Super PC 27/Super PC 27 (ClarisWorks y shareware).iso/spc/util/dspace5/help.doc

Text File | 1995-02-24 | 283.2 KB | 3,626 lines

 ============================== >> USING HELP << =============================

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 has many more capabilities than first meet the eye.  The
 easiest way to get an overview is:

 --Browse through the MENU LAYOUT at the end of the Extended Help file.
 --Browse through QUICK HELP.
 --Browse through the titles in EXTENDED HELP and read the sections that
   most interest you.

 EXTENDED HELP and QUICK HELP are available from the MAIN MENU.  They can be
 scanned on screen or printed out.  The printed manual is essentially a copy
 of the help files.

 QUICK HELP -- is an alphabetical listing of some of the things you might want
 to do with DEEP SPACE along with sequences of key strokes you would use to
 accomplish your goals.

 EXTENDED HELP -- also gives suggested keystrokes, but Extended Help is as
 much an astronomy handbook, as it is an instruction manual.  The topics are
 in narrative rather than alphabetical order.  To get full value out of DEEP
 SPACE you should read through the manual or print out the the help notes and
 read through them.

 Abbreviations used in the both Extended Help and Quick Help:
      MM = MAIN MENU, initial menu in text mode
      DM = DISPLAY MENU, initial menu in graphics mode (top left corner)
      <  > = a single keystroke, such as <Enter>, <SpBar>, <Arrow>, etc.
      [ , , ] = a sequence of keystrokes used to achieve a stated purpose

 Conventions:
      <Enter> = Used to terminate a number or word entry or to accept a
         default command
      <SpBar> = Used to toggle a check mark on or off in a selection menu
         (any number of items may be selected in this kind of menu)
      <Esc> = Exit or retreat to previous menu
      (../../..) = Choose one, (such as (Y/N), (A/B/C), etc.)
      <PgUp/Dn> = in zoom mode to change size of zoom box;
         in text mode, to jump up or down one page
      <PgDn> = During data entry, accept all defaults and jump to last item
      <Up/Dn Arrow> = During data entry, go to previous or next item (even if
         the items are arranged side-by-side.
      <Lt/Rt Arrow> = used to position the cursor within an item for editing
         purposes

 When in doubt about what data value to use, accept the default value.
 When in doubt, use the <Esc> key to quit an item.


 ========================= >> PROGRAM REGISTRATION<< =========================

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 will operate in SHAREWARE mode unless either the REGISTERED
 USER NAME and corresponding REGISTRATION NUMBER are imprinted in the program
 or the DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 CD ROM is physically present in the CD ROM drive. If
 you purchased DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 directly from David Chandler Co. you received
 a registration number with your order.  If you purchased DEEP SPACE Ver. 5
 elsewhere you received a registration card in the package.  Send in the
 registration card immediately to receive your REGISTRATION NUMBER.  In the
 mean time always keep the CD ROM in the drive while the program is running.

 Once DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 is registered, you will be able to run it with full
 access to all databases apart from the CD ROM.  Registration is especially
 important if you plan to use DEEP SPACE on a laptop computer in the field.

                                >> Shareware <<

 DEEP SPACE has always been, and continues to be, SHAREWARE.  We believe a
 software purchaser should be able to test drive a program for evaluation
 purposes.  That allows you to evaluate the program on its merits, not just by
 the picture on the box.  We also want to encourage you to share the program
 with others.  The shareware version is fully operational except for the depth
 of the database (naked-eye stars and Messier Objects) and the lack of a
 Postscript emulator, which is a separate program produced by LaserGo Inc. and
 is not shareware.  (There are other printing options, however.)  ALL of the
 functions work the same in the shareware and registered versions, including
 telescope control!

 To facilitate your sharing DEEP SPACE with others we have included a disk
 image of the full shareware disk in the SHARE subdirectory on the CD ROM.
 Simply copy this directory to a floppy disk and pass it along to anyone you
 know who is interested in astronomy and has access to a computer.


 ======================= >> HARDWARE CONSIDERATIONS << =======================

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 runs entirely in conventional 640K memory.  Actual memory
 usage is close to 550K, leaving some flexibility for you to manage drivers
 and any resident programs.  If memory limit problems do arise, you most
 likely have too many other programs or drivers competing for conventional
 memory.  Try loading DOS and other routines into high memory or remove
 memory-resident programs.

 GoScript (the Postscript emulator) requires a 386 computer and one megabyte
 of extended memory, minimum.  It will use additional extended memory to the
 extent available.  If it needs more space than is available (which may happen
 if you print at resolutions higher than 300 dpi) it will swap its workspace
 back and forth to hard disk.  Swaping to hard disk will make GoScript run
 more slowly.

 A math co-processor is optional but highly recommended.  Older machines
 without a math co-processor will require much patience!  DEEP SPACE has
 always assumed the least common denominator in hardware.  In recent years the
 least common denominator has gone up, and we would be lost in the backwaters
 if we did not take advantage of the increased performance level of today's
 computers.  DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 is designed to allow you to zoom, recenter, and
 frame your maps graphically.  This is very convenient if you have a fast
 machine, but it is slow if your machine is out of date.  For laying out maps
 with the minimum of graphical overhead, choose Select Map Format from the
 MAIN MENU, then select Custom Map.  (In Quick Help notation, this is written:
 [MM, Select Map Format, Custom Map].)


 =============================== >> STARTUP << ===============================

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 may be installed onto your hard disk by running INSTALL.EXE
 and following the instructions.  INSTALL.EXE will

   --create a directory structure on the hard drive of your choice using a
     directory name of your choice,
   --copy files from the CD ROM, or copy and un-compress the files from our
     distribution diskette format, or un-compress and distribute the files
     obtained from a computer bulletin board system or the Internet, as
     needed,
   --create a batch file named DSPACE.BAT on your root directory to
     allow easy starting of the program from the DOS prompt without first
     changing directories.

 INSTALL.EXE will NOT modify your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT.  If you execute
 your DOS programs from a shell or menu program or put the DEEP SPACE
 directory on the path in AUTOEXEC.BAT you may prefer to delete DSPACE.BAT.

                       >> Preserving Ver. 4 Data Files <<

 If you have collected the latitudes and longitudes of your favorite observing
 sites, maintained an observing log, and/or set up your own categories of deep
 sky objects to allow convenient object selection, you would not want to lose
 your data.  (If you have purchased DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 on CD ROM you will not
 need your older star (SST) data files.  If you have purchased a registered
 disk version, however, and you have star data in SST files from previous
 versions, you can preserve the extra files for Ver. 5.)

 If you install DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 in the same directory previously used for
 Deep Space 3-D Ver. 4, the old SITE, USERLOG, CATEGORY, and SST files will be
 preserved automatically.  Do not attempt to load old saved maps, however.
 The format has been expanded and the old format may cause the program to
 crash.  (If this happens, re-boot.)

 If you install Ver. 5 to a new directory, the old SITE.DSS and USERLOG.DSS
 files can be coppied to the DSFILES subdirectory.  Ver. 5 uses a different
 format for the deep sky object category file, but it will look for an old
 CATEGORY.DAT file and convert it to CATEGORY.V50, if it exists.  If you have
 created your own deep sky object categories in Ver. 4, copy your old
 CATEGORY.DAT file to the new DSDATA subdirectory.  If the new CATEGORY.V50
 has already been created, delete it.  The next time DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 is run
 it will make a copy of your existing file and convert it to the V50 format.

                          >> Installing from CD ROM <<

 If you are installing from the DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 CD ROM, you will find
 INSTALL.EXE in the root directory.  If your CD ROM drive is drive E:, type:

                 E:INSTALL   (Substitute correct drive letter)

 The program files, NASA Skymap star data files (250,000 stars to Mag. 10),
 asteroid and comet files (about 10,000 objects), and deep sky object files
 will be transfered to your hard disk.  These will be found in the DSDATA and
 DSFILES subdirectories under your base directory.

                           >> Installing from Disk <<

 If you are installing a registered version of DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 from our
 distribution disks, INSTALL.EXE is found on the main program disk.  If the
 floppy drive you are using for installation is drive A:, type:

               A:INSTALL   (Substitute the correct drive letter)

 The main program disk contains two compressed files: DSPACE5A.EXE and
 DSPACE5B.EXE, and INSTALL.EXE and REAEME.BAT.  Two extra files are provided
 on a second disk if you ordered a registered copy: DSGS.EXE, and SST02.EXE.
 (Additional star and asteroid/comet data disks are available separately.)

 Shareware distribution companies typically add one or more files of their own
 to the disks they distribute, and some may even re-compress the files in a
 different format.  INSTALL.EXE will work in this mode only if the main
 compressed files (DSPACE5A.EXE and DSPACE5B.EXE) are in their original
 format. If you receive the files in other formats, try the Alternate
 Installation procedure outlined below.

               >> Alternate Installation from Compressed Files <<

 INSTALL.EXE provides an alternate way to install the compressed files,
 DSPACE5A.EXE and DSPACE5B.EXE.  This method is useful if you downloaded these
 files from a BBS or the Internet.

 In some situations the main files may be packaged within a ZIP, ARC, or other
 file compression scheme.  First remove this outer covering with an
 appropriate decompression routine.  If INSTALL.EXE is found at this stage,
 copy INSTALL.EXE, DSPACE5A.EXE and DSPACE5B.EXE to a single newly created
 directory and run INSTALL and choose the installation from files option.

 If there is no INSTALL routine available, create a new directory (DSV5 or
 some other name) and copy DSPACE5A.EXE and DSPACE5B.EXE into it.  A copy of
 INSTALL.EXE is inclued within DSPACE5A.EXE.  Expand at least DSPACE5A.EXE (or
 both if you wish) by typing the name without the .EXE extension.  Now type
 INSTALL and choose the installation from files option.  This will create the
 required subdirectories, expand the other compressed file if needed, and
 distribute the files correctly.

                                  >> Files <<

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5, when installed properly on your hard drive, will have the
 following directory structure:

       \ROOT DIRECTORY
          │
          ├─(DSV5)       <--(base program directory/may have different name)
          │   ├─DSDATA   <--(star data, other fixed data)
          │   ├─DSFILES  <--(files generated by the user)
          │   └─SHARE    <--(Shareware files for free distribution)


 \DSV5 should contain:

 DSPACE.EXE, DSPACE.OVR
 CGA.BGI, EGAVGA.BGI, HERC.BGI
 INSTALL.EXE, HELP.DOC, CATALOG.DOC, QHELP.DOC, HELP.IDX
 CENTERS.DSS, CONLINE.DSS, DIRLIST.DSS, EXTSYMBL.DSS, LASERDOT.DSS,
 MENULIST.DSS, NAMENUM.DSS, NGCSYMBL.DSS, PLANETS.DSS, PLNDX.DSS,
 VIDDOT.DSS, XYZLIST.DSS, FSTNAME.DSS
 (Once the DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 is run DSCONFIG.V50 will be added.)


 \DSV5\DSDATA should contain:

 SST01, SST02, ..., SST77
   (Only SST01 in shareware version)
   (Only SST01-SST06 in basic registered disk version)
 CATEGORY.DAT, CONBOUND.DAT
 IINDEX.DAT, MINDEX.DAT, NINDEX.DAT, NGCOBJCT.DAT, SACINDEX.DAT,
 SACINDX2.DAT, SACNOTES.DAT, SACREST.DAT, SMINDEX.DAT
   (Once the program is run CATEGORY.V50 will be created from CATEGORY.DAT)


 \DSV5\DSFILES should contain:

 CURRENT.ACF, JPLNA01.ACF, RECENT.ACF
 SL.ADL, CONVERT.EXE
 SITE.FIL, SAVELIST.MAP


 \DSV5\SHARE should contain:

 INSTALL.EXE, README.BAT
 DSPACE5A.EXE, DSPACE5B.EXE

 The SHARE subdirectory can be copied onto a backup diskette and deleted from
 your hard drive, if you like, to save space.

 DEEP SPACE will check to make sure it can find all the critical files.  It
 will not continue if critical files are missing or misplaced.  When users
 have difficulties running the program after moving to a new computer or
 reorganizing their hard drives, this is the most common reason.


 ============================ >> CONFIGURATION << ============================

 When you start DEEP SPACE for the first time, you are led through the most
 essential configuration options.  You can alter your choices and modify other
 settings at any time by selecting [MM, Modify Configuration].

                                >> Video Mode <<

 The first item on the configuration agenda is to specify the type of video
 card in your machine.  The software will attempt to detect which card is
 present.  Under normal conditions you should be able to accept the default
 selection.  DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 does not use Super VGA modes, but it will run
 Super VGA cards in regular VGA mode.

                               >> Printer Type <<

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 prints best in Postscript or Emulated Postscript modes.  If
 you do not have a Postscript printer we recommend you choose the Emulated
 Postscript option.  Older versions of DEEP SPACE supported the HP Laserjet
 and Epson dot matrix printers directly.  We have retained Laserjet support
 (using HP-PCL), primarily for the sake of shareware users since the shareware
 version does not come with the Postscript emulator.  The HP-PCL driver is
 available for users of any version.

 If you choose the "E" option for Emulated Postscript you will be presented
 with a list of printer drivers.  Choose the one closest to your printer.  The
 Postscript emulator will output graphics at any resolution supported by your
 printer.  See your printer manual.

                             >> Primary Log File <<

 One of the new features of DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 is multiple Observing Log
 support.  You can import logs compiled by other observers to serve as an
 extended commentary to aid you in your own observing.  The primary log file
 will be the file you will use for taking your own observing notes.  You will
 be asked to specify your primary observing log during initial configuration.


 ======================== >> OVERVIEW FOR BEGINNERS << =======================

 DEEP SPACE was designed to be a general purpose star mapping tool to meet the
 most demanding needs of experienced observers, but it is also well suited to
 the needs of beginners.  Beginners, more than anyone else, need accurate maps
 and observing information that show exactly what to look for, and where and
 when.  You will find DEEP SPACE to be a reliable guide.  You won't be a
 beginner for long!

 The first thing you should do with DEEP SPACE is explore it.  Read through
 the Quick Help and try out the options.  When you are ready to do some real
 observing you will need input your latitude, longitude, and time zone in the
 Observing Site option at the MAIN MENU.  In the site list distributed with
 the program there are a few popular star party sites followed by a list of
 general regional sites.  The latter are intended to help get you started
 quickly.  If you don't know your latitude and longitude, pick the general
 regional site closest to you.  Sooner or later you should consult a map, an
 almanac, or ask at your city hall or the library reference desk for more
 exact data.  Accuracy within a few degrees is sufficient for most purposes.

 Your first goal should be to learn to recognize some of the constellations.
 The constellations are your stepping stones.  You will be using them to find
 your way around the sky.  They lead you to all kinds of beautiful sights in
 binoculars and telescopes.  You don't have to learn the constellations all at
 once.  Start with the ones containing the brightest stars.  These will serve
 as a framework for the sky.  You can fill in the details at your leisure.

 The map that will probably best help you learn the constellations is the
 Circular Sky View map.  Here is a step-by-step guide for producing one:

 --From the MAIN MENU select Select Map Format.  Choose Circular Sky View for
 a whole-sky view for the selected time and location.  (In our Quick Help
 notation, this would be: [MM, Select Map Format, Circular Sky View].)  If you
 want larger scale printouts, choose the Horizon-View map instead and make
 four of them: one each for north, south, east, and west.  Once you are in
 graphics mode you can, if you prefer, select Special Maps from the Display
 Menu instead of returning to the MAIN MENU: [DM, F2, ...].

 --Filter out the constellation lines so only the bright constellations are
 shown [DM, F5, F1].

 --Add the bright planets [DM, F6, F1, F1], identify them [DM, F6, F3], and
 learn to recognize their symbols.  (Sometimes no planets are visible, so
 don't be concerned if none are displayed.)  The bright planets look like
 stars.  They are as bright or brighter than the brightest stars.

 --Add constellation names [DM, F5, F4/F5] and cycle through the list,
 positioning them [<Arrow Keys>, <Enter>] until they don't interfere with the
 detail you want to see on the map.

 --Abbreviations for the names are shown on the screen, but the full names
 will appear on the printed map and will be the size indicated by the boxes
 that appear as you move the names around.  If you want to use abbreviations
 on the printout type <PgDn> during the positioning cycle.  Type <PgUp> if you
 want to restore all names to their full length.

 --If a constellation contains only faint stars and you may want to ignore it
 until later.  Delete the name with the <Del> key.

 --When you are finished with the naming process you can remove the unnamed
 constellations if you wish [DM, F8, Remove Un-Named Constellations].

 Now go outside.  (This is the most important part!)  Hold the map overhead
 with the top pointing north.  Read the map with a small flashlight,
 preferably one with a red filter to preserve your night vision, but any small
 flashlight will do at this point since you will be concentrating on the
 bright stars.  Identify the brightest stars and any bright planets that are
 in the sky.  You will be surprised how easy it is to recognize the
 constellations when you have an accurate star map.  Once you find a
 constellation, look for it again each night until you can recognize it
 immediately.  It won't take many nights before you know your way around the
 sky.  Continue the process through the year as the seasons change, or wait up
 later at night for a new crop of stars to rise over the eastern horizon.

 The moon is another obvious starter object.  Notice how the moon moves and
 changes phase during the month [DM, F6, F1, F3, Moon], choose 1 day intervals
 for about 27 days with the 'S' option.)  The phase of the moon is directly
 related to its position in the sky.  Look at the moon with binoculars or a
 telescope to see its craters, mountains, and lava planes.  "Relief" features
 are best seen along the "terminator" (the line between day and night) where
 shadows are the longest.  The location of the terminator changes each night,
 revealing different slices of the moon throughout the month.  Choose [MM,
 Almanac] to compute the moon phases throughout the year.  Go out within 4 or
 5 days either side of first quarter if you want to observe the moon in the
 evening sky.  When the moon is up it washes out most of the sky, so choose
 dates near New Moon for prime observing of fainter objects throughout the
 night.  A third quarter moon will not rise until about midnight, so around
 third quarter you will have a dark sky during the first half of the night.

 Whether the moon is out or not, you will be able to see the bright planets
 Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, whenever they are in the sky.  Plot their
 locations for a given night [DM, F6, F1, F1] or individually over a range of
 dates.  In plotting for a range of dates if you choose the "H" or "B" option,
 while you are on the Default map or a Circular Sky View or Horizon View map,
 it will plot X's to indicate how the planet will move relative to the horizon
 as the planets and stars together drift westward from night to night.
 Mercury is also bright, but it must be seen when it is farthest from the sun.
 Plot Mercury with the "H" or "B" option to see how it moves relative to the
 horizons over several weeks or months.  Step through with [DM, F6, F3,
 <Enter>, <Enter>, etc.] to identify the dates when it will best be visible in
 the evening or early morning sky.  West-facing (pm) or East-facing (am)
 Horizon maps [DM, F2, Horizon View,...] work well as a Mercury finder charts.

 The best "first telescope" is a pair of binoculars!  Pick a moonless night
 and go to the best dark sky location you can manage.  Print out an all-sky
 map ahead of time.  Take a flashlight covered with a red filter to be able to
 read the maps without destroying your night vision.  For an excellent filter,
 find an art or drafting supply store and ask for "Rubylith".  If you have a
 laptop computer, get enough to cover the screen also for nighttime use.  When
 you get to your dark sky site, scan the sky with your binoculars,
 particularly along the Milky Way and look for little "cotton balls,"
 "smudges," and resolved star clusters.  Mark them on your map and try to
 identify what you saw by displaying the brighter deep sky objects [DM, F7,
 F1].  Limit the list to about 9th or 10th magnitude for binocular objects.
 Select everything in the left-hand column.

 On your second try, plot out some of the brighter objects ahead of time and
 look specifically for them.  The constellations you learned will become more
 meaningful as you use them to find your way around the sky to locate objects
 of interest.  In the summer sky concentrate particularly along the Milky Way
 in Scorpius and Sagittarius through Cygnus.  These areas are rich with star
 clusters and nebulae.  In the fall the Andromeda and Triangulum Galaxies (M31
 and M33) are excellent targets for binoculars.  In the winter be sure to scan
 the Milky Way from Cassiopeia and Perseus through Canis Major and Puppis.
 Plot the center line of the Milky Way on your all-night map using the Grid
 Lines feature [DM, F5, F6, Galactic Equator (and omit all other grid lines)].

 Write to us for the book, "Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars" and the
 planisphere, "The Night Sky," both by David Chandler (see [MM, Product
 Information].  Subscribe to Sky and Telescope and/or Astronomy Magazine to
 start building your background and awareness of the sky and astronomical
 events of interest.  Use the Search option [DM, F7, F3] to find objects in
 the sky mentioned in your reading.  You will find that the more you learn
 about astronomy, the more useful DEEP SPACE will become.


 ==================== >> OVERVIEW FOR ACTIVE OBSERVERS << ====================

 I know who you are!  You are the ones who keep Willmann-Bell and Sky
 Publishing Corp. in business.  Your copies of Burnham's and Atlas 2000.0 are
 well worn, and the only reason your Uranometria isn't falling apart is it is
 nicely bound and you treat it with respect.  Your RASC handbook survives
 because it only has to last a for a year at a time.  You plan your vacations
 around the phase of the moon and you consider a sunny day with high cirrus to
 be lousy weather.

 I realize you probably own one or more planetarium programs already, but I
 think you will find DEEP SPACE to be a little different.  DEEP SPACE was
 designed with you in mind, because I really wrote it for myself.  I didn't
 sit down and write DEEP SPACE.  It grew.  It has very little in the way of
 frills.  If I spend time implementing a feature there has to be a payoff in
 functionality.

 Allow me to illustrate with a star party preparation scenario.

 You sit down a day or two in advance of new moon weekend, choose this month's
 star party site from your site list, set the date for the star party night,
 and bring up the Default Map.  You have modified the configuation to plot the
 planets automatically.  You subscribe to Comet Watch or CRAS, or someone in
 your club gets circulars from the IAU directly, so your comet files are kept
 up to date.  You scan for all comets brighter than 13th magnitude and add
 them to the map.  Perhaps you scan the asteroid list for a few you have been
 following.  A nova was recently discovered, but its position was reported in
 1950.0 coordinates.  (DEEP SPACE maps are all in 2000.0 coordinates.)  No
 problem.  You enter the coordinates, label them as having a 1950 equinox date
 and let the program do the conversions and pinpoint the object on the map
 [DM, F7, F4].  Now you print out the Default Map.  This gives you an overview
 of the whole night's territory.

 The all-night Default Map is my bid for the single most useful star party
 planning tool.  You have the absolute limits with the sunset and sunrise
 horizons, and the more practical limits set for the astronomical twilight.
 The map is a true Mercator projection (see [MM, Extended Help, Mapping
 Basics]) to keep shapes recognizable over the whole map, even though there is
 area distortion.

 Now you zoom to each comet that is well positioned, add stars to an
 appropriate magnitude level, add the deep sky objects in the region that
 might be mistaken for the comet, and print out a finder chart for each one.

 You go out to [MM, Select Map Format, Begin New Map Stack] and return to the
 Default Map with a clean slate.  Now you turn your attention to the deep sky
 objects on your agenda.  (Let's say you are working on the Herschel list.)  A
 few months ago you created a category for your own use called "Project."  You
 have been removing the objects from that category as you have logged them and
 any that were particularly impressive you added to another category you
 called "Fine Fuzzies."  The "Project" category contains your current target
 list, so you display the whole category on the Default Map.  The ones that
 fall within good areas of the sky you zoom in on and print out roughly
 constellation-sized finder maps.  You label the target objects (thus adding
 them to the current observing list), then add the objects from the full
 database to put your target objects in context.  If a label gets overwritten
 by an object you move the cursor near the object, jump to it with [DM,
 <Enter>, F3], and move the label to a better location.  After each map you
 exit to the MAIN MENU, select [MM, Logs/Lists/Categories], save the list with
 a name, for future reference, and print it out.  The printed observing list
 shows the object name with all the catalog information, and (optionally) a
 rise/set time line, and any previous notes you entered.

 A couple of galaxies you saw before impressed you and you decide to do
 sketches of them at the eyepiece.  You seek each object by its Messier or NGC
 number with [DM, F7, F5], and zoom into a Hubble Guide Star Catalog (GSC) map
 [DM, <SpBar>, <Arrows>, <Enter>, F5,...].  The object shows up in the field,
 drawn with its correct size and orientation.  For sketching purposes you want
 only the background stars, so you delete the object symbol.  You add an
 appropriate eyepiece field of view circle, filter the GSC map to limit it to
 stars of a magnitude appropriate to your telescope, and you have your sketch
 area ready to draw the galaxy without having to plot all the field stars
 first.

 You collect your maps together, staple each one to the corresponding
 observing list and put the maps into your RubberMaid storage clipboard
 (...hot new find for me!  Maybe you knew about them for a long time...) along
 with your Night Sky planisphere and L.E.D. flashlight.  You have entered the
 age of "Clipboard Astronomy."  You take your book bag along on the star
 party, but it sits in the back of the van most of the night as a reference
 library in case you happen on something you didn't expect.  You sit on your
 stool at the eyepiece with your clipboard in hand equipped for a whole
 night's observing.  You take your notes, do sketches of interesting star
 fields or star-hopping paths, cross off GSC stars that aren't really there
 (...it's a crude database, really, but boy is it deep!) and don't have to
 worry about messing up your expensive reference books.

 When you return home, you bring up the saved observing lists one at a time
 and add your notes [MM, Logs/Lists/Categories, Browse, ...].  You delete the
 lists to keep from cluttering up the directory.  (The notes go into a single
 User Log, which is keyed to the main database.  The observing lists are
 really just pointers into the User Log, so they aren't needed any more.)  You
 delete the observed items from "Project" and add a few to "Fine Fuzzies," and
 you're done.  Whenever you select one of these objects on the screen your
 observing notes will be right there with the original catalog data.

 This scenario has variations, of course.  If you have a laptop computer and
 digital setting circles you can enter your notes interactively.  You can
 sweep for comets or simply sweep the Milky Way.  At any time you can recenter
 the screen on the current position of the telescope and identify your current
 field of view.  DEEP SPACE can even help you recover comets by outlining the
 optimal search region for a returning comet that may be advanced or delayed
 in its orbit.

 DEEP SPACE is a tool.  Each of you will find your own innovative ways to use
 it to enhance your own observerving projects.  Let me know when you do.


 ======================== >> OVERVIEW FOR TEACHERS << ========================

 I have taught science and math from the Jr. High to the Jr. College level
 over the past 20 years.  (Programming is what I do late at night and during
 vacations.)  Many of the features of DEEP SPACE and PLANET TRACKER have been
 motivated by my classroom experience.  I have built whole courses around
 activities produced with these two programs.

 (PLANET TRACKER is specifically addressed to teachers.  It presents many ways
 to view and understand planetary motion through printouts and on-screen
 animation, with conceptual understanding as the goal.  It comes with an
 extensive on-disk "lab manual" containing activities for classrooms with or
 without a computer on site.  If you did not get a demo copy with DEEP SPACE,
 a separate demo disk is available for $5.  See [MM, Product Information].)

 How can you use DEEP SPACE for an astronomy unit?  Try the following
 suggestions for starters.  If you find innovative ways to use DEEP SPACE or
 PLANET TRACKER, I would like to hear about it.

 (If you make regular use of DEEP SPACE in your classes, please find it in
 your budget to register your copy.  If you make it available for multiple
 machines or put it on a network, please obtain the site license.  Feel free
 to give shareware copies to interested students and colleagues.)

                             >> Blank Star Maps <<

 If students can find the constellations on star maps with nothing but dots,
 they can find them in the sky.  Start them with the Circular Sky View map
 for the current date [MM, Select Map Format, Circular Sky View] or [DM, F2,
 Circular Sky View].  Limit the magnitude to about 4.5.  Print out one copy
 with lines and labels, and another with the everything but stars removed [DM,
 F8, All but Stars].  Teach them the bright stars first.  Have them circle the
 6 or 8 brightest stars and try to find them at night even before learning the
 constellations.  Learn the first magnitude stars in patterns: "Summer
 Triangle", "Winter Hexagon", "Arc (from the Big Dipper) to Arcturus then
 spike to Spica", use the Big Dipper to point to Polaris, Arcturus, Regulus,
 etc.  Once the brightest stars have been identified, use them as a framework
 for learning the surrounding constellations.

                            >> Match-the-Sky Maps <<

 Your students will love making and using Star Frames.  Bend a coat hanger
 into a rectangle with the hook made into a loop/handle at one corner.  Cover
 it with plastic wrap.  Print out Match-the-Sky Maps of the brighter
 constellations to be used as masters [MM, Select Map Format, Match-the-Sky
 Map, ...].  Trace the main dots for the constellation onto the plastic wrap
 with white correction fluid or luminous paint (available from hobby shops or
 electronics shops).  For a more durable set, use a laser printer to print the
 charts directly onto transparencies.  (You will still have to go over the
 main stars with white correction fluid or luminous paint.)  Make a set for
 all the bright constellations visible at one time of the year and have a
 schoolyard star party.

                               >> Orbit Murals <<

 I know one 4th grade teacher who did a mural of the zodiac across the whole
 back wall of his classroom and had his students update the positions of the
 sun, moon, and planets each day.  Similar murals or posters can be done with
 orbit diagrams.  Make transparencies from printouts and project them onto
 butcher paper with an overhead projector.

                             >> The Daytime Moon <<

 One celestial body (besides the sun) that can be observed during the school
 day is the moon.  For planning purposes, go to [MM, Day and Time], set the
 observing time for the hour of the day you want to do the activity, then plot
 a Circular Sky View map [MM, Select Map Format, Circular Sky View].  The
 constellations will be "wrong" for that time of year because these are the
 stars out when daylight obscures them.  Now plot the sun and moon for a one
 month period [DM, F6, F1, F3, 1, 28, B, Sun, Moon].  There will be
 progressively more offset between the moon images and the X's, since the
 background stars shift about a degree per day.  The X's show where to expect
 the moon, the corresponding image shows the phase.

                              >> Lunar Parallax <<

 Another instructive printout involving the moon is to print out its position
 at 1/10 day intervals for several days (about 30 positions).  Note that it
 does not move in a smooth path.  This is because your position on the earth
 is taken into account.  As the earth spins you are moving forward and
 backward relative to the motion of the moon, so the moon appears to move
 backward and forward relative to its average motion.  By measuring the
 deviations from the average motion and taking into account the latitude of
 his observatory, Tycho Brahe (in the 16th century) was able to measure the
 distance to the moon.  (A good project for a bright student with a good high
 school math background would be to use this simulated data to reconstruct
 Tycho's measurement.)  It is the closeness of the moon that makes the
 parallax visible.  The lack of parallax in the motion of comets is what led
 Tycho to conclude that they were farther from the earth than the moon.

 A simpler form of parallax is observable by printing out two identical maps
 with observing sites at very different latitudes.  (Use the north and
 south poles for maximum effect.)  Knowing the distance between the observing
 sites and measuring the angular shift of the moon allows this data to be used
 for a slightly simpler distance measurement.

                          >> Constellations and 3-D <<

 Teach constellations then show the stars in 3-D.  Certain questions arise
 naturally.  Why can't we see the constellations in the sky like in the 3-D
 views?  Why does the sky appear to be a dome rather than open space?  (The
 answer is our depth perception fails at great distances, so beyond a certain
 distance everything looks the same distance away.  If everything appears to
 be the same distance away, we see ourselves to be at the center of an sphere.
 The sky is an illusion.  There is no sky!)  To reinforce the concept do
 activities with 3-D photography.  Take a picture of a stationary scene.  Move
 to one side a few inches or a few feet and take another picture.  Increasing
 the distance between the two viewpoints increases the depth perception.  Look
 at the pictures under a stereo viewer, one picture for each eye.  (Get
 wallet-size prints or crop the pictures to fit together with the same
 separation as the lenses in the stereo viewer.)  What would space look like
 if we were giants with eyes half a light year apart?  That is exactly what
 the 3-D printouts show.  (We give price breaks for 20 or more stereo viewers
 classroom sets.)

                             >> Full Moon Births <<

 Many hospital workers will tell you there are more births at full moon than
 at other times of the month.  Is it a myth?  Check it out.  Print out the
 moon phase data in the [MM, Almanac] option for the range of years when your
 students were born.  Have each student figure out how many days past new moon
 they were born.  Make a chart.  Is there a pattern?  Enlarge the sample.  Do
 patterns emerge or disappear when different classes are sampled?  What about
 when the data are combined?

                          >> Understanding Eclipses <<

 Why isn't every new moon a solar eclipse?  Print out an almanac for the year.
 Use the [MM, Day and Time] option to set the time for each successive new
 moon.  Plot the planets on the Default Map and zoom in on the sun/moon until
 they are large enough to show their true scale.  (The sun and moon are shown
 at a certain minimum size, so they are out of proportion on large scale star
 maps.)  You might have to adjust the time setting a few minutes by trial and
 error.  Try to show the moon just before and just after it passes the sun.
 By how far does it miss the sun each time?  Can you tell when an eclipse will
 occur?

                            >> Changing Moon Size <<

 How much does the moon change size during the month?  Why does it change
 size?  (It doesn't have a perfectly circular orbit.)  In the [MM, Modify
 Configuration] option set one of the eyepiece fields to 0.5°.  Plot a series
 of moon images a day or two apart for a month overall.  Recenter the map on
 one of them.  Change the map scale [DM, F4, Alter Map Scale, 1° = 8 inches]
 to make the narrow dimension of the 8 x 10 inch printout equal 1°.  Put the
 cursor near the center of the moon's disk and jump to the exact center [DM,
 <SpBar>, <Enter>, F2].  Place the 1/2° target on top of the moon image for
 comparison or step off the moon's diameter with the cursor in measuring mode
 [<SpBar>, (move to one edge), <SpBar>, (move to other edge), read
 difference].  Print out the moon images and overlay them.  Repeat for each of
 the moon images in the month.  When is the moon largest?  Is there a pattern?
 Does the size of the moon's disk depend on the phase of the moon?  (No)
 Repeat for a different month to see if the pattern is the same.  (The time
 the moon is closest to the earth is called Perigee.  The time it is farthest
 from the earth is called Apogee.  DEEP SPACE does not print out times of
 Perigee and Apogee directly, but it shows up in the moon images.  If you took
 pictures of the moon at different times of the month with a telephoto lens
 you would see variation in its size as predicted by DEEP SPACE.

                         >> Expanding Universe Demo <<

 I came up with a creative use of DEEP SPACE while I was participating in
 Project SPICA, an astronomy mentor program for teachers at the Harvard Center
 for Astrophysics.  Think of printed star maps as random dot patterns
 representing the distribution of galaxies in the universe.  Two star maps
 printed at slightly different scale can represent the state of the expanding
 universe at the present and another time, say a billion years in the past.
 Look at the maps independently.  There is no apparent order or "center" to
 the pattern. Now print the maps on transparencies and overlay them.  You will
 see a spray pattern suddenly emerge, a dramatic graphical representation of
 the expansion of the universe.  The apparent center of the expansion
 represents our viewpoint here on earth.  However, if you shift the overlays
 relative to each other, the pattern re-arranges itself centered on a
 different point!  Line up any dot on one sheet with the corresponding dot on
 the other and it will appear to become the center of the expanding universe!
 In other words, the center is an illusion: observers anywhere in the universe
 see themselves as being at the center of the expansion.

 The effect is startling!  You have to see it to get the full effect.  A pair
 of pre-computed maps has been saved on the distribution disk.  To access them
 choose the [MM, Select Map Format, Load Saved Map] or [DM, F1, F2] option,
 then print them out.  They can be Xeroxed onto transparencies, or if you have
 a laser printer you may be able to print directly onto transparencies.  For
 use by students in a lab setting, print out copies of the current universe on
 paper and the earlier universe on transparencies, or vice versa.  These can
 be overlaid on a desk without the use of an overhead projector.

 The age of this simulated universe can be easily determined, and understood,
 by even younger students.  The distance of a dot from the center is how far
 it has traveled since the Big Bang.  The separation between the pair of dots
 on the two transparencies is how far the galaxy traveled outward in 1 billion
 years.  Divide the small distance into the large distance and you have how
 many billion years old the universe is.  Different galaxies are traveling at
 different speeds (the farther out the faster they are traveling) but the
 ratio of distance in one billion years to total distance remains the same for
 them all.  Shift the center and try it again.  The ratio should stay the
 same.  In other words, the age of the universe is the same for observers in
 any galaxy.)

 To create your own pair of printouts, set one map to 10° per inch and the
 other to 18/17ths of that value--180° per 17 inches--to give you an 18
 billion year old universe.  Try universes of different age and have students
 measure the age of each one.  (To make a universe Y billion years old, the
 scale of the second map should be 10xY° per Y-1 inches.)


 ====================== >> THE HISTORY OF DEEP SPACE << ======================

 DEEP SPACE was not written all at once.  Nor was it originally written with
 the software market in mind.  It grew out of a set of star mapping routines
 for a time-share minicomputer and a pen plotter to produce star maps for
 publication.  (The Night Sky planisphere and a now out-of-print set of cards
 entitled Deep Space 3-D were produced in this way.)

 The first micro-computer version, again written for personal use, was written
 for the TRS-80 Model I.  A star map took a half hour to compute and another
 15 minutes (with a separate program) to dump to a printer.  The first release
 of the program as a software product had towait until a fast enough PC came
 along, so star maps could be generated within the attention span of the
 general public.

 I feel it is wrong to characterize DEEP SPACE as a "Planetarium Program".  It
 is not a "Video Star Show".  The screen graphics were non-existent at first
 and have always been a secondary consideration.  Even now, you will notice,
 the map scale that is given is based on the 8"x10" printout dimensions, and
 labels for the NGC objects are simply little rectangles to indicate the size
 and location of the names as they would appear on the printouts.  Video
 graphics plays the same role in DEEP SPACE, as it does in desktop publishing:
 its primary role is to allow interactive layout for customizing the printed
 output.  Think of DEEP SPACE as "Desktop Cartography"!  The production of
 publication-quality printed star maps is still its #1 strength -- DEEP SPACE
 produces the best printed star maps in the personal microcomputer world.
 (Read [MM, Extended Help, Mapping Basics] if you think this claim is
 exaggerated.)

 Comets were the focus of the first release.  Comets have always been
 difficult to observe without heavy computational support.  They are no harder
 to see than galaxies of the same magnitude, but they are harder to locate
 because they move.

 The NGC objects were longer in coming.  I had access to various NGC databases
 for several years, but they always seemed so static--why bother, when there
 are such good atlases available?  Furthermore, it was not clear at first how
 best to handle all the clutter.  Identifying galaxies with a cursor on screen
 is one thing, but labeling galaxies on printouts was a nightmare to
 contemplate.  Galaxies clearly called for movable labels.  It was not until
 the deep sky routines were added and the first printouts were used in the
 field that the value of an interactive sky atlas really hit home.  The
 ability to select objects for telescope viewing by magnitude, object type, or
 other user-defined categories, and the ability to access a database of
 catalog data and observing notes graphically by simply placing a cursor on
 the object of interest, makes this sky atlas come alive.

 Version 3.0 represented a qualitative breakthrough in the utility of DEEP
 SPACE as an observer's tool.  Instead of just filling in the gaps where other
 resources were weakest, it became a true general purpose observers' resource
 package.  It brought together the functions of an almanac, an atlas, a
 catalogue, a source of descriptive information, and an observing log.  All of
 that information was accessible at a glance for everything from "Match-the-
 sky" constellation charts through detail rivaling Uranometria.

 Version 4 brought a big steps forward in terms of "functional friendliness."
 The "map stack" concept was introduced as a flexible way to specify and
 modify maps.  A single key-stroke past the MAIN MENU puts you into a default
 map showing the whole sky for the current night, all night long.  From the
 default map you can repeatedly frame, zoom, recenter, change map
 specifications, add overlays and objects, compute and display orbits, ... all
 interactively until you get exactly what you want.  Each successive "map
 definition" is stored on a stack, so you can retrace your steps to previous
 maps.

 The trade-off for all the graphical flexibility is slower performance on
 older computers, but if you still have a 286 or an XT, it really is time to
 move up!  Math co-processors also work wonders for this kind of computing,
 and they are getting cheaper.

 Other major additions in Ver 4 included full VGA color coding of stars by
 spectral type, Hubble Guide Star Catalog support for GSC databases available
 from the ASP and Project Pluto, output to Postscript files and devices, a
 telescope pointing driver for the Meade LX200 series of telescopes, a Real
 Time Mode for use on laptops in the field, fully developed planet display for
 orbit views and finder charts over any range of dates, asteroid elements and
 computations, the ability to add symbols at a list of user-defined
 coordinates (with conversion from input coordinates of any Equinox), new,
 more accurate algorithms for the sun, moon, and planets, graphical
 representation of the phase, size, and orientation of the moon, size and
 orientation of galaxies and other deep sky objects, user-defined eyepiece
 fields, finder fields, and Telrad targets placed at any cursor position, 3-D
 in full color on screen, deep sky object sorting and an improved editor for
 the observer's log, an expandable observing site list, a search function for
 Messier and NGC catalog objects, an expanded "Almanac" feature with all moon
 phase dates and times for the current year, coordinate grids in various
 formats for equatorial, ecliptic, galactic, and horizon coordinates, constant
 read-out for cursor position and angular distance measurement, automated
 specification for a variety of special purpose maps, and more.

 A Postscript driver, called GoScript, was included with the registered
 version, starting with Ver. 4, at no additional charge.  GoScript can print
 Postscript files on nearly any printer at the highest resolution available.
 This is our answer to those of you who have ink jets or other previously
 unsupported printers.  The GoScript dot matrix drivers are so far superior to
 our own, we have discontinued our earlier low-resolution direct dot matrix
 support.  Direct HP Laserjet support has been continued, although GoScript
 can also be used for output to the Laserjet.

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 has fewer changes, but they are significant ones for the
 observer.  First, DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 is distributed on a CD ROM with the
 Hubble Guide Star Catalog and all previously extra databases included.
 Besides having the GSC database included, several GSC functions have been
 added to enhance its usefulness.  You can download all or part of the GSC to
 hard disk for field use, you can reduce the size of the download by screening
 by magnitude and object type, and you can maintain a "zap list" to help clean
 up the GSC database.  (The GSC is notorious for its erroneous "stars".  Send
 in your verified zap lists periodically and I will maintain a master zap list
 to be made available to all users, and to the Space Science Data Center.)

 A second big addition in Ver. 5 is greatly expanded telescope support.
 Previously only LX200's were supported.  Now DEEP SPACE supports digital
 setting circles as well.  Since this entailed doing all the transformations
 in the computer, we reworked them from scratch and came up with improved
 calibration routines.  Instead of calibrations being limited to one or two
 stars, with poor performance in distant parts of the sky, you can now
 calibrate on as many stars as you want.  DEEP SPACE will even estimate and
 compensate for the two largest potential errors inherent in your mounting
 (non-perpendicularity of the axes and lack of alignment between the optical
 and mechanical axes of your scope).  Digital setting circle support has not
 yet been extended to German equatorial mounts, but that is high on our
 agenda.

 The third big addition in Ver. 5 is the use of multiple observing logs with
 import/export compatibility with the shareware program NGP.  A substantial
 database of observations by experienced observers is accumulating already.
 You can benefit from this activity and contribute to it.  Every time you
 bring up an object with the cursor, or as you browse through an observing
 list, you can cycle through the comments about that object in any of the log
 files you may have on your disk.  As more observers contribute their log
 files, this database will become an increasingly rich resource for the
 amateur observing community.

 Until now DEEP SPACE 3-D has not been advertized at all!  Its has been
 circulated strictly through the network of shareware distribution.  With its
 publication on CD ROM you will be hearing about the program in new and
 different ways.  At the same time DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 continues to be
 shareware.  A shareware version even resides on the CD ROM to be copied onto
 disk to be given out freely to friends.  We believe the customer should be
 allowed to work with a program before making a final purchase.  A program
 should be evaluated by its functionality, not simply the artwork on the
 packaging!

 With its new scope and direction, DEEP SPACE returns to its original name.
 Version 1 came out in 1987 as DEEP SPACE.  Versions 2-4 expanded the title to
 DEEP SPACE 3-D (DS3D), to call attention to one of the more interesting and
 unique features of the program.  As the program has continued to grow and
 fill out its niche as an observing tool, we felt the "3-D" in the title has
 become less central and perhaps misleading.  "3-D" will remain as a feature
 but not the focus of attention.  Welcome to DEEP SPACE Ver. 5!


 ============================ >> MAPPING BASICS << ===========================

 The simplest way to project the sky onto a flat map is to plot a rectangular
 graph of declination vs. right ascension with equal spacings in both axes.
 The wrap-around full sky maps used in almost all of the well known astronomy
 software packages for the PC do exactly that!  This system is commonly mis-
 labeled a "Mercator" projection.  Plotting declination vs. right ascension is
 easy, and it is fast, since it involves no computations, but the distortion
 is truly awful.

 Nobody maps the earth with a straight latitude vs. longitude graph.  If a map
 of the earth were plotted this way anyone who stayed awake through 5th grade
 would immediately recognize something was very wrong.  Things would look
 reasonably good near the equator, but countries from the mid latitudes to the
 poles would be unrecognizable.  Apparently star mapping programs get away
 with this kind of thing because the stars are less familiar to most people
 than the shapes of the continents on earth.

 Every flat map of a spherical surface involves distortion, but cartographers
 long ago learned how to work with distortion in creative ways.  The familiar
 maps of the earth that hang in most school rooms use what is called the
 Mercator projection, invented by Gerhard Kremer in the 16th century.  It was
 the invention of this map projection that made long distance navigation
 possible.  Mercator maps are NOT simple latitude vs. longitude plots.  Look
 for a Mercator map of the earth in an atlas and notice that the spacing of
 the horizontal lines increases in a regular way as you move away from the
 equator.  The original objective was to design a map where a straight line on
 the map represented a constant compass bearing on the globe.  Navigating
 along such a line may not always be the most efficient course, but it will
 always get you there!

 The Mercator projection has another nice property, which is more relevant to
 our purposes in mapping the sky: for small regions anywhere in the sky,
 angles are preserved on the map.  Shapes are thus well represented, but the
 price is size exaggeration.  The shape of the cup of the Little Dipper on a
 Mercator projection star map looks right, even though it looks as large as
 Orion!  On Mercator maps of the earth Alaska and Greenland may look too big,
 but if you cut them out and viewed them separately, you would not notice the
 distortion.  Flight maps to this day use the Mercator projection for this
 reason, and because of the constant compass bearing principle mentioned
 earlier.  A map that preserves angles in small areas is called a conformal
 map.  Angles convey shape.  Since shapes of patterns in the sky are the
 easiest way for amateur astronomers to find their way around, having maps
 that preserve shapes is important.

 Another conformal map is the Stereographic projection, invented even earlier,
 by Hipparchus, who lived in the 2nd century B.C.!  The Stereographic
 projection is a polar projection, with radial spacing that increases with
 distance from the center.  Again, angles on the sphere are preserved on the
 map, so shapes are well represented.  DEEP SPACE offers other projections as
 options for special purposes, but the Stereographic and Mercator projections
 should be considered the bread and butter projections for general purpose
 star maps.

 There are other issues besides the choice of a projection.  A Mercator
 projection is easy to center on the equator and the Stereographic projection
 is easy to center on the poles, but what if you want to look at some other
 part of the sky?  Are other areas of the sky doomed to less accurate
 representation?  NO!  In the computer era, especially, ANY point on the
 sphere can be made to be the center of the projection.  For small scale maps
 it doesn't even matter what projection you use, as long as the center of
 projection is the center of the map.  In DEEP SPACE every map in every part
 of the sky is computed so that the center of the map is the center of the
 projection.  This takes some heavy computation, so DEEP SPACE is a little
 slower than some of the flashier programs available, but the results are
 worth the few extra seconds of waiting time.  If you don't like the wait,
 it's time to move up to a math co-processor!

 The standard practice among star atlas publishers is to map the sky in
 equatorial coordinates.  For most purposes these are the coordinates you will
 want to use for finding and tracking objects in the sky because it is based
 on the rotation of the earth.  The rotation of the earth defines the poles
 and the equator.  Where an object is located in equatorial coordinates
 determines when and whether it will rise and set.  If we were printing a star
 atlas it would be most economical to limit our attention to the most popular
 coordinate system.  On the other hand, this is a computer, not a printing
 press.  You should be able to print out maps in any coordinate system you
 want; and some of the other coordinate systems are quite useful!

 DEEP SPACE gives equal access to four coordinate systems:  Equatorial, for
 general purpose "Star Atlas" applications, Ecliptic (or Zodiac), for maps
 that highlight motion in the plane of the solar system, Galactic (or Milky
 Way), for distributions of objects relative to the plane of galaxy, and
 Horizon coordinates, to emphasize the orientation of constellations relative
 to the horizon for a particular day and time.  You can plot maps centered in
 any part of the sky in any of these projections.  Furthermore, you can lay
 down any combination of coordinate grids in any of these four coordinate
 systems on any map.  (For instance, if you were interested in following the
 motions of the planets you could lay down an ecliptic coordinate grid, of
 the whole sky, the Zodiac region, or just the ecliptic by itself on a map
 plotted in equatorial coordinates.)  Coodinate Systems and Grid Lines are
 discussed in detail elsewhere in these notes.  Each system is useful for its
 own purposes.  DEEP SPACE give you the flexibility to create whatever maps
 serve your needs or interests.

 As we have said before, DEEP SPACE is not just a planetarium program; it is
 desktop cartography!


 ============================ >> THE DATABASES << ============================

 DEEP SPACE uses a star database provided by the National Space Science Data
 Center called "Skymap," based largely on the SAO (Smithsonian Astrophysical
 Observatory) star catalog.  19,000 stars come with the disk version of the
 program with added files available separately.  The CD ROM comes with the
 full 250,000 star database.  The Skymap database is adequate for most star-
 hopping needs of telescope users tracking faint fuzzy objects between the
 stars.

 One attractive feature of the Skymap database is that a parallax (or
 distance) measurement is given for most stars.  Most other large star
 databases lack this information.  Granted, distance is not accurately known
 for most stars, and the reliability of the data is not uniform within the
 database, but the broad coverage of distance data in Skymap is what puts the
 3-D in DEEP SPACE!  As long as the user is aware that distance is a difficult
 measurement and the distance data here, or anywhere, for that matter, is not
 definitive, the 3-D star maps give a reasonable sense of the distribution of
 stars in the solar neighborhood.

 The non-stellar database used in DEEP SPACE is the SAC (Saguaro Astronomy
 Club) database.  Members of the Phoenix-based astronomy club compiled a
 computerized version of the NGC (New General Catalog) with corrections and
 annotations, and supplemented by numerous entries from other catalogs.  The
 final count comes close to 10,000 objects.  It is a database well suited to
 the needs of amateur astronomers.

                          >> The Guide Star Catalog <<

 The third database, on the DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 CD ROM, is Version 1.1 of the
 Hubble Guide Star Catalog (GSC).  The ASP and Project Pluto formats of the
 database were supported for Ver. 4, and are still supported, primarily to
 make the GSC accessible to users of the disk and shareware vesions of DEEP
 SPACE who may already own these other versions.  The GSC is a database of
 approximately 18 million entries scanned by an automated process from
 photographic plates.  Most of the entries are stars, but some are classified
 as galaxies, "blends", "non-stars," or artifacts.  The depth of the database
 exceeds the light grasp of most amateur telescopes allowing observers to
 produce field-of-view maps that show essentially every star visible in the
 eyepiece.

 Because of the automated production process, the GSC is notorious for its
 erroneous data.  Frequently a small galaxy or planetary nebula will be
 digitized and quite often misclassified as a star, frequently a bright star
 that leaves a very noticeable big extra dot on your maps.  As you observe the
 star field with a telescope the extra stars become quite obvious.  You can
 cross them off your field printouts as you discover them and maintain a ZAP
 list in the program.  The zapped objects are not actually removed from the
 database.  They are treated as another object class and can be displayed (in
 another color) or omitted from maps.  This will be especially appreciated by
 users who want to make maps for publication without the embarassing extras.

 The GSC by itself is not a satisfactory general purpose star database.  The
 useful data per star is basically limited to position, brightness, and
 tentative classification.  The rest of the information, such as the
 uncertainties in the measurements and information about the source plates, is
 unlikely to be of interest to amateurs.  There is no data on distance or
 spectral class, so the data is monochrome and flat.  (Color on the GSC maps
 is used to encode the classification, white dots being classified as stars,
 and various colors representing various categories of non-stars.)  The
 organization of the GSC is optimized to show very small areas of the sky in
 great detail, making it awkward to scan large areas even if the stars are
 filtered to accept only brighter magnitudes.  In the GSC database the
 magnitude cut-off is irregular.  In some parts of the sky stars are plotted
 to about 16th magnitude.  In denser regions of the sky, particularly along
 the Milky Way, the magnitude is limited to 14th magnitude or less.  One needs
 to keep in mind the original purpose of the catalog: to assist in pointing
 the Hubble Space Telescope.  The goal was to catalog a few thousand stars per
 square degree so anywhere the telescope was pointed there would be a few
 reference stars in its wider field.

 Despite its limitations, the sheer volume of the GSC data in a form
 accessible to PC's is an incredible resource for amateurs.  The presentation
 of open star clusters, for example, is spectacular.  Globular star clusters
 are also scanned in great detail, but the inner areas are frequently left
 blank when the limits of the scanning technology are reached.

                           >> Downloading the GSC <<

 [DM, F1, (F3/F4/F5),...]
 DEEP SPACE provides a flexible selection scheme to allow portions of the GSC
 to be downloaded onto hard disk without necessarily monopolizing the disk
 space.  This feature allows the GSC to be accessed faster on regular desktop
 machines, or for it to be available for field use on laptops.  The process is
 to first make a selection based on broad categories (magnitude limits, object
 class, omitting objects below limiting horizon, etc.), then, if desired, to
 select graphically by area.  The area blocks correspond to the "large areas"
 built into the GSC database structure.  If you change the criteria for
 download you can request that existing downloaded files be re-loaded, or to
 save space you can request that non-selected files be purged.

 The selection list can be downloaded immediately or saved for batch download
 overnight, if the selected areas are extensive.  The boundaries of the
 selected download areas can be printed on any map format for reference in the
 field [DM, F1, F4].  The file of selected areas is also stored with the
 downloaded GSC data so it can be displayed on screen in the field as well.
 They can be added or removed just like constellation bounds or grid lines.
 If a GSC map is created in an area of the sky that overlaps into a blank area
 where no GSC stars have been downloaded, no harm will come: it will just
 leave blank areas on the map.


 ============================== >> PRINTOUTS << ==============================

 [DM, F10, ...]
 DEEP SPACE allows three printer setup modes:  Postscript, Emulated
 Postscript, and HP-PCL for the HP Laserjet.  Postscript requires a Postscript
 printer.  You will know if you have a Postscript printer because you will
 have had to pay extra for it!  If you choose E for Emulated Postscript, and
 at print time you direct the output to a printer, the output will actually be
 written to a temporary file, then GoScript will be invoked to print the file
 to your printer, and you will be returned to DEEP SPACE at the point you were
 before.  GoScript requires at minimum a 386 computer with one megabyte of
 extended memory.  We recommend using Emulated Postscript even for HP
 Laserjet printers unless for some reason this is not feasible (eg. you have a
 286 computer).

                                 >> GoScript <<

 If you have something other than an HP Laserjet or Postscript-compatible
 printer, you can still print out maps.  We have arranged to bundle GoScript
 with the commercial versions of DEEP SPACE.  (GoScript is a registered
 trademark of LaserGo, Inc.)  GoScript is a Postscript interpreter that
 supports a wide range of non-Postscript printers, including Laserjet,
 Deskjet, various bubble jet printers, and various 9-pin and 24 pin dot matrix
 printers.

 During configuration, choose "E" for Postscript Emulation, then choose the
 GoScript driver appropriate to your printer.  You can select any resolution
 supported by your printer, but if you choose anything higher than 300 dpi you
 should optimally have at least 4 megs of extended memory available.  See your
 printer manual for the different resolution modes supported.  Finally,
 specify the amount of extended memory to allocate for "Virtual Memory"
 workspace for GoScript.  512k is recommended, but your may have to reduce
 this if your have insufficient extended memory.  This amount may also be
 increased, but 512k will probably be adequate for any map DEEP SPACE can
 produce.

 If you have the shareware version of DEEP SPACE you may use either your own
 copy of GoScript or obtain a different Postscript interpreter.  Emulaser and
 Ghost Script are other products that perform a similar function.  GoScript is
 not a shareware product and may not be passed along with shareware copies of
 DEEP SPACE.  Please respect the copyright and property rights of LaserGo,
 Inc.

                               >> File Output <<

 In any of the printing modes you have the option at print time of directing
 the output to a file.  File names for map files have a shortened format, so
 that up to a two digit number can be appended to the name prior to the
 extension to allow sequences of maps to be stored easily without overwriting
 each other.  For instance, if you name a Postscript file MYMAP with the
 number 1, the name of the file will become MYMAP1.EPS.  The next file will be
 named MYMAP2.EPS, unless you intervene and change either the name or number
 part.

 The executable file in GoScript is called GS32.EXE and it is kept in the
 DSFILES subdirectory.  If you want to send a Postscript file (eg. MYMAP1.EPS)
 to the printer from the DOS prompt, change to your DSFILES subdirectory (cd
 DSFILES), and type:  GS32 PSFILE.EPS

 You can obtain a list of the internal device drivers by typing  GS32 /P?  and
 a list of other options by typing  GS32 /?

 If you send HP-PCL code to a file named MYFILE.PCL it can be printed on an HP
 Laserjet printer from the DOS prompt by typing:  COPY MYFILE.PCL PRN


 ============================== >> DATA ENTRY << =============================

 There are several data entry formats.

                              >> Scrolling Menu <<

 When you are presented with a menu having a highlighted scroll bar (eg. the
 MAIN MENU), make your selection with the arrow keys, the first letter of the
 desired option, or the <Arrow>, <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <Home>, or <End> keys.
 Finalize your selection with the <Enter> key or escape with the <Esc> key.

                                >> Input Box <<

 Most single character entries do not require the use of the <Enter> key.
 Simply press the appropriate character key.  If you type an invalid character
 you will hear a beep and may try again.  Numbers and character strings
 require you to type <Enter> to terminate the entry.  If you choose to accept
 the default entry presented in the box, simply type <Enter>.

                                 >> Toggles <<

 A third form of data entry, used for selecting multiple items from a list, is
 a "toggle".  To make or undo a selection, type the <Space> bar.

                                >> Data Pages <<

 For convenience, data entry is presented a page at a time.  You may use the
 <Arrow> keys, <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <Home>, or <End> keys to move among the data
 items.  You may not be allowed to leave a box until an entry of the proper
 format is present.  To allow you to recover from accidental keystrokes, there
 is usually a question at the bottom of a page for confirmation.  If you are
 satisfied with all the entries on a page you may jump directly to the bottom
 of the page with the <PgDn> key.

                             >> Editing an Entry <<

 When editing an existing entry, if the first key typed is a normal character,
 the entry will be erased under the assumption that you want to retype the
 whole entry.  If you want to edit the entry without destroying what is
 already there, make the first keystroke with a <Home>, <End>, or <Arrow> key.
 After destroying a few entries you will get used to it!


                    >> Using and Altering Default Values <<

 One way to make a program usable by both beginners and experts is to allow
 lots of choices for the experts, even regarding picky details, but to suggest
 an answer to every question that at least makes sense.  A "default" is
 computer jargon for those pre-selected answers provided by the program.  DEEP
 SPACE has defaults for just about everything!  This makes it easy to explore
 areas you may not understand very well at first.  If you come to a question
 you don't care about or don't understand, just choose the default and keep
 going.  The more you learn about astronomy, and the more you become familiar
 with DEEP SPACE, the more you will appreciate having control over all the
 details.

 To choose a default answer, simply type the <Enter> key.  You will find you
 can go through almost the entire program simply hitting the <Enter> key, and
 still get something of interest.  If you come to a whole page of questions
 and you like the looks of all the default answers, simply jump to the bottom
 of the page with the <PgDn> key and keep going.

 Most default values can be adjusted by the user.  Select [MM, Modify
 Configuration] and within it select the area of concern.  The values you
 choose will become the new default values, but most settings can be
 overridden at the time a star map is produced.


 ========================= >> OBSERVING SITE LIST << =========================

 DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 (unchanged from Ver. 4) allows the accumulation of as many
 observing site descriptions as you want.  Each site is specified with a name,
 latitude, longitude, altitude, two time zone names (for standard and daylight
 time), and the hour offset of standard time from Greenwich.  For instance a
 site in California would store time zone names PST and PDT and 8 hours offset
 from Greenwich.  The choice of Standard Time, Daylight Saving Time, or UT can
 be activated separately without changing the site information.

 As your site list grows you may want to prioritize the entries according to
 how frequently you use the site.  A manual "sort" routine is provided as you
 exit the Choose Observing Site option that allows you to arrange the sites on
 your list in any order you choose.  The distribution disks contain a small
 sampling of popular astronomy sites and a collection of general region site
 descriptions to help beginners get started quickly.  If you have data on
 other popular star party sites, please write to me and I will compile a more
 broadly based list for future releases.


 =========================== >> THE DEFAULT MAP << ===========================

 A Default Map covering the whole sky (except for the polar regions) is
 displayed with a single keystroke: just type <Enter> when you first arrive at
 the MAIN MENU.

 The Default Map is centered on the point along the equator that will be
 overhead at midnight.  The yellow lines are composite horizon lines.  The
 western horizon is shown for sunset and again at the end of astronomical
 twilight.  The eastern horizon is shown for the beginning of astronomical
 twilight and again at sunrise.  Thus, the Default Map shows the whole sky
 available for observing throughout the night.

                          >> Customizing Your Maps <<

 To plot a more localized map you can type <Spacebar> to bring up the cursor,
 center the cursor on the point of interest, and hit <Enter>, <Enter>.  This
 technique normally just recenters a map without changing its scale, but from
 the Default Map (or the Circular Sky View map or the Horizon-View map) it
 also zooms in to a pre-determined scale, which you can adjust in [MM, Modify
 Configuration].

 Alternatively you can zoom with [DM, F3, F1] and choose any scale you wish
 using the PgUp and PgDn keys.  Use the arrow keys to center the box and type
 <Enter> to activate the zoom.

 If you wish to specify a map using coordinates, or choosing a constellation
 by name, you can use [DM, F4, Recenter Map,...].

 The zoomed maps are not just fragments of the original.  They are completely
 re-projected with the center of the new map being the new center of
 projection!  Because of this the border area may not exactly coincide with
 the frame used to select it.  Think of the frame more as a graphical guide to
 the location and scale of the new map to be produced.

 If you want to display a comet path or any other object, do it while you are
 in the Default Map, then zoom to the area of interest once the exact location
 becomes known.

 If you try to display deep sky objects while in the Default Map (or any other
 all-sky map, for that matter, you may overwhelm yourself (and the memory).
 Space has been allocated to display up to 1000 deep sky objects, but you can
 fill up that space quickly if you display all galaxies down to 13th
 magnitude, say, on a large scale map.  If you display objects for the whole
 sky then zoom in and try to add more, you may encounter an out of memory
 notice.

 In short, think of the Default Map as a summary map for a given date and at
 the same time a launching pad for all the other mapping possibilities
 available.


 ============================ >> THE MAP STACK << ============================

 Maps in DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 are specified with a compact "Map Definition" that
 saves all the information needed to regenerate a given map.  When you are
 working with maps, zooming in and out, all the maps you generate along the
 way are saved temporarily on a "map stack."  Every time you zoom in (with
 [Cursor, <Enter>, <Enter>] or [DM, F3, F1] the previous map is "pushed" onto
 the stack.  When you zoom out, [DM, F3, F2], the current map is abandoned and
 the most recent map definition pushed onto the stack is "popped" off the
 stack and reactivated.  (Note: There is another zoom option.  [DM, F3, F3]
 doubles the current scale, giving you a wider field of view, except in map
 formats (such as the whole sky maps) where doubling the scale makes no sense.
 Unlike the [DM, F3, F2] option, this results in a new map and thus adds to
 the map stack.)

 An exception to the rule is when you recenter or zoom a GSC map.  You might
 recenter or zoom a GSC map several times before you are satisfied with the
 display.  The CD Rom access is rather slow and you probably would not want to
 retrace your steps through all the previous GSC maps to make your way back to
 the earlier conventional maps.  Therefore GSC maps are not stored on the
 stack.  When you zoom out from a GSC map you will return to the most recent
 non-GSC map that was pushed onto the stack.

 If you want to dump the whole stack and start over, use [MM, Select Map
 Format, Begin New Map Stack].  You are returned to the default Full-Night
 Overview map from which you can zoom into other areas of interest.

                        >> Saving and Restoring Maps <<

 You can save a map to disk using [DM, F1, F1] to be recalled at a later time
 using [DM, F1, F2] or [MM, Select Map Format, Load Saved Map].  When you save
 a map to disk you are actually saving a map definition as described above.
 Each map definition carries with it its own site and date information.  When
 you restore the map you are given the option of substituting the current site
 and date setting or retaining the site and date that were stored with the
 map.  If you choose the latter, the site and date information stored with the
 map will become the current site and date just as though you had run the Day
 and Time option.  Once a map has been restored it is ready for zooming,
 recentering, and other modifications just like any other map.

 A number of interesting maps have already been stored on the distribution
 disk.  The Expanding Universe Demo (2 maps) is described above in the
 Overview for Teachers section.  The Zodiac maps and Solar System Orbit maps
 are a convenient way to check up on the current status of the planets.  The
 Galactic Coordinate and Milky Way maps show the tilt of the solar system with
 respect to the plane of the galaxy.  Display one of these maps with the
 current day and time.  If either Bright Planets or All Planets are selected
 in your current configuration file, the current locations of the planets will
 be displayed.  If your current configuration does not automatically display
 the planets, they can be displayed with [DM, F6, F1, F1/F2].


 ========================= >> SPECIAL MAP FORMATS << =========================

 [MM, Select Map Format...] or [DM, F2...]
 You can specify maps of nearly any description by choosing the centerpoint,
 scale, projection, coordinate system, etc.  However, certain map formats are
 common enough to merit a shortcut to their specification.

                          >> Circular Sky View Maps <<

 [MM, Select Map Format, Circular Sky View] or [DM, F2, Circular Sky View]
 Since the earth rotates, the sky changes constantly.  A circular star map
 showing the whole sky needs to be keyed to a particular day and time.  What
 is shown will be adequate for finding constellations over about a month at a
 given hour, or over a few hours on a given night.

 For general purpose all-night use you will still want to obtain a
 planisphere, or "Star Wheel," such as The Night Sky, listed in our catalog.
 A planisphere can be taken anywhere and can be updated continuously
 throughout the night.  For a specific celestial event, or brief observing
 period, however, Circular Sky View maps generated by DEEP SPACE will do very
 nicely.  They are ideal for passing out to a group of campers or a school
 group for an evening's sky orientation.

 The map projection used on the Circular Sky View maps is a stereographic
 projection.  The late George Lovi, who drafted the star chart "centerfolds"
 in Sky and Telescope for years also used the stereographic projection.  He
 liked to point out that the distortion introduced by the stereographic
 projection centered at the zenith actually matches the perceived sky better
 than a distortion-free map!  This is because of something known as the "Moon
 Illusion."  The moon, when it is near the horizon, appears much larger than
 when it is overhead.  (This is strictly an illusion.  When the moon is
 measured it is found to be the same angular size in either position.)
 Constellations near the horizon undergo the same apparent enlargement to our
 eyes, mimicking the distortion of a stereographic map centered overhead.

                               >> Horizon Maps <<

 [MM, Select Map Format, Horizon View, ...] or [DM, F2, Horizon View...]
 The Horizon maps are actually just zoomed-in Circular Sky View maps
 rotated according to the direction you specify.  The scale is larger and
 using a horizon map can be less confusing to a novice since orienting the map
 is less of a problem.  This type of map is often an excellent format to
 displaying planetary events or the location of comets near the horizon.  See
 the discussion of Circular Sky View maps for more detailed information.

                              >> Whole Sky Maps <<

 [MM, Select Map Format, True/False Mercator, ...] or
 [DM, F2, True/False Mercator, ...]
 Whole Sky maps are either true or false Mercator projection, 360° views of
 the sky centered along one of the primary great circles: the equator, the
 ecliptic, the galactic equator, or the horizon.  For simplicity of terms, we
 have named these options Equatorial, Zodiac, Milky Way, and Horizon.

 The True Mercator maps are far less distorted (See [MM, Extended Help,
 Mapping Basics].  The one drawback, for some purposes, is that the poles
 stretch to infinity, so the map only shows the sky from -80° to 80°
 declination.  If you really need to see the whole sky including the poles on
 one map, and can tolerate severe distortion, the False Mercator map would
 meet your needs.

 Equatorial -- If you want a wrap-around view of the whole sky, similar to the
 default map, but without the double horizon lines, and possibly centered
 about some other point on the equator, then [..., True/False Mercator,
 Equator] will produce the map you want.

 Zodiac (Ecliptic) -- The ecliptic is the path of the sun through the sky.
 Since the solar system is roughly co-planar, the moon and planets appear to
 travel within a narrow band close to the ecliptic called the Zodiac.  If you
 are mapping the planets or other solar system phenomena, a map oriented along
 the ecliptic may best serve your needs.

 Milky Way (Galactic) -- The Milky Way forms a circle around the sky because
 it is a disk, and we lie within the disk.  Our solar system is a tiny speck
 about half-way out to one edge and slightly below the central plane.  When we
 look toward the center of the galaxy the Milky Way looks denser.  The center
 is in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.  On maps plotted in
 galactic (Milky Way) coordinates, the plane of the galaxy is horizontal.
 Zero degrees galactic longitude and latitude is looking directly into the
 center of our galaxy.  Galactic maps are useful for studying distributions of
 star clusters and nebulae, and young blue stars which are concentrated along
 the galactic disk.  Galaxies, on the other hand, are seldom found along the
 Milky Way, since dust in the plane of our galaxy blocks the view of the
 outside universe.  The distribution of globular clusters centers on one point
 in the Milky Way: a point in Sagittarius.  This is how it was first
 determined that we are off-center.

 Horizon -- Any horizon map depends on the time of observation, since our
 horizon is tied to the rotating earth.  A 360° Mercator map centered on the
 horizon will probably be less useful than other formats: only the top half of
 the map will be above the horizon!  This map was originally included for
 completeness.  On the other hand you might find such a map useful for
 selecting and zooming to areas of the sky with the correct orientation for a
 particular day and time.  For instance you may want to produce a set of Ben
 Meyer-style "Star Frames" for a particular evening.  If you do "Match the
 Sky" maps in horizon coordinates the constellations will be shown with the
 correct orientation.  Choose the Whole Sky map in horizon coordinates, center
 a particular constellation, convert the resulting map to a Match-the-Sky
 mode, un-zoom, and repeat the process for each area of interest.

                            >> Pole-to-Pole Maps <<

 [MM, Select Map Format, Pole-to-Pole, ...] or [DM, F2, Pole-to-Pole, ...]
 Pole-to-Pole Maps show the sky along a meridian strip.  The is similar to the
 format of Norton's Star Atlas.  This is a fairly good way to present the sky
 on a season-by-season basis.

                            >> Match-the-Sky Maps <<

 [MM, Select Map Format, Match the Sky Map, ...] or [DM, F2, Match-the-Sky
 Map...]
 Ben Mayer, a well known amateur astronomer in California, has
 popularized a handy star-finding device made by bending a coat hanger into a
 rectangle and covering it with transparent plastic wrap.  Stars are marked on
 the plastic with white correction fluid (to be visible with a flashlight at
 night) in such a way that they exactly match the sky when held a short
 distance in front of the eyes.  These star finders are especially handy for
 showing constellations to beginners.  The weak point of the system, until
 now, has been knowing how to place the dots to match the sky.  DEEP SPACE
 solves the problem.  Make a Match-the-Sky printout of the constellation of
 interest and use it as a master for tracing onto the plastic wrap.  This can
 be a great classroom project for teachers at any grade level.  Alternatively,
 you could print transparencies directly with a laser printer or by Xeroxing.
 You would still need to go over the dots of interest with white correction
 fluid to make them visible at night.

 To make a Match-the-Sky Map you can either center a map on the area of
 interest, then enter the Match-the-Sky option to re-scale it correctly, or
 enter the Match-the-Sky option at the outset and select the constellation or
 coordinate center point you wish.  The scale of Match-the-Sky Maps is
 determined by a distance the map is to be held in front of the eyes.  The
 projection used is Gnomonic, which gives an exact correspondence looking
 through a plane surface at the spherical sky.

                               >> Custom Maps <<

 [MM, Select Map Format, Custom Map]
 From the Main Menu you can tailor make a map to your own specifications by
 choosing the magnitude limit, coordinates of the center, map projection,
 coordinate system, etc., instead of the usual graphical framing and modifying
 process.  This option was requested by several users who have slower
 machines, for whom the graphical selection process became tedious.  From the
 DISPLAY MENU the equivalent options are available under the heading of map
 alterations [DM, F4].

 ====================== >> CURSOR ACTIVATED FEATURES << ======================

 When a star map is plotted and the DISPLAY MENU is visible in the upper left
 hand corner of the screen you can bring up a cursor by hitting the <SpBar>.
 You can remove the cursor and return to the DISPLAY MENU by typing <Esc>.
 Try moving the cursor with the arrow keys.  It will move slowly at first and
 accelerate if the arrow key is held down.  If you are using the arrow keys on
 a number pad you must first de-activate the <NumLock> key.  If you type the
 arrow keys without holding them down, the cursor will move a single pixel at
 a time.

                           >> Angular Measurement <<

 [ Move cursor to Point A, type <SpBar>, move cursor to Point B... ]
 When the cursor is active a box will be displayed in one corner and
 constantly updated showing the sky coordinates at the cursor position.  The
 coordinate system will match the coordinate system of the map: R.A. and Dec.
 for equatorial maps, Ecliptic Latitude and Longitude for Zodiac maps,
 Galactic Latitude and Longitude for Milky Way maps, and Altitude and Azimuth
 for Horizon maps.  Positions are to the nearest minute, for normal maps, and
 to the nearest second for maps accessing the Hubble Guide Star Catalog.

 The cursor can also be used for measuring angular distances.  Say you have
 observed a comet and sketched its tail on a star map.  To measure the length
 of the tail, position the cursor where the head was seen, type the
 <Spacebar>, to zero the "Diff." reading, then move to the location of the end
 of the tail.  "Diff." measures the angular distance along the shortest arc
 connecting the two points accurate to the nearest minute or the pixel
 resolution, whichever is coarser.  On Hubble Guide Star maps "Diff." measures
 to the nearest arcsecond.

                                >> Cursor Menu<<

 When the cursor is active, typing the <Enter> key will bring up a menu of
 cursor-related features.  In most cases bringing up the menu is optional.
 Once you know that <F1> jumps to the nearest star, you can type <F1> directly
 without having to type <Enter> first.  The exception to this rule is
 recentering, which is discussed below.

                                 >> Recenter <<

 [move cursor, <Enter>, <Enter>]
 When the cursor is active, typing <Enter> will bring up the cursor menu.
 Typing <Enter> again will recenter the map at the cursor location.  The
 previous map will be pushed onto the map stack and can be retreived by
 "Unzooming" [DM, F3, F2].  If the original map was the Default Map, a
 Circular Sky View map, or a Horizon map, recentering will also zoom by an
 amount that can be set in the configuration.  Initially the default zoom
 scale is 10° per inch, but you can change it in [MM, Modify
 Configuration].

                                >> Jump To... <<

 [Position the cursor near an object, (optionally) type <Enter>, type F1 (or
 F2 or F3)]
 If the cursor is within half an inch of an object you can cause it to jump to
 the nearest object of whichever type you choose:  F1 for stars, F2 for the
 sun, moon, planets, comets, asteroids, or user-defined positions, or F3 for
 deep sky objects.  Note: a user-defined position might refer to a deep sky
 object, a solar system object, an artificial satellite or simply an abstract
 coordinate position such as the zenith or a pole.  User-defined positions can
 be plotted either through the Solar System options [DM, F6, F4] or Deep Sky
 options [DM, F7, F4], but for all other purposes (such as the "Jump To..."
 operation) user-defined positions are grouped with solar system objects.

                  >> Telrad Targets & Field of View Circles <<

 [Position the cursor, (optionally) type <Enter>, type F4...]
 You can place a Telrad target, a Finder Field, or a High, Medium, or Low
 Power Eyepiece Field at any cursor location by choosing the Targets option.
 You can specify the angular sizes of each of the field of view circles in
 [MM, Modify Configuration].  Up to 10 targets or field of view circles can be
 placed on a map.

                     >> Zoom into the Guide Star Catalog <<

 [Position the cursor, (optionally) type <Enter>, type F5...]
 With approximately 19 million entries, the Hubble Guide Star Catalog (GSC)
 can be difficult to navigate through if used on its own.  In DEEP SPACE most
 of the navigation is done in the main star database.  You will usually zoom
 down into the GSC to obtain detailed eyepiece-sized fields of view after you
 have located your object of interest on larger scale maps.  You can also
 zoom, recenter, and save GSC maps, but GSC maps are not automatically saved
 on the stack.  Unzooming will take you back to the last non-GSC map.  (See
 [MM, Extended Help, The Map Stack])

 The GSC is excellent for showing eyepiece fields of view.  Just about any
 stars you can see in even large amateur-sized telescopes will be shown on a
 GSC map.  Open star clusters, in particular, are shown in spectacular detail.
 One application we have used repeatedly during the development of Version 4
 is plotting eyepiece fields in preparation for sketching at the eyepiece.
 Sketching is a great activity for visual observers.  It helps you focus on
 subtle details and you wind up seeing much more than when you are just
 casually viewing.  The first step in a good sketch is the tedious part:
 drawing in the field stars to give the the sketch proportion and scale.  We
 typically generate a 2° GSC map with a 1° field of view circle centered on
 the location of the target object (with the symbol omitted).  With the field
 stars already in place we can immediately start sketching the object itself!
 The resulting sketch will be better proportioned and even a reliable
 indicator of the size of the object.  When observing a comet, for instance,
 the coma diameter can be sketched reliably and measured later with the cursor
 by comparing the sketch with the view on-screen.  It is possible to achieve
 better accuracy this way than estimating the size directly at the eyepiece.

                           >> Center Map on Scope <<

 [With telescope communications active, the telescope calibrated, and the
 cursor active, (optionally) type <Enter>, type F6]

 If you have established a link with your telescope, the computer knows where
 the telescope is pointing even when the telescope marker is off the screen.
 Perhaps you are scanning and run into something interesting.  Type <F6> (or
 <Enter>, <F6>) and the map will be recentered at the current telescope
 position.  Displaying the deep sky database and scanning the current comet
 file will tell you quickly what you are looking at or whether you may have
 run across a comet with your name on it!

                             >> Point Telescope <<

 [With telescope communications active, the telescope calibrated, and the
 cursor active, position the cursor (or jump to the object of interest),
 (optionally) type <Enter>, type <Ins>]

 If you are using the DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR or other Digital Setting Circles,
 typing <Ins> will clear the screen and bring up the full-screen cross bar
 display to guide you to your target.  Simply zero out the crossed bar graphs
 and you are there.

 If you are using a Meade LX200 telescope the scope will immediately begin
 moving to the correct viewing position, provided the object you have selected
 is above the horizon.  The Real Time horizons on your map are updated every
 time the screen is redrawn, so if the computer has been sitting very long you
 should type <Home> to update the screen.  (Pointing accuracy is not the
 issue.  Accuracy will be just as good whether you update the screen or not.)

 If you simply move the cursor to a screen location and type <Ins> the
 telescope pointing accuracy will be limited by the screen resolution.  This
 is not a problem if you are zoomed in sufficiently, but it may be a problem
 in full-sky maps.  If you jump to an object first, however, the position of
 the object recorded in the database (or the computed position of the solar
 system body in question) is used.

 Some veteran amateur astronomers will lament the decadence of the hobby when
 computers can point your telescope for you.  You have to decide for yourself
 the relative merits of the hunt vs. the feast.  Taking the argument to the
 extreme one could lament the existence of star charts and guide books that
 deprive us of the sense of discovery Messier and Herschel must have felt with
 every new patch of fuzz.  Amateur telescope makers may lament the easy
 availability of commercial telescopes that deprive us of the satisfaction of
 craftsmanship in polishing our own 1/10 wavelength mirrors.  I personally
 feel there is nothing to lament.  This is a diverse hobby with diverse
 satisfactions.


 =========================== >> MAP ALTERATIONS << ===========================

 [DM, F4...]
 Early versions of DEEP SPACE required the user to specify the center
 position, scale, magnitude limit, map projection, and various other
 parameters before arriving at the first map.  Version 4 puts you into a map
 one keystroke past the MAIN MENU.  The flexibility is still all there, but
 rather than pre-determining all the settings, the initial maps are created
 with default settings.  Centering and scaling can be done graphically, and
 [DM, F4] allows you to modify the settings as you wish.  Since the
 intermediate stages in producing a map are stored on the map stack, you can
 easily backtrack at any point.

                             >> Magnitude Limit <<

 [DM, F4, Change Magnitude Limit]
 From ancient times star brightness has been measured on a "magnitude" scale.
 The brightest stars were considered 1st magnitude and the faintest stars
 (visible with the naked eye) were ranked as 6th magnitude.  Modern astronomy
 still uses this scale but extends it to larger numbers for fainter stars and
 to zero and negative numbers for brighter objects.  Measured with photometers
 a few "1st magnitude" stars are measured at zero and slightly negative
 magnitudes values.

 If you are doing whole-sky maps something around 4.5 would be a good
 magnitude cut-off.  This is the cut-off I used for making the large scale
 versions of The Night Sky.  You would have to go close to Mag 5 to get every
 last star used in the constellation patterns.  Clutter is as much a
 consideration as the limits of visibility.  Whole-sky maps are for general
 orientation.  Only the brightest stars are needed in most cases.  As you zoom
 in you can add more stars as long as the map remains readable.  [MM, Modify
 Configuration] allows you to set separate default limits for whole-sky views,
 zoomed-in views, Guide Star maps, and deep sky objects.  Any of these can be
 changed for individual maps: star magnitudes from the [DM, F4, Change
 Magnitude Limit], and deep sky objects during the selection process.

 In [MM, Modify Configuration, Optical Calculations] you can evaluate your
 telescopes according to the usual formulas.  With a 12 inch telescope, at
 high power, under dark, clear skies, an experienced observer should be able
 to see stars to about 15th magnitude.  Extended objects, such as galaxies,
 are more difficult to see and have lower magnitude limits.  The predictions
 should be taken with a grain of salt.  They are useful as a rough indicator,
 but you should test your own practical limits with your own eyes, equipment,
 and observing conditions and come to your own conclusions.

                        >> Coordinates of the Center <<

 [DM, F4, Recenter Map,...]
 For most purposes you will want to set the center of a map graphically with
 the cursor or the zoom box.  [DM, F4, Recenter Map], however, gives you
 other options.  You can specify coordinates directly (in whatever coordinate
 system the map is using), or automatically center on a constellation.

                               >> Star Colors <<

 [DM, F4, Star Colors: ON/OFF]
 This option toggles between stars color-coded according to spectral type and
 plain white stars.  The color option works properly only with VGA monitors.
 EGA monitors will display color, but not the correct ones.  If the EGA color
 selection doesn't bother you, you can leave it on, otherwise use it in
 monochrome mode.  CGA, and Hercules displays should leave the color setting
 turned off.

 A star's color indicates its temperature.  Blue stars are the hottest.  They
 are also the most massive and burn out fastest, so they are of necessity
 young stars.  Bright blue stars dominate the spiral arms of the Milky Way,
 where star formation is most active.

                          >> Direct / Reversed Maps <<

 [DM, F4, Direct View/Mirror Image]
 If your telescope has an optical system with an even number of reflections
 (0 for straight-through finders and refractors or 2 for Newtonians), the
 field of view will be rotated, but not reversed.  If your telescope has an
 odd number of reflections (1 for right-angle finders and refractors with a
 star diagonal, or 3 for Schmidt-Cassegrain), the field will be mirror imaged.
 (This is bad news for a finder scope!  Get a Telrad sight and use your right-
 angle finder only for fine centering.)  If you spend your telescope time
 looking at mirror imaged fields, you have two options.  You can hold your map
 face down and show a red light through it, or you can print out reversed
 maps.  Try it both ways.  If you sketch at the eyepiece you will definitely
 want to make your GSC eyepiece fields reversed.

                           >> North-Up / South-Up <<

 [DM, F4, North Up/South Up]
 There is a strong tendency toward unconscious northern-hemisphere chauvinism
 among northern-hemisphere astronomers.  I have tried to make DEEP SPACE free
 of this bias as much as possible.  I am sure my Australian bretheren will
 find places where I slip up; clue me in if you find such slip-ups.  Actually,
 I want DEEP SPACE to be a useful tool for me when I go south!  South-up maps
 allow southern astronomers to read their star maps without having to read the
 printing upside down.

                                >> Map Scale <<

 [DM, F4, Alter Map Scale]
 This is another feature that will usually be handled graphically with the
 zoom box, but there are occasions when you will want a particular measured
 scale for your printouts.

 For example, a map printed with a Gnomonic projection can be made to exactly
 overlay a photograph and match all the way across.  If you want to match a
 photograph at some point, you may have to measure the scale and set it
 directly.  Rather than ask how many degrees per inch, the program asks for
 how many degrees per how many inches.  This allows you to avoid doing the
 division.  For instance, if you want the printout to be 3° covering the full
 8 inch width of the map (short dimension), set 3° per 8 inches.  You could,
 of course, set .375° per 1 inch or any other equivalent combination of
 degrees and inches.

 By the way, over large areas the full extent of the map may not be exactly
 what you asked for.  The scale refers to the map scale at the center of the
 projection.  Each map projection distorts size away from the center
 differently, so the map may spread out more than you want.  The stereographic
 and gnomonic projections expand in scale away from the center point.  The
 Mercator projection expands away from the center line, but the scale remains
 true along the center line.  The polar equidistant projection retains scale
 away from the center, so there should be no surprises with this one.

                              >> Map Projection <<

 [DM, F4, Map Projection...]
 Representing the spherical dome of the sky on a flat map means something has
 got to give!  The question is what kind of distortion is least bothersome for
 a particular application.  Each projection offers a different trade-off.
 Some projections distort shapes, others distort areas.  Others introduce more
 exotic distortions.  Generally speaking, for constellation recognition
 preserving shapes is important.  Thus the collection of projections offered
 in DEEP SPACE specializes in shape preserving projections of one kind or
 another.  (See [MM, Extended Help, Mapping Basics] for more discussion of map
 projections in general.)

 The Stereographic Projection should not be confused with stereo 3-D images.
 (The possible confusion is particularly apparent in this program that
 highlights stereo 3-D!)  Basically, to flatten out a rubber ball, the edges
 must be stretched, causing a lengthening in the east-west direction.  The
 Polar Equidistant Projection has just such a distortion.  The Stereographic
 Projection compensates for the shape distortion by stretching the surface
 radially so east-west and north-south distortions match at every point.  The
 result is exaggeration of size far from the center, which is the price paid
 for keeping the shapes correct.  ([MM, Extended Help, Special Maps] has
 more discussion on this point.)  Overall, the Stereographic projection is one
 of the best projections for general purpose use, so it has been chosen as the
 original default projection for less than full sky views.  (You can alter
 that choice, of course, in [MM, Modify Configuration].)

 The POLAR EQUIDISTANT PROJECTION is the one typically used for planispheres.
 It distorts shapes more than the stereographic projection, but it distorts
 sizes less.  It is a reasonable compromise if less than half the sky is to be
 plotted.

 The MERCATOR PROJECTION was designed for navigation and is discussed at
 length in [MM, Extended Help, Mapping Basics].  The Mercator projection has
 "compensatory stretching" similar to the Stereographic map, so it also
 preserves shapes at the expense of area distortion far from the center line.
 Whereas the Stereographic projection is accurate at a point, the Mercator
 projection is accurate along a line.  The Mercator Projection is a good
 choice for wrap-around views of the sky.  It is used in the Default Map, the
 True Mercator / 360° maps, and the Pole-to-Pole maps, accessible under
 [MM, Select Map Format,...] or [DM, F2,...].  Two variations of the Mercator
 projection are offered in DEEP SPACE:  N-S and E-W, depending on the nature
 of the material to be mapped.

 The GNOMONIC PROJECTION is the kind of a projection produced by a camera.
 Cameras project the dome of the sky through a point onto a plane.  This is
 called a Gnomonic projection.  People tend to believe photographic images are
 somehow more true-to-life than maps, but the Gnomonic projection has severe
 shape and area distortion far from the center in a wide-field view.  I like
 to use this projection when mapping comet orbits because this projection
 preserves the conic sections.  If you wanted to create a map to overlay a
 photograph the Gnomonic projection would also be the correct choice.  If you
 were to paint dots on a window as you looked at the sky, you would have
 Gnomonic projection map.  For this reason it is the projection used for the
 MATCH-THE-SKY maps.

 Small portions of the sky can be mapped using any of these projections and
 you would have a hard time telling the difference without overlaying one on
 another.

                            >> Coordinate System <<

 [DM, F4, Coordinate System,...]
 DEEP SPACE uses four basic coordinate systems corresponding to four
 significant great circles on the sky:

 Equatorial (aligned with the equator, defined by the rotation of the earth)
 Ecliptic (Zodiac / aligned with the earth's orbit around the sun)
 Galactic (Milky Way / aligned with the plane of our galaxy)
 Horizon (aligned with the horizons and our sense of up and down)

 Any map can be switched between coordinate systems while preserving the
 center point and scale.  For whole sky views see the Special Maps section.

 The horizon system is dependent on observer location and the day and time.
 The others are not.  The Equatorial system is the one used for general
 purpose star atlases, since it is tied to the rotation of the earth and hence
 the rotation of the sky as well.  The equatorial system makes sense only on
 earth.  If we take a point of view from space it makes more sense to take our
 bearings from the plane of the solar system or the plane of the galaxy than
 to worry about the rotational plane of a little planet down there somewhere!

 Each system has its own purposes.  For use as a constellation finder the
 horizon system shows what you see, if you are standing up, that is.  The
 equatorial system is standard for star atlases that map the whole celestial
 sphere for star-finding purposes independent of the local horizons.  The
 Zodiac view is good on or off the earth for studying planetary motions or the
 motions of asteroids and comets.  Galactic coordinates are good for studying
 star clusters, nebulae, and other things associated with our galaxy.  Even
 Galactic coordinates seem provincial when we move out into the realm of the
 galaxies.

                       >> Horizontal / Vertical Format <<

 [DM, F4, Horizontal/Vertical Format]
 This option toggles between what is known in desktop publishing jargon as
 "portrait" and "landscape" modes.  Both are proportioned to fit on an 8-1/2 x
 11 inch printout.  If you want different dimensions, use the cropping
 feature.

                                 >> Cropping <<

 [DM, F4, Crop Map Size,...]
 The cropping feature allows you to size a printout for cut-and-paste
 applications such as astronomy club news letters.  Simply specify the
 dimensions.  Cropped maps continue to operate on the map stack like any
 other.


 =============================== >> OVERLAYS << ==============================

 [DM, F5...]
 Constellation lines, boundaries, and names, and coordinate grid lines have
 been grouped under the general heading of Overlays.

              >> Constellations: Lines, Boundaries, and Labels <<

 [DM, F5, (F1-F5)]
 [DM, F5, F2] draws connect-the-dot-type constellation lines for all
 constellations (except Mensa, which has no stars worth connecting!).  [DM,
 F5, F1] limits the selection to "Bright" constellations.  You can determine
 which constellations you consider "Bright" in [MM, Modify Configuration].  If
 you have already drawn the constellations, [DM, F5, F1] will re-draw the map
 with the more limited set.  Being able to limit the number of constellations
 to be displayed is useful for teachers who do not want to overwhelm beginning
 students.  (It is also useful for beginners who want to avoid overwhelming
 themselves at the outset!)

 You will find that the familiar constellation figures will vary from one
 author to another.  They are not standardized.  Some authors try to draw
 elaborate pictures representing the constellation names, but they wind up
 using many faint stars to fill out the drawings.  Our approach has been to
 keep the figures simple.  There really are no monsters in the sky.  From a
 functional point of view, the most important reason to learn the
 constellations is to be able to recognize regions in the sky quickly and
 easily.  For that purpose bright stars in simple patterns work best.  The
 patterns represented here are the ones adopted for our planisphere, The Night
 Sky.

 [DM, F5, F3] draws in the official constellation boundaries.  Although the
 constellation patterns are not standardized, the boundary lines are.  Every
 point in the sky falls within one of 88 internationally recognized
 constellations.  For amateurs, the boundary lines can be one way to lay out
 observing projects.  Some observers may like to focus their attention on the
 objects within a single constellation on a particular night.  The
 constellations are useful to professional astronomers as an aid in creating
 catalogs.  Star names, for instance, are sometimes labeled according to
 relative brightness within a constellation.

 [DM, F5, F4] will add names, if the constellation lins or boundaries are
 already drawn, or draw the lines and add the names otherwise.

 [DM, F5, F5] will add lines if necessary, add the names if necessary, and set
 the cursor on the first name ready to be repositioned.  Use the arrow keys to
 place the little rectangle (representing the printed version of the name)
 where it will not interfere with the content of the map.  Type <Enter> to
 continue to the next name or <BkSpace> to cycle backward through the list.
 If the original location of the name is obscuring detail making the placement
 of the name difficult, move the name away, type <Enter> to complete the move
 and erase the original clutter, then type <BkSpace> to return and place the
 name properly.  After the constellations are named you can cycle back through
 the naming process to move the names as often as you wish.

 Any names you do not find helpful can be deleted with the <Del> key.  Names
 cannot be easily recovered once deleted.  If you have deleted names you
 wanted to keep or otherwise made a mess out of the naming procedure, type
 [DM, F8,...] to remove all names, allowing a restart without having to redraw
 the map.

 To cope with crowded conditions you may want to use the 3-letter
 abbreviations of the names rather than full names.  Do this by typing the
 <PgDn> key.  You can return to the full names by typing the <PgUp> key.
 These keys affect all of the names.  They cannot be applied to the names
 individually.

 Names with two words, like Canis Major or Triangulum Australe can be
 represented either one above the other or end to end.  Use the <End> key to
 string them end-to-end and the <Home> key to stack them one above the other.

 If you want to show constellation lines for just one or a limited number of
 constellations, name the constellations you want to keep, then type [DM, F8,
 Remove Un-Named Constellations] to delete the lines for the others.

 It is a good idea to save labeling until last, after you have centered and
 framed your final map and added any solar system or deep sky objects.  Naming
 is lost when you zoom or recenter a map.

                          >> Coordinate Grid Lines <<

 [DM, F5, (F6 or F7)]
 Grid lines at 10° or one hour intervals for any of the four coordinate
 systems can be displayed on maps regardless of the coordinate system used for
 plotting the map.  Variations on the grid systems add to the flexibility.
 These include:

 --Plotting the full coordinate system
 --Marking only the equator (or other central circle)
 --Marking only the poles or the equator and poles
 --For the Ecliptic (Zodiac) grids, limiting the grid system to the 15° either
   side of the ecliptic --For the Horizon grids, limiting the grid system to
   the half of the sky above the horizon at the time

 Any combination of these options can be chosen for the default grid system in
 [MM, Modify Configuration] and selected with the [DM, F5, F7] keystroke
 combination.  [DM, F5, F6] allows you to modify the grid system for a single
 map without reconfiguring.

 Note: The dashed lines forming the grids are spaced 1° on, 1° off, except for
 RA lines (which are 5 min on, 5 min off) and the equator, which is solid.
 You can use this fact to read coordinates to one degree (or 5 min of RA) on
 printouts.


 ============================= >> SOLAR SYSTEM << ============================

 [DM, F6...]
 The term Solar System, as used here is a way of grouping all operations
 related to the sun, moon, planets, comets, and asteroids, for both orbital
 views and finder charts as seen from earth.  User-defined positions are
 grouped with Solar System options, although user-defined positions may or may
 not refer to solar system objects.

                                >> Algorithms <<

 The positions of the sun, moon, and planets are computed using the methods
 outlined in Astronomical Algorithms, by Jean Meeus.  Accuracy is generally
 within a few arcseconds over our lifetimes.  The orbital outlines are
 computed using less accurate (and faster) "mean elements".  On a scale where
 overall orbits can be seen, this accuracy is sufficient.

 The moon's position is very difficult to obtain with great accuracy.  Whereas
 the planet positions are essentially two-body problems, with perturbations
 added in, the moon is essentially a three-body problem, being strongly
 influenced by both earth and sun.  The algorithm given here is claimed to
 have an accuracy within approximately 10" in ecliptic longitude and 4" in
 ecliptic latitude.  This is still small relative to the size of the disk of
 the moon (which is approximately 30'), so graphical representations of
 eclipses, occultations, etc. should be fairly reliable.

 There is no accurate theoretical method to predict the orbit of Pluto into
 the distant past or future.  Studies have shown its orbit to be chaotic, in
 the technical sense of the word.  The position for Pluto given here is based
 on a numerical fit to an integration of the orbit over the period 1885 to
 2099.  If dates outside this interval are used, no value for Pluto's position
 will be returned.  The accuracy claimed for the heliocentric ecliptic
 coordinates is 0.6" in longitude, 0.2" in latitude, and 0.00002 AU in radius.
 This accuracy is quite sufficient for locating Pluto.  As a test I plotted a
 year's worth of positions from the Astronomical Ephemeris (1994) using the
 plot-from-coordinates feature [DM, F7, F4, ...] and compared the results with
 the computed positions of Pluto.  On a 2° Hubble Guide Star Catalog plot
 there were no discernable differences, certainly none that would lead to mis-
 identification in the field.

                                 >> Planets <<

 DEEP SPACE handles the planets in two groups: those that outshine most if not
 all of the stars (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), and those that
 require optical aid even to be seen (Uranus [borderline], Neptune, and
 Pluto).  When scanning the planets [DM, F6, F1, (F1/F2),...] (or
 automatically if planet display is turned on in [MM, Modify Configuration,
 Map Features]) you can choose to add only the bright planets or all planets.

 The planets are identifiable by their symbols.  Further identification is
 obtained by placing the cursor near a planet and using [<SpBar>, <Enter>, F2]
 or using [DM, F6, F3] to jump from one to the next.  The name and date are
 displayed in a box at the top left corner of the screen.  For symbols with a
 circular part, such as the Sun, Moon, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and
 Uranus, the location of the planet is the center of the circle.  The
 asymmetric symbols for Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto, have a small dot
 added near the center of the symbol for positioning.

                               >> Sun and Moon <<

 Among the solar system objects, the sun and moon are drawn to scale, with a
 certain minimum size.  The shape of the moon indicates its correct phase and
 orientation in the sky.  If you are on a whole-sky map, the sun and moon will
 be shown disproportionately large.  As you zoom in beyond a certain point,
 the scale of the map will catch up with them.  Beyond that point the sun and
 moon will be drawn to the correct scale of the map.

                           >> Comets and Asteroids <<

 [MM, Ephemeris, ...] or [DM, F6, F2 ...]
 Comets are interesting observational targets, although beginners often have
 difficulty locating them because they move from one night to the next and
 accurate information is sometimes hard to obtain.  For success in comet
 observation you need an up-to-the-minute information source and the ability
 to make orbital computations.  DEEP SPACE provides the computational side,
 and our Comet Watch newsletter provides the information source on newly
 discovered comets.  For the comet options to remain useful you will need to
 stay current on the orbital elements of newly discovered comets and enter
 them into the comet/asteroid database. (See [MM, Product Information]).

                    >> Scanning for Comets and Asteroids <<

 [DM, F6, F2, F1, ...]
 This option lets you scan one or more of your comet/asteroid database files
 for any comets or asteroids that meet whatever criteria you set.  The
 information given for each object is:  R.A., Dec., Elongation, predicted
 magnitude, and rise/set information in graphical form.  Magnitude estimates
 for comets are notoriously unreliable, but they can give a good idea if a
 comet will be visible at all.  (Whether magnitude information is given
 depends on the data available for the given comet.)  As you scroll you are
 given the opportunity to "select" any number of the objects for display.

 Scanning the database is a good idea if you ever think you have found a new
 comet.  You may report a comet that has already been found or has been around
 before and has a known orbit.

                >> Comet/Asteroid Paths for a Range of Dates <<

 [DM, F6, F2, F3, ...]
 Finder charts for comets and asteroids can be plotted on any kind of base
 map.  It is recommended that you start with the Default Map where you can see
 the overall motion through the sky, then zoom to a smaller scale map for
 finer detail with more stars added to aid in finding the object with a
 telescope.

 A word here about comet tails is in order.  The tail displayed by the program
 is in no way a prediction of actual tail length: it is fixed at an artificial
 1/10 AU length (about 10 million miles).  However, it does reflect the effect
 of distance and phase on apparent tail length, and it is shown at the correct
 position angle on the sky for an ion tail, which points directly away from
 the sun.  Some comets have anti-tails and dust tails are sometimes quite
 curved.  The length of the displayed tail is the length the tail would appear
 if it were actually 1/10 AU long.  If the observed tail is half that long you
 know that the physical length is about 5 million miles.  The plotted tail is
 thus not a prediction, but it turns out to be a good measuring stick.

 Another question will arise when plotting comets, asteroids, planets, etc. on
 "time referenced maps" such as the Default Map, a Circular Sky View map,
 or a Horizon-View map.  By definition these maps are set for a particular day
 and time, yet a path for a range of dates is, by definition, extended over a
 range of dates!  How can the two be meaningfully combined?

 On "time referenced maps" two paths are optionally shown: one follows the
 path of the object relative to the stars, the other follows the path of the
 object relative to the horizons.  By typing S, H, or B you can select the
 path relative to the Stars, the Horizon, or Both.  If you choose B, The
 starting day for the object will match the date of the map, so the two
 initial marks will coincide.  But then, since the sky rotates over the
 plotted interval, the two paths diverge.  The normal plot (+ marks with a
 tail for comets) indicates the path relative to the stars.  The path relative
 to the horizon is marked with X's.  This is the path that shows how the
 object's position will change relative to the horizon observing at the same
 time each night.  This plot is very useful for seeing how long the object
 will remain in the observable portion of the sky or whether it will be a
 "horizon hugger".

                       >> Comet & Asteroid Ephemerides <<

 [MM, Ephemeris, ...]
 An ephemeris (e-phem'-er-is, plural: e-phe-mer'-i-des) is a numerical listing
 that shows where a celestial body will be in the sky over a range of dates.
 The headings are as follows:

  (The range of dates goes down the left side of the page.)

   R.A. & Dec --Position in the sky in equatorial coordinates
   R          --Distance from sun to object
   Delta      --Distance from earth to object
   Elong.     --Elongation: angle from sun to object as seen from earth
   Phase      --For a comet this tells to what extent the tail points away
                from us.  90° is directly across our line of sight.
   PA         --Position angle: the angle of the tail in the sky measured
                counterclockwise from north
   Mag.       --Estimated magnitude (emphasis on estimate for comet
                magnitudes!)  Magnitude data is optional and will not be
                displayed if the required data is missing.

 Output from an ephemeris can be sent to the printer or a text file in ASCII
 format.

                          >> Comet Orbital Elements <<

 Orbital elements are six numbers that describe a comet orbit's size, shape,
 orientation in space, and time of closest approach to the sun.

 The elements have strange sounding names, but you don't have to know anything
 about them to be able to plug them into DEEP SPACE.  If you subscribe to
 Comet Watch you will be among the first to know when a new comet is
 discovered or when a returning comet has been "recovered".  Comet Watch gives
 you the six numbers the program needs to know.  Simply plug them in and let
 the program go to work.

 The six magic numbers for comets are as follows:


 T     : Time of perihelion passage--when the comet is closest to the sun
 e     : Eccentricity--a measure of the elongation of the orbit.  For a
         circle, e=0.  For a parabola, e=1.  Above 1 the orbit is a hyperbola.
 q     : Perihelion distance--closest approach to the sun
 PERI  : Argument of perihelion--measures the orientation of a comet's orbit
         within its own orbital plane.  (Symbol = lower case Greek Omega.)
 NODE  : Longitude of the Ascending Node--locates where the comet's orbit
         crosses the ecliptic plane.  (Symbol = upper case Greek Omega.)
 i     : Inclination--the angle between the orbital planes of the earth and
         comet.

 The equinox of the elements needs to be specified. Until recently comet
 elements were provided relative to the equinox of 1950.0, called the B1950.0
 system.  Now all comet elements are specified relative to the equinox of
 2000.0, called the J2000.0 system.  Unless you are dealing with old data,
 leave the setting on J.

 In addition, you have the opportunity to enter magnitude information.  If you
 have the absolute magnitude for the comet you can enter it directly.  If you
 know the magnitude on a given date you can enter that and the program will
 work backward and compute the absolute magnitude for you.  You will have to
 enter a constant (k) that describes how the brightness varies with distance
 from the sun.  This is not generally known for newly discovered comets, so a
 value of 10 is used until a better value is determined.

                        >> Asteroid Orbital Elements <<

 Asteroid elements are the same as Comet elements except for a few minor
 differences.  Instead of the perihelion distance (q), the semimajor axis (a)
 is given.  Instead of the time of perihelion passage, an "epoch" date is
 specified, and the value of the Mean Anomaly (M), which is related to the
 comet's position in its orbit, is given for that date.  Magnitude is
 specified by a pair of parameters that model the variation of brightness with
 distance from the earth and distance from the sun.

                              >> Comet Recovery <<

 [DM, F6, F2, F2]
 Most comets can be tracked only when they are at the inner part of their
 orbits.  Because they are made of volatile material that outgasses, they are
 subjected to jet effects, commonly referred to as "non-gravitational" forces.
 As a result, when a comet returns it may be advanced or delayed in its orbit
 by an unpredictable amount.  The predicted position of a returning comet may
 not be accurate enough to allow it to be spotted without a hunt.  DEEP SPACE
 can trace out a search path in the sky for comet recovery purposes, based on
 the assumption the return time is the only orbital parameter significantly
 affected.  The search path is essentially the orbit of the comet projected
 onto the sky as seen from the earth.  Don't confuse the search path with the
 path of the comet as it moves through the sky.  They can be quite different.

                      >> Understanding Orbital Elements <<

 If you want to visualize orbital elements, think of a book resting on a
 table.  The surface of the table represents the plane of the earth's orbit.
 The cover of the book represents the plane of the orbit of the comet or
 asteroid.  You can cut out a paper ellipse and tape it on the cover of the
 book.  The shape of the ellipse is determined by the eccentricity (e) and its
 size is determined by any linear dimension, in this case of comets the
 distance from the focus to one end of the ellipse (q) is used.  In the case
 of asteroids the "long radius" called the semimajor axis is used.  (Since
 comets may have open ended orbits they may not have a measurable semi-major
 axis.)

 The angle of perihelion (PERI) is the angle of rotation of the ellipse
 relative to the binding of the book.  The inclination (i) is the angle the
 cover is lifted as the book is opened.  The longitude of the ascending node
 (NODE) is the angle of the book binding relative to the edge of the table as
 the book is rotated on the surface of the table.  These five elements
 determine the geometry of the orbit.  For comets, the time of perihelion
 passage (T) pins down its location for one specific time.  For asteroids the
 time called the Epoch is chosen arbitrarily and a parameter related to its
 starting position (M) is given.  The Epoch doubles as an indicator of how far
 out of date the elements are.  Asteroids come around frequently, so the
 elements must be updated periodically.  Comet elements also need updating,
 but they typically return at long intervals, and various forces make their
 return dates rather uncertain.

 Once the starting conditions are known, Newton's law of Gravity takes over
 (masquerading in the form of Kepler's laws) and determine the rate of motion
 and allow prediction of where the comet will be in its orbit at any other
 time.

 The bottom line is, you must type the right numbers into the right boxes to
 let the computer do its thing correctly.

                       >> Comet/Asteroid Element Files <<

 If your interest in comets is purely observational, you can delete most long
 period comets after they have faded.  They will never return in your
 lifetime.  However, for other aspects of comet study you may want to collect
 orbital data to compare comets even after they are long gone.  For instance,
 some recent comets are suspected to be returns of ancient comets.  Comparing
 orbital elements (or 3-D views of the orbits) can give an indication if this
 is the case.  Asteroids, on the other hand, stick around, but their elements
 need updating frequently.

 An optional data disk has data for approximately 10,000 asteroids and comets
 from the JPL comet and asteroid database, over 1100 comets (based on Brian
 Marsden's Catalog of Cometary Orbits), elements for a number of major meteor
 showers with their associated comets if known, and elements for all
 historical and some future apparitions of Halley's Comet.

 Brian Marsden's comet elements cover past apparitions dating back to the
 first confirmed sighting of Comet Halley in 240 BC, which astronomers refer
 to as the year -239.  (For astronomers, the year preceding 1 AD is 0 AD.  For
 historians the year preceding 1 AD is 1 BC.)  The JPL database gives elements
 for recent apparitions of periodic comets integrated forward to future
 apparitions over the next century or more.

 If you collect large amounts of orbital data, you can best organize the data
 by keeping it in multiple files.  The CURRENT.ACF and RECENT.ACF and
 JPLNA01.ACF (first 100 named asteroids) files are on the disk initially.
 Other *.ACF files may be added without limit.

 Comet data can be copied to a new file or between existing files.  To do
 this, select a comet in an existing file, and choose the Copy option shown at
 the bottom of the page when its elements are displayed.  A menu of existing
 comet files will be shown allowing you to select which file to copy it to.
 If you want to start a new file, type <Insert> to enter the new file name.

 Another option at the same point where the copy option is offered, is to
 delete an object.  You may well want to enter new comets in CURRENT.ACF, then
 copy it to RECENT.ACF and delete it from CURRENT.ACF when it is no longer
 easily visible.

 The program CONVERT.EXE is a separate program supplied with DEEP SPACE which
 must be in the same subdirectory as the orbital element files.  It will
 convert old style *.CFL files from DEEP SPACE versions 2.x and 3.x to the
 newer *.ACF files.  The format was changed to allow for mixing comet and
 asteroid elements in the same file.  CONVERT.EXE will also convert files to
 or from *.TXT files in ASCII format that can be read, edited, or organized
 with a text editor or word processor. If text files are to be converted back
 to *.ACF form, they must be in pure ASCII and follow the exact pattern of the
 text files produced by CONVERT.EXE.  (The number of trailing zeros or spaces
 between numbers is unimportant.)

                          >> User-Defined Positions <<

 [DM, F6, F4] or [DM, F7, F4]
 When a comet is first discovered one or more observed positions are usually
 announced before its orbital elements are computed.  Sometimes a pre-computed
 ephemeris is available as a list of coordinate positions.  Other objects such
 as novas or supernovas can be plotted only from direct entry of their
 coordinates.  All of these situations require the ability to plot positions
 directly from coordinates.  Since coordinates may refer to solar system
 objects, deep sky objects, or neither of the above, their classification is
 somewhat arbitrary.  DEEP SPACE groups user-defined coordinates along with
 solar system objects, for most purposes, but allows entry of coordinate
 positions from either the Solar System [F6] or Deep Sky [F7] menus.

 Coordinates are specified relative to the equinox of some date.  It is common
 to see coordinates specified in the standard equinoxes 1950.0 and 2000.0, or
 the current date.  Maps printed by DEEP SPACE are referenced to 2000.0
 coordinates.  Positions sent out to drive a telescope must be in the equinox
 of the current date.  Coordinates can be entered for any equinox.  They will
 be converted to 2000.0 coordinates or current date coordinates as needed.

 Positions can be entered individually or as lists of positions.  Entries can
 be made from within the program or produced separately as ASCII text files in
 the proper format, named with an .ADL extension.  Each position requires two
 lines.  The first line is a name or description.  The second line contains
 the equinox date, RA hours, RA minutes, RA seconds, Dec degrees, Dec minutes,
 and Dec seconds.  If you know the RA in hours, minutes and decimal fraction
 of a minute rather than seconds, simply enter the minutes with the decimal
 fraction and enter zero for the seconds.  It is best to enter a few sample
 positions from the program and examine the resulting .ADL file to learn the
 proper format before you create .ADL files from an external text editor.


 ================================ >> ORBITS << ===============================

 [DM, F6, F1, F4, ...]  or  [DM, F6, F2, F4, ...]
 The orbits of planets, comets, and asteroids can be viewed from space.  In
 the process of specifying what is to be shown you can set the viewer's
 location in space.  The direction of view will always be toward the sun.  The
 stars shown in the background are the correct stars for the chosen point of
 view.

 You can modify the viewer's location either with [DM, F6, F4] or by using the
 cursor to indicate a new view direction.  If the cursor is used, the new view
 direction will be such that the viewer and sun line up with the point in the
 sky chosen by the cursor.  You can "walk" your way around the sky with this
 method.

 Once orbits are drawn, if any further planet, comet, or asteroid positions
 are displayed they will be positioned on their orbits.  This is one way you
 can visualize how the earth and a comet, for instance, are moving in relation
 to each other.  [DM, F6, F4] (Object ID.) will work for solar system objects
 on their orbits as well as on finder charts.


 =========================== >> DEEP SKY OBJECTS << ==========================

 [DM, F7, F1, ...]
 Deep Sky Objects include galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and various other
 categories of non-stellar objects.  (User-Defined positions can be plotted
 from the Deep Sky menu, but for all other purposes they are grouped with
 Solar System objects.)  As DEEP SPACE plots deep sky objects they are added
 to a list in memory.  As you move from one map to another you can either
 start a new list or append objects to the existing list for a maximum or 1000
 objects.  Those objects that you label are flagged and become part of an
 observing list which you can print out separately.  You may want to create
 several maps for a given night and accumulate the labeled objects into a
 single observing list, or you may wish to print shorter observing lists to go
 with each printed map.  (As we have used DEEP SPACE we have come to prefer
 the second method.  We print each map and staple it to its observing list.
 This becomes a handy packet, combining features of an atlas, catalog, and
 commentary.)

 First decide whether to create a new list or append to the current list.
 Then select the limiting magnitude for non-stellar objects.  This selection
 is independent of the limiting magnitude for stars.  (Only dark nebulae
 bypass the magnitude screening.  If you include dark nebulae, all of them in
 the database will be shown.)  The limiting magnitude you select should depend
 on the size of your telescope, the darkness of your observing site, and your
 observing experience.  The Messier list goes down to about 11th magnitude.  A
 12 inch telescope with dark skies will take you a little past 13 for
 galaxies.  Magnitude is not the only thing that affects an object's
 visibility.  Some objects are bright, but hard to see because they are large
 and their surface brightness is low.

 If you are a registered user, you may select objects from the entire database
 or from more specialized categories.  If you have an unregistered program you
 will be limited to the Messier list, or user-defined categories limited to
 subsets of the Messier list.  The Messier list is a good starter list
 containing many of the brighter objects.  The "Herschel 400" list is the
 basis of an observing program sponsored by the Astronomical League.  It picks
 up the bright objects Messier missed and includes some of the more
 challenging objects in the NGC (New General Catalog).  If you are working on
 a Messier Marathon or working toward a "Herschel Club" certificate, DEEP
 SPACE is made to order for your needs.

 You may define up to four categories of your own.  The categories you define
 can be totally arbitrary: "My Favorite Galaxies", "Objects I Can See From My
 Back Yard", "Planetary Nebulae That Don't Simply Look Like Stars", etc.  (See
 [MM, Extended Help, User-Defined Categories] for instructions on setting up
 and assigning objects to your own categories.)  If you have set up one or
 more user-defined categories you may choose one of them at this point.

 Finally you can select within a category the types of objects you want to
 observe.  Use the <Enter> key or <Arrow> keys to move the selection bar, and
 type <Space> to select an object type.  You may choose one, all, or any
 combination of object types.

                             >> Deep Sky Symbols <<

 When deep sky objects are too small to be clearly drawn to the scale of the
 map, the object is represented with a standard sized symbol.  When a map is
 zoomed sufficiently, the objects will be scaled proportionately.

 Galaxies whose size, shape, and position angles are included in the database
 are shown as ellipses of appropriate dimensions and orientation.  The Large
 and Small Magellanic Clouds are scaled this way even on a whole sky map.
 With any zooming at all, M 31 and M 33, the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies
 are shown to scale.  But even small galaxies such as those in the Virgo
 cluster are shown to scale when zoomed in sufficiently.

 Star clusters, planetary nebulae are scaled similarly, but with circular
 symmetry.

 Nebulae are exceptions.  The database does not include outline information
 for nebulae, show they are indicated by a small box.  As zooming takes place
 the box begins to grow, but the sizes would be very distracting and not very
 informative, because some nebulae are huge, and don't look like boxes!
 Therefore, there is a maximum size.  Nebulae (both dark and bright) are shown
 as either minimum size symbols, proportionately scaled if you hit it just
 right, or a maximum size symbol.

 The symbol for a Cluster with Nebulosity is a dotted circle with a box in it.
 The cluster symbol will grow proportionately, and so will the box.  I would
 be tempted to simply group the "cluster with nebulosity" items with the
 clusters, but that would categorize the Orion Nebula and the Lagoon Nebula as
 clusters.  If, on the other hand I grouped them with nebulae, the Pleiades
 would be categorized as a nebula!  This is definitely a mixed group.

                        >> Labeling Deep Sky Objects <<

 Once deep sky objects are displayed, they may be screened individually and
 labeled with the primary or secondary name, deleted, or left on the screen
 unlabeled.  Objects that are labeled are thereby selected for the current
 observing list.  Objects may be selected one at a time with the cursor.  As
 an object is identified a small box is displayed that indicates the
 approximate size the label will be on the printout.  It may be positioned
 with the arrow keys.  A line connecting the object with its label allows you
 to clearly identify objects even in cluttered areas of the sky.  Some objects
 are obvious without their symbols (such as the Pleiades, Hyades, the Coma
 Berenices Cluster, etc.)  For cases like these you may turn the symbol off/on
 with the <F4> key, leaving the name to stand on its own.  In other cases you
 may wish to remove a label, using the <F3> key, but leave the symbol on the
 map.  The object can be labeled with the first or second name listed by
 typing <F1> or <F2>.

 Along with the label, three windows will pop up.  One is a menu for the
 function keys, one is a summary description of the object, and the third,
 which is initially blank, is space for your observing notes.  You can scroll
 the description window with the <PgUp>, <PgDn>, <Home>, and <End> keys.

 If you want to add an object to a user-defined category, type <F5>.  Position
 the cursor on one of the category labels, and type the space bar.  Typing the
 <Space> bar again will remove the object from the category.


 =============================== >> ALMANAC << ===============================

 In its present incarnation the [MM, Almanac] feature has three pages of
 information.  Page 1 gives the Solstices and Equinoxes for the currently
 active year along with the dates and times of the moon phases throughout the
 year.

 Page 2 gives a table of planet position data for the current day and time.
 When planets and the sun and moon are displayed graphically their positions
 are based on these same calculations, but the tabular form is included here
 in case you need access to the numbers directly.  The following summarizes
 the table on Page 2.

 COLUMN HEADINGS:
   R.A.       --Right Ascension: angle in hours, not degrees, measured
                eastward along the equator from the Vernal Equinox.
   Dec        --Declination: angle above or below the celestial equator
                measured in degrees.
   Long       --Ecliptic Longitude
   Lat        --Ecliptic Latitude
   Az         --Azimuth: angle in degrees measured eastward along the horizon
                from due north.
   Alt        --Altitude: angle in degrees above or below the horizon
   Elong      --Elongation: the angle of the planet from the sun measured
                along the ecliptic.
   Phase      --Angle between your line of sight and the direction of sunlight
                falling on an object.  Full phase is 0°.
   Dist       --Distance from the earth in AU's, for planets, in earth radii
                for the moon.
   Diam       --Angular diameter measured in minutes of arc.

 Rise-Set Information:
 Times of rise and set are shown graphically for ease of use.  The hours of
 darkness and twilight are indicated at the top of the page.  Times are
 centered on local midnight, regardless of what time zone you are using.  (eg.
 if you use daylight saving time you will notice that 1 am, not 12 am is at
 the center.)

 The dashed lines indicate the times the moon and planets are above the
 horizon.  The double lines indicate when they are more than 20° above the
 horizon, a hypothetical "smog line".  Even if there is no smog, at 20° above
 the horizon you are looking through 3 times as much atmosphere as when you
 look directly overhead.


 =========================== >> OBSERVING LISTS << ===========================

 Observing lists consist of all objects named on the most recent star maps.
 The current list is deleted and a new one begun when you type [DM, F7, F1,
 C,...] to create a new list.  A Messier or NGC object may also be added
 explicitly to an observing list from [MM, Logs/Lists/Categories, Add Object
 to Obs. List,...].

 If you want to save the current list you must explicitly save it in [MM,
 Logs/Lists/Categories, Save Observing List].  With an observing list you can
 print out rise-set times, catalog information, or observing notes for the
 group of objects named on a star map.  Print out a separate observing list
 with each map or make a master list for a night's observing.  Save the list
 until you return from observing.  Then browse the list to enter the night's
 observing notes.  Once the observing notes have been entered the list can be
 deleted.  The notes are not tied to the list, but rather go into the current
 log.

 Because of the amount of material to be printed about each object you may
 want to edit the observing list before printing it out.  You can print a
 simplified one line description, omit the observing notes, omit the rise/set
 graph, or send the list to an ASCII file to be editted with a word processor.


 ========================== >> THE OBSERVING LOG << ==========================

 Logs are collections of observing notes linked to the deep sky database.
 Once you enter your observing notes into DEEP SPACE they will be immediately
 available for review each time you select an object with the cursor.  DEEP
 SPACE Ver. 5 allows you to import multiple log files created by other
 observers using either DEEP SPACE or NGP, a text-based shareware observing
 log program.  (We decided to maintain compatibility with NGP because of the
 quantity of observing notes already accumulated in this format.)

 DEEP SPACE assumes you have one log file designated as your primary log and
 allows you to cycle through any other log files present in your DSFILES
 directory.  In Browse mode, whether you are browsing observing lists, logs,
 or categories, you can select a particular log and browse through each
 object, or for a particular object you can cycle through the alternate log
 files.  <L> cycles to the next log and <P> jumps directly to your primary
 log.  If you are in a star map with a deep sky object selected, you can
 similarly type <L> or <P> to view various sets of notes about the object.

 Log notes may be added or edited when an object is selected on a map, or from
 the [MM, Logs/Lists/Categories, Browse...] option.  If you are returning from
 an observing session the easiest way to enter your notes is to enter [MM,
 Logs/Lists/Categories], load the desired list (assuming it was saved
 earlier), then enter Browse.  In Browse, type <E> for edit mode.  Editing
 from the map display is good for brief comments, or for editing on a laptop
 in the field as soon as an object has been observed.  Editing from the Main
 Menu Log option gives you more work area to view the text.  Both text and
 graphics windows will scroll.  The maximum size of a comment record for a
 single object is 4k (about 51 lines of text).

 You can leave the log window with the option of saving or discarding your
 changes by typing <Esc>.


 ======================= >> USER-DEFINED CATEGORIES << =======================

 CATEGORIES are subgroupings of the deep sky database.  The Messier list and
 the Herschel 400 list are permanent categories and may not be modified by the
 user.  There is space for four user-defined categories.  You may want to
 maintain a category for your all-time favorite objects and add to it as you
 discover new gems.  If you do programs for the public you may want to create
 a category of "Showpiece Objects".  If you are working on the Messier or
 Herschel 400 list or some other project you may want to create a "Project"
 category from which objects can be annotated then deleted as they are
 observed.  (Remember the notes you add go into a Log file, so deleting an
 object from a category does not harm your notes.)  Using categories you can
 quickly display the objects of special interest without having to wade
 through the entire database every time.  One technique for creating
 convenient finder charts is to display the objects in your category, label
 them, then complete the map with objects of comparable brightness chosen from
 the full database to put the selected objects in context.

 To use the category feature, first define a category [MM, Logs/Lists/Cate-
 gories, Create New Category].  You can add an object to a user-defined
 category from the Browse option or from the map when a deep sky object is
 selected.  If you want to gather a large number of objects together into a
 category, create an observing list by labeling the objects you want, then
 append the list to the category [MM, Logs/Lists/Categories, Append Obs. List
 to Cat.,...].

 Here is how you could create a category of "Barred Spiral Galaxies":

 Plot a map, add galaxies down to whatever magnitude limit is desired, cycle
 through the naming/selection process, deleting all galaxies except the SB
 type.  By simply labeling the barred spirals you add them to the current
 Observing List.  Now go back to [MM, Logs/Lists/Categories], create a "Barred
 Spiral" category, and dump the observing list into the category.  As you run
 across other barred spirals they can be added to the list one-by-one or a
 batch at a time.  Objects being added to a category are screened by the
 program, so there is no danger of duplication.

 Here is how to copy a fixed category, such as the Herschel 400 list, into a
 working "Project" category:

 Plot a whole sky map.  The False Mercator / 360° whole sky map is good for
 this purpose since it covers the entire sky pole to pole and for present
 purposes distortion is not a problem.  Add all Herschel 400 objects choosing
 9999 as the magnitude limit and selecting all object types.  Using [DM, F7,
 F2] label all the objects without bothering to position the labels.  This
 adds them to the current Observing List.  Return to [MM,
 Logs/Lists/Categories], select Create New Category, then select Append Obs.
 List to Cat.  You can now easily maintain a record of objects yet to be
 observed


 ============================== >> STEREO 3-D << =============================

 [DM, F10, (F2/F3/F4), ...]
 Space is 3-dimensional.  The sky we see is a two dimensional surface because
 of the limitations of our depth perception.  At great distances all things
 look the same distance away, hence we seem to be at the center of a sphere.
 In other words, the dome of the sky is an illusion.  It takes the illusion of
 stereo graphics to dispel the illusion of the sky.

 To see 3-D you need two points of view that are spaced a significant fraction
 of the distance of the objects being observed.  In a room, normal eye spacing
 gives ample depth perception.  Depth is easily judged 10 or 20 feet away by
 eyes that are about 2.5 inches apart: a factor of 50-100 eye spacings.  Keep
 this in mind when it comes to plotting stereo views of the stars.  Use the
 [DM, F10, F4] option to set the 3-D parameters.  The default eye spacing for
 "Star Depth" 3-D is one light year.  This produces a rich 3-D effect for most
 stars but may be too much for the closest stars.  A simulated "eye spacing"
 between a few tenths of a light year and several light years is generally
 best for most star fields.  Overdoing the eye separation is like trying to
 look at something an inch or two in front of your face.  On the other hand,
 increased eye spacing can bring out the relative depth at greater distances.
 Be flexible and experiment.

 To see 3-D you may need a viewer.  Inexpensive viewers are available from
 David Chandler Co. or from a number of science supply companies.  Most
 people, however, can, with patience, teach themselves to view the 3-D views
 without a viewer, one eye looking at each frame.  Most people do this by
 relaxing their eyes to look parallel, so the left eye looks at the left frame
 while the right eye looks at the right frame.  Another technique is to cross
 your eyes, so each eye looks at the opposite frame.  You should select the
 3-D display mode appropriate to the technique you are using.

 The stereo views are printed at the spacing of the viewer lenses, which in
 turn are approximately the spacing of your eyes.  The spacing of the boxes on
 the screen can be set from [MM, Modify Configuration, 3-D Options] or from
 [DM, F10, F4].  If you have trouble "fusing" the images without a viewer, try
 making the boxes smaller.

                        >> Planet Depth / Star Depth <<

 If planets, comets, or other solar system related objects are in the field
 they will be so close relative to the stars that the stars will be flat in
 the background.  If your eyes are space properly to see depth in the stars,
 however, they will be much farther apart than the size of the solar system,
 so the solar system itself will not be visible.  To expedite the process of
 showing one or the other level of depth, you can choose "Planet Depth" or
 "Star Depth" 3-D.  If you choose Star Depth, the planets will be temporarily
 eliminated from the view.  They will return when you zoom back out.

 Once either 3-D option has been chosen, for either screen display or
 printout, you will be presented with a square zoom box to position and scale
 as you choose.  When you have the view you want, type <Enter> and the stereo
 pair will be displayed on screen.  You can print out the pair at this point
 or return to the previous map with <Esc>.  If you print 3-D views you can get
 up to 3 pairs on a page.  You will be asked after each printout whether to
 terminate the page or continue.  After the third printout the page will be
 terminated automatically.

 Some of the things to notice when viewing the stars in 3-D:
 --Some stars are bright because they are close, whereas others are bright
   because they are BRIGHT.
 --Some pairs of stars are close together in the sky but far apart in space.
   Other stars are far apart in the sky but close to each other (and us) in
   space.
 --Some familiar constellations contain actual star groupings, others only
   apparent groupings.

 When comet orbits are seen in 3-D the main point of interest is the
 orientation of the orbits relative to the earth's orbital plane.  Most of the
 solar system is flat, but comets come in from all angles.  The inclinations
 stand out dramatically in this format.  If you back far enough away you can
 see the dramatic inclination of Pluto's orbit compared with the rest of the
 planets.


 ========================== >> TELESCOPE SUPPORT << ==========================

                >> Hints on Using a Laptop Computer at Night <<

 DEEP SPACE does not have a red "night vision" mode like some programs do.
 The reason is simple: try displaying "red" on a monochrome laptop computer!
 The best way to prepare a computer screen for nighttime use is to cover it
 with a material called Rubylith.  Rubylith is a deep, dense transparent red
 acetate used in the printing industry for layout work.  It is cheap and
 easily available.  If the display on your laptop is too dark or has poor
 contrast don't forget it has a brightness control knob.

                          >> Real Time / Telescope <<

 Earlier versions of DEEP SPACE were usable primarily as a planning tool and
 specialized in creating useful printed star maps.  For planning purposes the
 current time is not really relevant: it is the planned time of observation
 that needs to be set.  If you take your computer out observing with you,
 however, you will want it to keep up with the current status of the sky
 throughout the night.  For this application, activate Real Time Mode (RTM).
 You can activate it from the MAIN MENU or from within [MM, Day and Time,
 ...].  A green line indicating the current horizon will show up on all maps
 that overlap the horizon.  The horizon line is not animated, but the time
 will be updated and the horizon and all orbital objects (planets, moon,
 comets, asteroids) will be updated every time the map is redrawn.  You can
 force a screen redraw while in RTM mode by typing the <Home> key.

 When you enter Real Time Mode the time on your computer clock is used as the
 observing time.  Be sure your computer time is correct.  There may be
 occasions when you may want to simulate RTM for a time other than the current
 computer clock time.  (For instance, if you are using DEEP SPACE to point a
 telescope and want to experiment with it in the daytime, you might want to
 simulate nighttime conditions to avoid having the telescope tell you the
 object you are looking for is below the horizon.)  In this case simply go to
 the [MM, Day and Time] option and enter a different observing time.  DEEP
 SPACE will compute an offset from the current clock time and update to the
 offset time instead.

                           >> Meade LX200 Support <<

 The support DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 offers for LX200 telescopes is different from
 its support of other kinds of telescope interfaces.  The Meade LX200 has its
 own internal computer that reads its optical encoders and provides for
 calibration, pointing, and tracking.  The telescope base has an RS-232
 interface port which allows external computers to pass it instructions and
 read certain kinds of data provided by the internal computer, but the
 external computer does not have access to the raw encoder readings.
 Therefore DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 cannot override the LX200 calibration process.
 (This is unfortunate because although leveling should be irrelevant to the
 alignment process, it is relied upon as a critical step in the LX200 software
 in all but the "Unknown Site" alignment mode and will affect accuracy if it
 is not carried out precisely.)  Because of this limitation DEEP SPACE is
 limited to a passive role, monitoring the telescope position and instructing
 the telescope to slew to a given set of coordinates.

 There are still some advantages to using DEEP SPACE to point your LX200.  For
 one thing, you don't have to buy extra Meade database chips.  You can point
 to any object or sky location accessible to DEEP SPACE, including any deep
 sky object, planet, comet, asteroid, user-defined coordinates, or cursor
 position.  Furthermore, you can specify the object graphically instead of
 typing in numbers in the dark.  If you are slewing the telescope, and run
 across an object of interest, you can center the map on the telescope
 position and identify the object.  If the object happens to be a comet, you
 can then display the current location of all comets in your files to see if
 you ran across a known comet or perhaps found a new one.

 When using DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 with an LX200 telescope, first level and align
 the telescope with the hand paddle following the instructions provided by
 Meade.  You may use any of the alignment modes provided.  Note that the LX200
 provides for refraction correction in modes where the site is identified, but
 does not do so when using the "Unknown Site" mode.  In DEEP SPACE create a
 telescope interface file, [MM, Real Time / Telescope Interface,...], (see
 help topic: "Telescope Interface File"), specifying "L" for the interface
 type.  Activate telescope communications and set DEEP SPACE to Real Time
 mode.  When you display a map and activate the cursor with the <SpBar> there
 will now be a second cursor indicating the position of the telescope.  To
 point the telescope to a particular object, display the object on the screen,
 move near it with the cursor and jump to the object with the F1, F2, or F3
 function keys.  Type <Insert> to send the coordinates to the telescope and
 initiate the telescope movement.  If you simply position the cursor manually
 the coordinates that are sent will be the cursor position to the resolution
 of the screen display.  This may be adequate if you are sufficiently zoomed
 in, but may be too far off if you are showing the whole sky.  Jumping to the
 object locks in the catalog coordinates of that object as the current
 position until the arrow keys are used again.

                     >> Other Optical Encoder Interfaces <<

 If you have a DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR or Digital Setting Circles with an RS-232
 port made by Tangent Instruments, DEEP SPACE Ver. 5 can provide high
 precision calibration, feedback to improve polar alignment of equatorially
 mounted telescopes, and an easy to use visual feedback system to guide you
 quickly and accurately to any object in the sky.  DEEP SPACE will even allow
 you to estimate the two most serious error angles in your telescope (non-
 perpendicularity of the two rotational axes and misalignment of the
 mechanical and optical axes) and compensate for them in pointing the
 telescope.  Leveling is irrelevant.

 The Tangent Instruments boxes that are currently available for computer
 interface must be at least version 3.5.  They are marketed under the names
 Sky Wizzard 3, NGC Max, NGC Sky Vector, Night Assistant, Sgt. Max, B-Box, and
 Advanced Astro Master.  Most of the Tangent Instruments boxes are designed
 for stand-alone use and have L.E.D. readouts and internal databases.  When
 they are used as computer interfaces none of these features are needed.  They
 simply monitor the optical encoders and pass the two angles to the computer.

 The DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR is simply a computer interface.  It has no L.E.D.
 readouts or internal databases for stand-alone use.  If you want digital
 setting circles you can use in stand-alone mode, you should choose one of the
 Tangent Instruments boxes.  If you plan to use the box solely as a computer
 interface, the DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR is a more economical choice.  Besides
 lower cost there is a design advantage in using the simpler box.  The digital
 setting circles budget part of their operating cycle to monitoring the
 encoders and part of their cycle to updating the L.E.D. readouts and various
 other tasks.  As a result, if you rotate the encoder shafts too fast you can
 loose data.  The DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR has nothing to do except monitor the
 encoders and communicate with the computer.  It looks at the encoders more
 than 50,000 times per second.  In theory you could spin the shaft of a 4000
 step encoder at 750 RPM without losing data.  The practical significance is
 you can use high resolution encoders or gear up cheaper encoders as much as
 you want to enhance the resolution.

                         >> Telescope Interface File <<

 DEEP SPACE maintains a file with information about each telescope/interface
 setup you may use.  You can create or edit interface files from [MM, Modify
 Configuration, Telescope Interface,...] or from [MM, Real Time / Telescope,
 ...].  In either case, get to the menu labeled TELESCOPE INTERFACE and type
 the <Insert> key to create a new file.  Give the file a distinguishing name.
 The first entry is a summary description.  You can say what you want here,
 but it will be used as an identifying header when you activate the interface
 later.

 Describe whether the configuration is alt-azimuth or equatorial.  If you use
 the same telescope in alt-azimuth and equatorial configurations you should
 create two separate files and label them differently.

 Select the interface you are using.  All of the Tangent Instruments boxes are
 equivalent for computer interface purposes.

 If you choose the DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR or a Tangent Instruments interface,
 DEEP SPACE will do atmospheric refraction corrections.  If you are using the
 LX200, whether the corrections are done by the internal or external computer
 depends on which alignment mode you choose.  The modes where a site is
 specified do the atmospheric refraction correction, whereas the "Unknown
 Site" mode does not.

 If you are using either the DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR or a Tangent Instruments
 interface, you will need to specify the number of encoder steps in a full
 revolution of the telescope.  If you have geared up the encoders you can
 compute the number of encoder steps by multiplying the resolution of the
 encoders by the gear ratio.

 The telescope "error angles" should be left at 90° and 0° until a full
 calibration run is completed, unless you know the error angles from direct
 measurement.

 Finally, the number of the serial port used to communicate with the telescope
 must be specified.

 All of this information is stored in a disk file and may be retrieved by
 selecting the appropriate file in the future.


                             >> Testing Encoders <<

 [DM, F9, F6]
 If you are using an LX200 the "Test Encoders" option allows you to slew the
 telescope manually with the arrow keys to verify that the electrical
 connections are good.

 If you are using a Tangent Instruments or DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR box the "Test
 Encoders" option is more significant.  Which way the encoders rotate when the
 telescope is moved depends on how they were mounted.  DEEP SPACE can handle
 either rotation direction, but you need to try moving the telescope with the
 guide graph to see if either axis reads backward or if the axes are
 interchanged.  (If the axes are interchanged it is best to physically change
 the connections.  If the two encoders have the same resolution, however, you
 can simply instruct DEEP SPACE to switch the connections "logically".)

 DEEP SPACE will not allow you to do other telescope functions until you have
 tested the encoders at least for the first time.

                    >> The Calibration Process: Overview <<

 (Non LX200 Telescopes)
 For the computer to able to follow or guide your telescope it needs to know
 the telescope's exact orientation.  It could figure this out, in principle,
 if you were to sight on two calibration stars and level the scope exactly.
 Since leveling is less accurate than sighting stars, DEEP SPACE requires a
 third star instead of leveling.  Once you have sighted three stars a
 preliminary calibration is performed.  You can improve your accuracy,
 however, by calibrating on more than the minimum number of stars.  There is
 always some measurement error, but if you use extra stars, DEEP SPACE will
 find a "best fit" that averages out the measurement errors.  Even a 3-star
 calibration is pretty good, however, so once the first three stars are
 sighted DEEP SPACE does a preliminary calibration and actually guides you to
 any remaining stars on your calibration list.  This makes the process quite
 quick and easy.  You can calibrate on half a dozen or more stars about as
 easily as you can do a minimum calibration.

 The mathematical transformations used to convert raw encoder readings to sky
 positions usually involve the assumption that the two axes of the telescope
 are exactly perpendicular (90°) and that the optical axis is in perfect
 alignment with the mechanical axis of the tube (0°).  (A telescope may be in
 perfect collimation optically and still not have the optical and mechanical
 axes coincide.)  DEEP SPACE uses transformations derived from first
 principles which do not assume these two angles are 90° and 0°.  If these
 angles are known the transformation will take them into account to allow more
 precise pointing.  To estimate the two "error angles" you can do a one-time
 super-calibration following the guidelines below and store the error angles
 in the interface file.  Unless the telescope is disassembled or the optics
 are allowed to shift these angles should stay relatively constant.  A simple
 alignment with just a few stars should then provide adequate calibration in
 the future.

                             >> Calibration List <<

 [F9, F1,...]
 (Non LX200 Telescopes)
 To facilitate a multiple-star calibration process DEEP SPACE allows you to
 select a list of calibration stars ahead of time.  You can select the list on
 site or before leaving home, if you keep in mind which stars will be above
 the horizon at calibration time.  You can use any map format, but you will
 probably do best with the Default Map or the Circular Sky View map.  You can
 edit or append to the list at any time, adding or deleting stars, rejecting
 bad sightings, then re-running the calibration computations.  You can even
 re-use the list from one night to the next if you cycle through it in edit
 mode and reject all the old sightings and delete stars that are no longer
 above the horizon.

 The first two stars in the list play a special role in the calibration
 calculation.  MAKE SURE THE FIRST TWO STARS ARE FAR FROM THE POLE AND WELL
 SEPARATED IN RIGHT ASCENSION, IF YOU ARE IN EQUATORIAL MODE, OR FAR FROM THE
 ZENITH AND WELL SEPARATED IN AZIMUTH, IF YOU ARE IN ALT-AZIMUTH MODE.  The
 remaining stars in the calibration list can be scattered anywhere in the sky,
 with as broad coverage as possible.  Still, avoid using stars near the "pole"
 of your coordinate system.

                        >> Finding Calibration Stars <<

 [DM, F9, F2]
 (Non LX200 Telescopes)
 Once you have selected your calibration list you can begin sighting your
 calibration stars.  For the first three stars the cursor will jump to the
 star on the map and wait for you to sight the star and type any key.  (If you
 are using a DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR you can simply push the button on the box
 instead of having to walk over to the computer to type a key.)  For best
 results you should sight the star to within the resolution of the encoders.
 If you have 4000 step encoders, for instance, with no gearing, the resolution
 is about 5 arcminutes.  (Divide 360 by the number of encoder steps and
 multiply by 60 to convert to minutes.)  For best results, use moderately high
 magnification or a cross hair eyepiece.

 After the first three stars DEEP SPACE asks you to set the telescope vertical
 (if you are in alt-azimuth mode) or aligned with the polar axis (if you are
 in equatorial mode).  This need only be a crude alignment.  You can be off by
 several degrees with no ill effects.  The algorithm simply needs a starting
 point for its calculations, which it will then refine to high precision.  If
 you are TOO far removed from alignment the algorithm could "diverge" (go
 berzerk!).  After the rough zenith or polar alignment a preliminary
 calibration is done automatically.  DEEP SPACE then shifts over to guide
 mode.  It will display a crossed bar graph to guide you to the remaining
 calibration stars.  Simply zero bring both bar graphs to zero by moving the
 telescope and you should be pointing approximately at your target star.
 Center the star precisely, hit a key (or push the button on your DEEP SPACE
 NAVIGATOR without even leaving the telescope) and the display will
 immediately guide you to the next star on your calibration list.  When all of
 your calibration stars have been sighted the program goes through a final
 calibration calculation and displays the results.

                    >> Calibration Calculations & Display <<

 (Non LX200 Telescopes)
 [DM, F9, F3,...] or [automatic after sighting the calibration list]
 Calibration takes just a few seconds.  It happens automatically during and
 after sighting the calibration stars and can be repeated at any time.  If you
 feel you included a bad sighting, for instance, simply edit it out then re-
 calibrate.

 Once the calibration calculations are complete a display shows you how it
 turned out.  Note first the average error in the calibration stars.  This is
 a measure of consistency.  If you have been careful in sighting the stars,
 the average error should be close to  the resolution of your encoders.  This
 average should also indicate, to some extent, how close you can expect to
 come to your targets throughout the night.  The estimate will be more
 meaningful if you use more than the minimum number of stars and they are
 well distributed in the sky.

 The display also tells you the orientation of the polar axis, and if you are
 in equatorial mode, how much adjustment is needed to correct your polar
 alignment.  Polar alignment is not critical for visual observations.  DEEP
 SPACE will be able to guide you to your targets whether your scope is polar
 aligned or not.  If you are doing astrophotography, however, polar alignment
 is critical to avoid field rotation during extended guiding.  If you need
 perfect polar alignment, adjust the orientation of your scope accordingly,
 edit the calibration list to reject the first round of sightings, and re-
 calibrate.  You might want to calibrate on relatively few stars until you are
 correctly polar aligned, then do a final calibration on more stars to
 optimize pointing accuracy.

                    >> Estimating Telescope Error Angles <<

 (Non LX200 Telescopes)
 To estimate your telescope's optical/mechanical alignment and the squareness
 of the axes, you will first need to calibrate on as many stars as possible:
 10 (minimum), 20, or 30 or more stars.  Accuracy is important, so use a
 cross-hair eyepiece or moderately high power.  Start out like before, with
 the first two stars far from the pole and well separated in azimuth or R.A.

 For the remaining stars, think of the sky being divided into three zones: the
 polar regions, the temperate zones and the tropics, by analogy with the
 earth, each zone being 20°-30° wide.  (If you are using alt-azimuth mode, the
 pole is the zenith and the tropics are around the horizon.  In equatorial
 mode the pole is the celestial pole and the tropics are near the celestial
 equator.)  Choose approximately equal numbers of stars from each zone for
 your calibration list.  This will involve a higher concentration of stars
 within 30° of the pole, since there is less sky area in that zone.

 As before, DEEP SPACE will guide you through the finding process after the
 first three stars.  When you are finished it will also do a normal
 calibration.  Now choose [DM, F9, F7 (Telescope Error Angles)].  The program
 will estimate the error angles and re-calibrate, estimate again, and re-
 calibrate again.  Look at the resulting error-angle estimates and the average
 error in the calibration stars.  You may repeat the itterations several more
 times if you like, stopping when you feel there is no further improvement to
 be gained by repetition.

 Save the error angles for future use.  Calibrations with even a few sightings
 in the future should be more accurate if these error angles are in use.  In
 particular, a good estimate here should improve the accuracy in finding
 objects near the pole (celestial pole or zenith, as before).  Keep in mind
 these are estimates which can vary with the selection of stars you choose.
 You might want to repeat the process on several occasions to verify the
 consistency of the results.  Careful measurements on an optical bench should
 give better results, but such facilities are rarely available to amateur
 astronomers.  If you DO have access to accurate direct measurements, you can
 enter the error angles manually by editing the telescope interface file.

                          >> The Joy of Interfacing <<

 I started my observing in the early 1970's with small finder scopes, quickly
 moving to larger finder scopes.  I was one of the early promoters of the
 Telrad sight, to complement, but not quite totally replace conventional
 finders.  I have shared some of the misgivings of the old-timers that new
 observers with computerized telescopes would never learn the sky.  On the
 other hand...

 When you set up a well calibrated scope interfaced with DEEP SPACE under a
 clear dark sky you will find a new freedom in your explorations.  Go beyond
 the challenge of finding faint fuzzy objects to the pleasure of targeting
 them precisely every time and having the time to observe them well.  Bring up
 a map in the summer Milky Way and select globular clusters, for example.
 Place the cursor near one and jump to it with the F3 key.  Type the <Insert>
 key.  The crossed bar graphs come up with a full-scren display easily visible
 from a distance.  Zero it out and look at the object in your eyepiece.  All
 globulars are alike, right?  Wrong!  Move from one to the next with ease and
 compare them while the previous ones are still fresh in your mind and you
 haven't exhausted yourself running back and forth between the telescope and
 your star charts hunting them all down.  Push the button on the box (if you
 have the DEEP SPACE NAVIGATOR) or type any key, and the display will revert
 to the map with the telescope target superimposed on the cursor.  If your
 telescope is alt-azimuth, switching the map to horizon coordinates [DM, F4,
 ...] will make the motions of your scope easier to follow on the screen.
 Move to nearby objects easily by simply watching the cursor.  Scan through
 the Milky Way freely.  You can't get lost.  Recenter the map on the
 telescope's position by typing F6 (or <Enter>, F6) whenever you wander off
 the screen or wonder what you have run across in the eyepiece.

 You will find you immediately get out of the rut of looking at the same
 familiar objects at every star party: new objects are just as easy to find
 now as the familiar ones!  Put up constellation boundaries on your map to
 give some structure to your explorations, and find all the objects in a
 constellation to the limit of your scope.  Then push the limit!  Objects are
 easier to see when you are confident they are in the field!  Spend your time
 seeing how much detail you can see, doing sketches, taking comparative notes,
 expanding your repertoire, making new discoveries as you let yourself explore
 more freely.

 Set up your scope in your back yard, even in town.  Even if you can only see
 eight or ten stars in the sky, you would be amazed at how many deep sky
 objects are still visible!  They may be nearly impossible to find with
 conventional finders, but if you put them in the field with your computer
 interface many of them are visible!

                            >> Final Reflections <<

 I am a teacher at heart, so on occasion I ponder how technology will affect
 the depth of learning of the next generation.  I came through school on slide
 rules and trig tables.  In the process I got a feel for the significance of
 each digit and skills in estimation.  I wonder if today's students are
 missing something when ten digits pop out of every calculation, regardless of
 the accuracy of the initial measurements.  On the other hand I would never
 part with my calculator, even in the classroom.  Especially in the classroom!
 Calculators open the door to real-world problems, instead of being limited to
 contrived problems that "come out even" and can be carried out easily in a
 class period.  They clear the way for more time and energy spent on problem
 solving techniques, than on number crunching techniques.

 The analogy holds for the world of amateur astronomy.  Would those who decry
 computerized telescopes also shun their star atlases?  After all, they were
 compiled by others, so some of the joy of discovery is taken away!  Isn't
 it true, though, that when we take full advantage of the knowledge and
 technology available to us, new avenues for exploration open up that would
 never have been dreamed of before?

 My recommendation to beginners is to learn the sky.  You will enjoy your
 nights under the stars more if you know them intimately.  Use your eyes and
 look up, or you will miss the beauty of the blackness, the intricate detail
 of the Milky Way, the subtleties of the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein,
 the quick brilliance of the meteors, and the sense of movement as all of this
 sweeps overhead at a stately pace.  Be sure not to ignore binoculars,
 probably the best pair of telescopes you can own!  Don't be bound to your
 charts: sweep the sky and discover what can be seen.  Become comfortable with
 telescopes of all kinds.  Associate with others who love the hobby and share
 your "views".  But don't get stuck in too narrow a niche.  There is
 tremendous richness in diversity.  Enjoy!


 ============================== >> APPENDICES << =============================

 ============================ >> ABBREVIATIONS << ============================

 The NGC (New General Catalog of non-stellar objects), Burnham's Celestial
 Handbook, and other sources have used a series of abbreviations for verbal
 comments on objects.  These abbreviations have been carried over into the SAC
 database and appear in the notes section of the basic information window.
 They take a little practice to read fluently.  Here they are:

 !    remarkable object                  diam diameter
 !!   very remarkable object             dif  diffuse
 am   among                              E    elongated
 att  attached                           e    extremely
 bet  between                            er   easily resolved
 neb  nebula, nebulosity                 F    faint
 B    bright                             f    following
 b    brighter                           g    gradually
 C    compressed                         iF   irregular figure
 c    considerably                       inv  involved
 Cl   cluster                            irr  irregular
 D    double                             L    large
 def  defined                            l    little
 deg  degrees                            mag  magnitude
                         (Continued)

 M    middle                             S    small
 m    much                               s    suddenly
 n    north                              s    south
 N    nucleus                            sc   scattered
 neb  nebula, nebulosity                 susp suspected
 P w  paired with                        st   star or stellar
 p    pretty (before F,B,L or S)         v    very
 p    preceding                          var  variable
 P    poor                               nf   north following
 R    round                              np   north preceding
 Ri   rich                               sf   south following
 r    not well resolved, mottled         sp   south preceding
 rr   partially resolved                 11m  11th magnitude
 rrr  well resolved                      8... 8th magnitude and fainter
                                         9...13  9th to 13th magnitude

 (Other Abbreviations:
 P w N ( paired with NGC###)
 P w U ( paired with UGC ###)


 ======================== >> DEEP SKY OBJECT CLASS << ========================

 Each type of deep sky object has its own classification system.  Here are the
 classes used in the descriptions of open clusters, globular clusters,
 planetary nebulae, and galaxies (adapted from SAC database documentation.)

 Open Clusters:  Trumpler type

   Concentration
     I.  Detached, strong concentration toward the center
    II.  Detached, weak concentration toward the center
   III.  Detached, no concentration toward the center
    IV.  Not well detached from surrounding star field

   Range in brightness
     1.  Small range   2.  Moderate range   3.  Large range

   Richness
     p  Poor             (<50 stars)
     m  Moderately rich  (>50 stars, <100 stars)
     r  Rich             (>100 stars)

   An "n" following the Trumpler type denotes nebulosity in cluster

 Globular Clusters:  Shapley-Sawyer concentration rating

   Globular clusters are rated on a scale of 1 to 12:
     1 = very concentrated,  12 = not concentrated


 Planetary Nebulae:  Vorontsov-Velyaminov type

   1.  Stellar
   2.  Smooth disk (a, brighter center; b, uniform brightness;
                    c, traces of ring structure)
   3.  Irregular disk (a, very irregular brightness distribution;
                    b, traces of ring structure)
   4.  Ring structure
   5.  Irregular form similar to diffuse nebula
   6.  Anomalous form, no regular structure

   (Some complex forms may combine two types.)

 Galaxies:  Hubble classification

   E  Elliptical Galaxy:
        E0 is spherical -- E7 is highly flattened
        Subgroups; 'd' (dwarf), 'c' (supergiant), 'D' (diffuse halo)

   S  Spiral Galaxy:
        Sa: tightly wound arms
        Sb: moderately wound arms
        Sc: loosely wound arms

   SB Barred Spiral Galaxy:
        SBa: tightly wound arms
        SBb: moderately wound arms
        SBc: loosely wound arms


 ============================= >> MENU LAYOUT << =============================

                                >> MAIN MENU <<

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