For several years already PROCYON is the most extensive Astronomy program for the Series 3a/3c.
With the release of the Series 5, many requests came to port the program for the new Psion
machine. Here we release the first version of the program for the Series 5 and call it PROCYON X.
PROCYON X: THE NEXT GENERATION
==============================
With this version we start a new generation of PROCYON X that takes full
advantage of the Psion 5 properties leading to the following features.
Identification of objects by pointing
Much higher precision
No more memories constraints, so more astronomical gizzmo's have been included
Faster rebuild of the sky
For further news on the development of the program consult our homepages:
http://members.home.nl/psion/procyonx.html
http://www.sussenbach.myweb.nl
The Light version of PROCYON X is freeware, but the Pro version with many
extras is shareware and can be obtained by registration (see Registration).
PROCYON X
=========
When we take a long look at the sky on a clear, starry night, have you not
been awed by the vastness and the beauty ? The distant star and galaxies
appear to be fixed and unchanging, but actually you are observing a small
portion of a dynamic and revolving universe.
PROCYON X is a Universe in the Palm of your Hands... It is the most
extended Astronomy software for the Psion Series 3a/c and 5. This small
program is packed full of information including the Yale Star Catalogue,
all Messier objects and the NGC Catalogue, Graphs and Tables, and much,
much more!
Light and Pro PROCYON X is available as a Light version (freeware) and
a Pro version (shareware).
Compared to the Light version the PROCON X Pro version has a number of
extra features:
The Yale Star database is extended from magnitude 4.0 (Light) to magnitude 5.0 (Pro) (1600+ items);
The completel NGC Catalogue of Deep Sky objects (7800+ items) is available;
The Reference-star Database with stars to magnitude 6 is available in Zoom-window;
More than 750 Minor Planets and Comets;
Pictures of all 110 Messier Objects;
Constellation names in Main-view;
Jovian Red Spot visibility option;
Constellation Identification;
Constellation Names in Normal and Zenith View;
Lunar Eclipse Graph.
After registration you will receive a file named 5PROCYON.KEY. In addition
you'll need the Procyon Auxiliary-pack (from http://members.home.nl/psion/procyonx.html).
Installation of both files upgrades the Light version to the Pro version. Without these
the current program will work as a Light version.
INSTALLATION
============
All files should be placed in a subdirectory named \SYSTEM\APPS\PROCYON.
Procyon will search for these files on the Internal Disc C: and then on
the D: disk. PROCYON.INI will be used to store your personal Preferences.
If you have registered Procyon, you have received a file 5PROCYON.KEY
which should also be placed in the above mentioned subdirectory.Finally,
RMRAlarm.opx should be placed in a \SYSTEM\OPX directory
UPDATING FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS
Since any new version contains new options you'll have to delete
PROCYON.INI file and restart the program.
PROCYON X will prepare a new INI file when the program is closed.
Further you must put RMRAlarm.opx in a \SYSTEM\OPX directory
VERY IMPORTANT
Note that PROCYON X uses the English/American decimal separator, viz. a dot.
If you use a continental version of Series 5 with the comma as decimal
separator you have to change that into a dot!
Start the program!
After proper installation the PROCYON X icon is shown in the Extra's bar.
Press and the show starts.
If you want to make a screen dump of a specific scene,
ress Shift-Ctrl-Fn-S and give the file a name. The file is now saved
in the root of the C: disk. Now start Sketch and choose File, More, Merge
in and choose EPOC Picture as the file type. Having done this the file
can be saved as a Sketch file. Now you can drag the file using Psiwin
to your computer and it will automatically be converted to a bitmap
file that can for instanc be used with your Word processor.
MENU
====
Menu: Edit
Edit: Date/Time
Change the Date/Local Time or SummerTime.
Edit: City
Enter a city of your choice. This option uses the places database
of the WORLD application. Due to the large size of the database,
this may take some time
Edit: User Location
Manually edit a location.
Edit: Preferences
Use this option to set your preferences. High Precision
only available in the Pro version. When the Zoom window is 21 degrees
or larger (maximal 45 degrees) the constellation lines are shown
(if the option Constellation lines in Show Options is checked).
Edit: Show Options
Sets the items you want to see. Mirror Image
allows to choose between Normal and
Mirror Image presentation. Mirror Image shows
the Jovian and Saturnian Moons as viewed
through a telescope with a Zenith Prism. See
the Constellations card of this Help file for the
abbreviations of the Constellation Names. The
default presentation of the sky is South-oriented.
By checking North View the sky will be shown
North-oriented.
Edit: Graph Options
Sets the names of the individual Planets you
want to include in your Graphic Presentations.
Edit: Screen Update
Repetitive Updating of thescreen with the chosen
interval
Menu: Find
Find: Constellation
This options reveals the stars belonging to the
same constellation and is only available in the Pro
version.
Find: Identify
Identifies a specific object using pen-touchiing.
Tap the object and information will appear.
Find: Track
Plots the path of a Comet or Asteroid using any
user-made database (made in DATA with the
extension .trk) with a series of positions
(e.g.Halebopp.trk).
Line 1 in such a database has to be the R.A.
[0.00h-23.59h]
Line 2 in such a database is reserved for the Dec
[-90░-+90░]
Find: Position
Shows the position (RA, Dec) of a single object.
Find: Mars Meridian
Calculates the Central Meridian (C.M.) of Mars.
Shows the position of the C.M. on the Mars map
and after pressing a key the currently visible part
of Mars.
Find: Red Spot
Shows when the Jovian Red Spot passes the
Central Meridian. Because the position of the Red
Spot is variable, the longitude can be updated using
Preferences Ctrl-O). For the latest position of the
Red Spot see Sky & Telescope magazine
(May 2001 value is 76 degrees). This
option is only available in the Pro version.
Find: Zenith View
Shows the stars between 50 and 90 degrees
height
Find: Ephemeris
Display compiled data of Solar System objects.
K% indicates Moon Phase
(0 % is New Moon; 100 % is Full Moon).
For other items see Dictionary.
Menu: Object
Object: Binary Stars
Calculates the orbit of a Binary Star and indicates
the position in the current year.
Object: Variable Stars
Calculates the next minimum or maximum of a
Variable Star. For Algol: Flashing cursor shows
current phase/magnitude.
Object: Starname
Seeks a star specified by (part of) Name (e.g.
Procyon).
Object: Messier
Enter (part of) a name or number of a Messier
object. Pictures of the Mesier objects are only
shown in the Pro version
Object: NGC
In the Light version only 100 objects are shown.
The entire database with more than 7000
objects is only available in the Pro version. Enter
the NGC number.
Object: Planets
Shows the position of a Solar System or user-
specified object and the phases of the planets
Object: Minor Bodies>
Cascade: Asteroids or Comets. Choose Asteroid
or Comet and subsequently enter the name of a
Comet or Asteroid.
Object: Lunar Eclipse
Only in Pro version. Shows during a lunar eclipse
the position of the Moon relative to the Earth
shadow. For dates of Lunar eclipses use first
option Full/New Moon (Ctrl-Shift-P). Navigate to a
date with the indications LE . Press Enter and
subsequently press Shift-Ctrl-L.The line
represents the path of the Moon (only in the Pro
version at High accuracy).
Menu: Show
Show: Jovian Moons
Displays a twin-view of Jupiter and his moons.
The positions of the Moons at other times are
displayed by using the cursors as indicated.
The arrow indicates the direction of the Earth.
Show: Moon
Displays the Moon Phase and additional
information.
Show: Full/New Moon
Displays the dates of Full and New Moon.
SE: Solar Eclipse, LE: Lunar Eclipse
To show eclipses, navigate to dates marked as a
lunar eclipse and press. Then press Shift-Ctrl-L
to show the eclipse
Show: Solar System
Shows top view of our Solar System. The arrows
indicate the vernal equinox.
Show: Saturn View
Shows Saturn with rings and moons. Use 0-9 to
zoom in and out. a and b repesent the long and
short axis of the ring. When Inverted View is chosen, Saturn
and its moons are shown against a white background.
Show: Event Base
The Zoom function focuses on the region of
interest. Feel free to explore and expand this
Database.
Show: Graphs
Shows Graphs of the Magnitude, Diameter (") and
Declination of the classic planets and the Visibility
of Mercury and Venus.
Show: Invert View
Inversion facilitates observation of faint stars.
Show: Circular Sky
This option hows a circular representation of the Sky.
The orientation of the presentation can be chosen.
Scrolling of the sky map to reveal another part of the sky
is obtained by pressing the Up or the Down cursor.
To identify an object first stop scrolling by pressing Esc.
Subsequently, tap the object of choice.
If the constellation lines,names or the Ecliptic have been
checked in Edit:Show options, they will be presented in
the sky map.
Menu: Tools
Special: Info
Useful Information.
Special: About
Info about PROCYON X and its Designers.
Special: Rise/Set and Twilight
Rising and Setting displays the times of rising and setting of the
Sun and Planets. Twilight displays the start and finish of the Civil
(Sun 6 degrees below the horizon), Nautical (Sun 12 degrees below the
horizon) and Astronomical (Sun 18 degrees below the horizon) Twilights
When the Sun does not go deep enough, this is indicated by ---
Special: Symbols
Summary of the Symbols used.
Special: Rebuild
Initiates a Rebuild of the screen.
Special: Zoom
To Zoom in on the region of interest press the Fn
button and tap on the object of interest.
The program will draw the stars of the main screen
including the constellation lines when the Zoom window
is 21 degrees or larger Subsequently, the stars of the
Refstar catalogue are drawn.
Wait till the counter indicates that 100% has been drawn
For more information on an object drawn in the Zoom
window just tap (for the stars of the Refstar catalogue
no further information will be given).
Zooming in on the User-defined object is very useful
with a Solar Eclipse (see Event Base) orr a detailed
map of the region where a Solar System orr messier
or NGC object is located
Special: Help
Shows this file
Special: Quit
Gosh... Just try it.
GLOSSARY
========
Altitude:
Angle of elevation in degrees of a star above the horizon, ranging from
0 degrees at the horizon to 90 degrees in the Zenith.
Asteroids:
The minor planets, most of which move around the Sun between the orbits
of Mars and Jupiter. Several thousands of asteroids are known; the largest
is Ceres.
Astronomical Unit (AU):
Mean distance between the Earth and the Sun. It is equal to 149,597,900 Km.
Azimuth:
Angle of a celestial object measured from the south point of the horizon
westward to the meridian. Because of the earth's rotation, the azimuth
of a body is changing all the time.
Cluster:
A collection of stars which are often associated.
Comet:
A member of the Solar System, moving around the Sun in an orbit which is
generally highly eccentric.
Declination:
The angle measured in degrees perpendicular to the plane of the equator,
ranging from -90 to +90 degrees.
Ecliptic:
A circle representing the apparent path of the Sun along the sky. Most
planets move close to this plane.
Ephemeris:
A table giving the predicted positions of a moving celestial body, such
as a planet or comet. PROCYON X gives the coordinates for the epoch and
equinox 2000.0
Galaxy:
System of stars; there are many kinds, and they differ widely in size
and luminosity.
GMT:
Greenwich Mean Time, time at the meridian of Greenwich. Also known as
Universal Time (UT).
Julian Day:
(JD) The number of days, starting from noon on 1 January 4713 BC.
Latitude:
The angular distance of a celestial body from the nearest point on the
Ecliptic.
LST:
Local Sidereal Time, hour angle of the vernal equinox.
Magnitude:
Scale for expressing the apparent brightness of a celestial object. A
fainter star has a higher magnitude. The naked eye in the city can
view stars up to magnitude 5.
Messier Catalogue:
A compilation of Nebulae and Clusters created by the 18th-century French
astronomer Messier.
Meteor:
A small particle which after entering the Earth's atmosphere burns up
leaving a trail of light. The streak of luminosity is known as a
Shooting Star.
Nebula:
A mass of tenuous gas in space together with what is loosely termed 'dust'.
NGC:
New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters .
Phase:
The apparent changes in shape of the Moon and planets depending from
what direction the light of the Sun hits the object and the viewing
angle from Earth.
Planet:
A non-luminous body moving around a star. There are nine known major
planets in our Solar System.
Planetary nebula:
A faint often circular nebula surrounding a star. They visually resemble
a planet.
Radiant:
Point on the celestial sphere from which meteor of a given shower appear
to radiate.
Right Ascension:
The angle measured eastward in hours along the equator between the meridian
of an object and the meridian from a specific point in the constellation
Pisces (vernal equinox). Ranging from 0 to 24 hours.
Vernal Equinox:
Point in the constellation Pisces that is reached by the Sun around March 21 and marks the beginning of the spring.
Universal Time (UT):
See Greenwhich Mean Time (GMT).
ZHR:
Zenith Hourly Rate, average number of meteors per hour during maximum
(approximate rate of activity).
CONSTELLATIONS
==============
Andromeda And
Antlia Ant
Apus Aps
Aquarius Aqr
Aquila Aql
Ara Ara
Aries Ari
Auriga Aur
Bootes Boo
Caelum Cae
Camelopardalis Cam
Cancer Cnc
Canis Major CMa
Canis Minor CMi
Canes Venatici CVn
Capricornus Cap
Carina Car
Cassiopeia Cas
Centaurus Cen
Cepheus Cep
Cetus Cet
Chamaeleon Cha
Circinus Cir
Columba Col
Coma Berenices Com
Corona Australis CrA
Corona Borealis CrB
Corvus Crv
Crater Crt
Crux Cru
Cygnus Cyg
Delphinus Del
Dorado Dor
Draco Dra
Equuleus Equ
Eridanus Eri
Fornax For
Gemini Gem
Grus Gru
Hercules Her
Horologium Hor
Hydra Hya
Hydrus Hyi
Indus Ind
Lacerta Lac
Leo Leo
Leo Minor LMi
Lepus Lep
Libra Lib
Lupus Lup
Lynx Lyn
Lyra Lyr
Mensa Men
Microscopium Mic
Monocerotus Mon
Musca Mus
Norma Nor
Octans Oct
Ophiuchus Oph
Orion Ori
Pavo Pav
Pegasus Peg
Perseus Per
Phoenix Phe
Pictor Pic
Pisces Psc
Piscis Austrinus PsA
Puppis Pup
Pyxis Pyx
Reticulum Ret
Sagitta Sga
Sagittarius Sgr
Scorpius Sco
Sculptor Scl
Scutum Sct
Serpens Ser
Sextant Sex
Taurus Tau
Telescopium Tel
Triangulum Tri
Triangulum Australe TrA
Tucana Tuc
Ursa Major UMa
Ursa Minor UMi
Vela Vel
Virgo Vir
Volans Vol
Vulpecula Vul
REGISTRATION
============
You may currently be using the Light Version of PROCYON X. This version is
free for non-commercial use, but we would appreciate if you could send us a
postcard saying whether you like this program or not. Also suggestions for
extensions of the program are welcome.
If you really like this program or use it regulary you might consider
registering for: Hfl 60, DM 60,- US$ 30 or UK ú 20.
Regsoft US$ 30 www.RegSoft.com 4584
Regnet US$ 35 www.swregnet.com/1703p.htm 1703
With the key-file system there is no need to re-install the program, which can be a lengthy process considering the size of the complete Pro version. Just add the '5PROCYON.KEY' file to \SYSTEM\APPS\PROCYON
TECH INFO
=========
The following files are absolutely required to run Procyon:
PROCYON.APP (Main Program).
5YALE.DBF (Yale Bright Star Catalogue).
5MESSIER.DBF (Messier Nebula).
5PROCYON.MBM
RMRAlarm.opx in a \SYSTEM\OPX directory
The following files are all optional:
5BINARY.DBF (Binary Stars Database);
5VARIABLE.DBF (Variable Stars Database);
EVENT.DBF (Event Base);
5MPLAN.DBF (Asteroids en Comets);
5MILKWAY.DBF (Milkyway Outline);
5CONS.DNF (Constellation names).
The Saturnian moons option is based on emperical formulae. All calculations
are performed with 16 digit precision. We've done our best to achieve the
most optimal performance in such a 'small' program. If you find any bugs,
irregularities, just have smart ideas how expand the program or have even
better algorithms, please contact us!
Thanks to all the testers (in particular John Davies and Uli Kudicke) and
contributers out there, who have supplied ideas, support, bug-reports and
other useful stuff.
CONTACT US
==========
If you got any questions, suggestions, want more technical information or
just want to congratulate us, we can be reached at:
--------- Snail Mail ---------
John Sussenbach
Park Arenberg 42
3731 ET De Bilt
The Netherlands
Pedro van Can
Wilgenlaan 14
6241 BJ Bunde
The Netherlands
------- Electronic Mail ------
j.sussenbach@hccnet.nl
psion@home.nl
---- Procyon Homepages ----
http://www.sussenbach.myweb.nl
http://members.home.nl/psion/procyonx.html
Clear skys end enjoy the program when clouded-out!
