Catalogue references in .stc files
Posted: 20.11.2005, 13:43
A feature that I think is needed in light of t00fri's binary star catalogues is the ability to use catalogue references for the OrbitBarycenter field.
For example, the following .stc file does not work:
The barycenter HIP 999998 is created as expected, however the OrbitBarycenter references do not work.
In addition, it would be useful if stars created in stc files could use catalogue references: for example the following code does not work as expected:
This creates a name entry in the database, and the object cannot be selected using the text entry field (even using autocomplete). Similar problems apply to using SAO numbers (also HIP references, though these have a defined mechanism for addition).
Another feature that may be appropriate would be some kind of placeholder string which would allow characters to be appended to barycentre designations, for example "^ B" would take the individual names from the object referenced in the OrbitBarycenter field and add " B" to them. While this is not an essential feature, it would help when implementing real binary systems so that name changes would only have to be dealt with in the starnames.dat file.
For example, the following .stc file does not work:
Code: Select all
Barycenter 999998
{
RA 119.917516 # mass ratio 1.09:0.92
Dec -60.837128 #
Distance 4.365
}
"HIP 999998 A"
{
OrbitBarycenter "HIP 999998"
SpectralType "G2V"
AbsMag 4
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 79.914
SemiMajorAxis 10.765 # mass ratio 1.09:0.92
Eccentricity 0.5179
Inclination 82.986
AscendingNode 67.726
ArgOfPericenter 3.772
MeanAnomaly 200.119
}
}
"HIP 999998 B"
{
OrbitBarycenter "HIP 999998"
SpectralType "K0V"
AbsMag 5
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 79.914
SemiMajorAxis 12.755 # mass ratio 1.09:0.92
Eccentricity 0.5179
Inclination 82.986
AscendingNode 67.726
ArgOfPericenter 183.772
MeanAnomaly 200.119
}
}
The barycenter HIP 999998 is created as expected, however the OrbitBarycenter references do not work.
In addition, it would be useful if stars created in stc files could use catalogue references: for example the following code does not work as expected:
Code: Select all
"HD 911811"
{
RA 265.834167
Dec 35.970000
Distance 8.290
SpectralType "M2.0V"
AppMag 7.47
}
This creates a name entry in the database, and the object cannot be selected using the text entry field (even using autocomplete). Similar problems apply to using SAO numbers (also HIP references, though these have a defined mechanism for addition).
Another feature that may be appropriate would be some kind of placeholder string which would allow characters to be appended to barycentre designations, for example "^ B" would take the individual names from the object referenced in the OrbitBarycenter field and add " B" to them. While this is not an essential feature, it would help when implementing real binary systems so that name changes would only have to be dealt with in the starnames.dat file.