time returned from an observatory will be its current value of oordinated Universal
Time (UT ) corrected for its position. The corrected time is then called UT1. Observatories near the United States
will probably be using (UT ) derived from radio station WWV or WWVH (Hawaii).
If the Universal Time value reflects a time that is on a day different from the current local day, a warning is displayed
below the display indicating that fact. The message Nex Day will be displayed if the UT day is greater than the
current day, and Previous Day if it is less. No message will be displayed if the UT and local days are the same.
Finally, the Local Sidereal Time is shown. This is the Local Apparent Sidereal Time for the current location.
Sidereal time is the Right Ascension of any object that is directly overhead (Zenith) at that instance. Or to look at it

Chapter 3 Time 14
another way, Sidereal Time is the time that has elapsed since the Vernal Equinox (or first point of Aries) has passed
overhead. The sidereal time must always be known when attempting to locate objects in the sky based only on their
given coordinates.
Below the time displays, the current Gregorian date is shown along with the current location and its coordinates.
These are shown merely for reference.
The Del a T value is displayed for reference. This value is used when converting from Universal time (UT) to
Barycentric Dynamical Time (TDB). If you have set the current time and selected the Se Dynamical Time option,
this value will be zero (0.0), otherwise it displays the number of seconds added to UT to produce TDB.
The final values displayed are the Julian Da e (JD) and the Julian Ephemeris Day (JDE). The Julian date is the
number of days, and fractional days, since January 1, 4713 B. ., at 12:00 Universal Time. The Julian date is the
current date on the Prime Meridian which runs through Greenwich, England and is therefore a function of the
Universal Time (UT1). JDE is the Julian date corrected by Delta T. This value is used in all of the Ephemeris and
Sidereal calculations.
Set Time & Date
Setting the current time and date can be accomplished in two different manners. You may enter either the standard
(Gregorian) time and date values or you may enter the full Julian date. Either method is equally valid. Once you
specify a time and date, the internal Autostar Suite clock is frozen at your desired settings. The internal clock runs
only when you are using the system clock (either from the P or the observatory). To start the system clock, select
either Gregorian or Julian from the Se Time & Da e menu and push the Use Sys em Time & Da e button.
The entered value may also be used as the current Dynamical Time by selecting the Se As Dynamical Time button.
Gregorian
The Gregorian time and date format is the format that is normally used throughout the world. It was established at
noon on October 4, 1582 by Pope Gregory. At that instance of time, the current Julian date was 2299160.0. The very
next instance became October 15, 1582 and the Julian date became 2299160.5. This was done to correct for errors that
had accumulated, since the previous calendar did not include leap years. Pope Gregory's new calendar included an
extra day every four years. This is the calendar we still use today.
Julian
The Julian calendar is merely a sequential count of the number of days since 1 January, 4713 B. . (which is written 1
January, -4712). This value is useful when calculating the Ephemeris data (the changing positions of the planets,
comets, etc.). Most technical almanacs, such as the Astronomical Almanac, exclusively use the Julian date when
specifying a particular time and date.
Set Timezone
The Se Timezone function allows you to change the value for the timezone of the current location. The Daylight
Savings feature can also be enabled or disabled from this dialog box. You should always set the timezone value
correctly, then select Daylight Savings as appropriate.
Set Location
Selecting the Se Loca ion menu item displays a dialog box which allows you to pick an Observatory or ity location
from which you will be observing. You may either choose from a list of predefined locations or you may enter your
own latitude and longitude coordinates. If you enter your own coordinates (or modify predefined values) the Time
Display will show User Specified Location instead of the actual location name. This assures that only the predefined
(and correct) coordinates are used if you are sending requests to an actual observatory.
If you have entered your own coordinates or wish to change the status of Daylight Savings, you can access the Set
Timezone dialog box directly by pushing the Se Timezone button.

Chapter 3 Time 15
Save Parameters
Selecting the Save Parame ers item from the Time menu allows to save the location, coordinates and timezone
information in the AutostarSuite.INI file. This file is located in your current Windows directory. This file contains
information so that the next time you run Autostar Suite, it will begin with your desired values.
Note: Other Autostar Suite information is automatically added to the AutostarSuite.INI file as the program runs. The
Save Parameters function only saves the location parameters, which are NOT saved by default.