Sky Charts
All the command can be used from the main menu or the tools-bar.
It is possible to move each button group where you want and select which group to display using the View->Tools-bar option from the main menu. You can hide the main menu to free some space on the screen. Use the Space or Esc key to show the menu again.
The following functions are available as icons in the action-bar of the main window:
Zoom in twice. Same
function as + key.
Zoom out twice. Same
function as - key.
Undo last zoom
Move the chart to
the corresponding direction. You can also use the keyboard arrow.
Flip the chart horizontally.
Flip the chart vertically.
Select the size of
the field of view in degrees
Printer resolution
and printing scale in minutes/cm
Find an object.
Find an object by name in the catalogs Messier, NGC, IC, GCVS, Boss GC, GSC, SAO, HD, BD+SD, CD, CPD, HR. NOTE - The corresponding catalog or index must be installed.
Enter the catalog number in the "Cat Id" field. For the GSC enter region number and star number separated by space. For BD id's enter sign and declination zone number, a space then star number ( i.e. : +36 2844 ).
To find a variable star you can use a name from GCVS like "Y Cas" or "V1357 Cyg" or a suspected variable number like "NSV 1205" or an extragalactic variable name like "SMC V0220" or "N4486 V0002". You can use upper case or lower case for the name. The only exception is "U Her" and "u Her".
Find the planets, comets and asteroids.
The Comets and asteroids list contains only those selected in Catalogs
Selection menu.
Find by constellation name, star name (common name, Bayer, Flamsteed).
For Bayer name enter first the Greek letter abbreviation then the constellation
abbreviation (i.e.: GAM AND for Gamma Andromedae). For Flamsteed numbers
enter the star number and the constellation abbreviation.
Quick locate on the
constellation chart. Click a position on the chart to locate it.
Locate by entering
the coordinates and the orientation.
Azimuth position for
the location and the time in the direction of the main chart center. It
is possible to change the direction of observation. This chart is automatically
updated if the main chart gets changed.
Immediately refresh
the current chart.
The right mouse button on this icon selects or deselects the automatic
refresh of the current chart after every operation.
Catalog
selection and their visibility
Tools :
- Default choice for the identification function. Short identification (in the status bar) or long in a popup window. The Alt key swaps this behaviour.
- Fonts selection.
- Program language selection.
Display the coordinates
grid. Right click on grid icon to change the grid spacing.
Display the coordinate
grid values.
Show eyepieces at
chart center. It is also possible to place a circle anywhere on the chart
using the right mouse button.
Click with the right mouse button on this icon to configure the eyepieces :
The selection "Eyepiece" lets you choose the appearance of the circle corresponding to the field of view of your eyepiece. It is possible to draw up to ten different eyepieces. Enter the size of the field of view in minutes of arc and the associate label. If you want to know the field of view of your eyepiece, divide the apparent field of view by the magnification. i.e. an eyepiece with a focal length of 20 mm and an apparent field of view of 40° used on a telescope with a focal length of 2000 mm:
Magnification = 2000 / 20 = 100
Viewing field = 40 / 100 = 0.4°
Viewing field = 0.4 * 60 = 24 minutes
The value of 24 is the answer to the question.
Display the magnitude
scale and the legend of all used symbols.
The following information is displayed :
Magnitudes
Var Variable star
Dbl Double star
b-v Colour index
Gx Galaxy
Oc Open cluster
Gc Globular cluster
Pl Planetary nebula
Neb Bright nebula
N+C Nebula and cluster
Star Cataloged nebula identified as star
Unk Cataloged nebula unidentified
Comet
Asteroid
Planet
This menu gets you directly
to the
Internet resources .
- Images from different catalogs.
- Stars from GSC and USNO-A catalogs.
- Update the elements of comets and asteroids.
NOTE - You have to be connected to the Internet before you can use this
function.
Display an image from
the Realsky® or DSS CD's on the current chart. The field of vision
must be less than 7 degrees. If configured
the plate list will display.
Look at exposure time and margin to help choosing the best plate. The margin is positive if the chart is enterely contained in the plate or negative if a truncation occure at the plate border.
Sky image.
It is possible to overlap an image on the corresponding
sky chart. To adjust the chart and the image, you need to first identify
an object on the chart (left mouse button) and then locate the corresponding
position on the image (Ctrl+left mouse button). Repeat the same operation
with another object. The right mouse button on this icon presents a menu
to remove the image from the chart.
Remove the image from
the chart.
Make the image and
the chart blink alternatively.
The right mouse button lets you change the blinking speed.
Setting
time and date
Setting
the location of the observation
Bulk
calculation of asteroid positions for a given date
Calendar
Projection
types
Labels
of the selected objects
Draw the constellations
figures.
Draw the constellations
boundaries.
Night vision (red
screen).
List
of all objects in the active window. You have the option of searching for
an object in the list, to sort the objects by Right Ascension, to print
the list or to save it to a file. You can create a catalog file for use
with "Astrometrica"
Print screen contents
to a selected destination. The orientation and the colours can be selected.
Copy the screen content
to the clipboard, to a Windows metafile (.wmf) or to a bitmap file (.bmp).
The key "p" activates this function if the menu is disabled.
Save or reload a chart
previously saved to a file.
Save the current configuration
for the next session.
Configure
the colors and the appearance of the stars and objects
Help
Exit the program
Hide the action bar
for a full screen display - press any key to enable it again.
Mouse functions :
Movement :
- The cursor coordinates are displayed at bottom-left corner of the screen
Left button :
- Simple click : Identification of an object and its distance from the previous pointed object
- Alt + simple click : Swap the default identification function (popup or status bar)
- Shift + simple click : Identification of the objets in the circular pointer.
- Click + movement : Definition of the zoom window.
- Simple click in the zoom window : Zoom
- Ctrl + simple click : Mark objects position on the picture
Right button :
- Simple click : Dispaly a menu with following functions :
- The sky chart is centred according to the cursor
- Place a finder circle at cursor position. You can move the circle and then use the left button to fix it.
- Remove all finder circle.
Keyboard shortcut :
c |
|
f |
|
h |
|
l |
|
p |
|
t |
|
+ |
|
- |
|
| Keyboard arrow : | move the chart to the corresponding direction. |
| Enter : | Hide or show the tools-bar. |
| Space or Esc : | Hide or show the main menu. |
Command line parameters :
Ciel.exe command will accept the following parameters :
| -ar hh.hhhh | Initial right ascension in decimal hour |
| -de dd.ddd | Initial declination in decimal degree |
| -w dd.dd | Field of vision in decimal degree |
| -c nnn.cdc | Load the saved chart nnn.cdc |
| -f
"CAT: catid ID: nnn" |
Find object nnn in catalog catid
then center the chart at this position Don't use along with -ar or -de |
DDE Interface :
It is possible to obtain information about the current chart or to give command to the program using a DDE interface.
Run ciel.exe then insert the following field in a MS Word document :
{DDEAUTO ciel DdeSkyChart DdeData}
The field is replaced by the value from the current chart and is automaticaly
updated as the chart change.
The value are returned by line :
line 1 : Data update time
line 2 : Chart center coordinates and field of vision
line 3 : Status bar value, last object identification
line 4 : Time of the chart
line 5 : Observing place
Example :
27.11.1999 12:06:07
RA: 0h42m42.00s DEC:+41°16'00.0" FOV:+78°00'00"
0h42m44.40s +41°16'08.0" Gx PGC 2557 NGC
224 .SAS3.. D:190.5/61.7' mB: 4.36 b-v:0.92
mB/'2:14.37 RV: -121
1999-11-27T12:05:09
LAT:+46°13'00" LON:-06°09'00" ALT:375m OBS:Geneve
Use DDE function Poke to give command to the program. Only one command
must be send at a time.
The following command are available :
| MOVE | RA: 00h00m00.00s DEC:+00°00'00.0" FOV:+00°00'00" |
| FIND | CAT: catid ID: nnnn |
| DATE | yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss |
| OBSL | LAT:+00°00'00.0" LON:+00°00'00.0"ALT:000m OBS: nom obs. |
If you are interested to use this function from a program I suggest
you download an example with Delphi source code from the source
page.
It is the responsability of the calling program to send coherent values,
otherwise result may be unpredictable.