Starchart
Info
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Starchart
Info
Automatic
View of
Constellation
This option allows you to choose from a list of common constellations and other popular celestial objects. With this one option, values are set for the Right Ascension, Declination, Scale and Title but these values can be overrided or fine tuned as well. Any of these options, if set, are used instead of the values chosen by the Automatic View of Constellation option.
The starchart center is specified by two parameters: Right Ascension [0.00 to 24.00 hours] and Declination [-90.00 to +90.00 degrees]. An optional scale parameter defines either the N/S range of the output window, in degrees of declination or the radius of the map in degrees, depending on the map Projection Type. Digits after decimal point are taken as minutes: object positions can therefore be taken directly from a star catalog.
Star Limiting magnitude. This sets limits on the faintest stars displayed on the ``master'' view. The ``thumbnail'' finder view is set to a related limit.
Name Label limiting magnitude. The Yale database contains both a small set of familiar names (for stars and special objects), plus an extensive list of labels (Greek Bayer letter or Flamsteed numbers). Star names (including planet names) always print for this small set. To avoid clutter, the labels may be omitted below a cut-off magnitude by specifying this value.
Greek/Flamsteed annotation magnitude. Labels printed for stars dimmer than this value will use a Bayer or numerical label in favor of a proper name. The default (2.05) includes nearly all well-known proper names including Polaris, and excludes but a small number (such as Algol). Large values generate charts full of obscure Arabian names, small (zero or negative) values produce non-verbose charts, e.g. ``a'', in Greek where possible, instead of ``Sirius''.
Setting the Layout Type to "Full Page" provides a single full-page of output, without a thumbnail-sized finder map. The legend placard is replaced with a single line banner giving title, right ascension, declination and limiting magnitude. This mode is useful for the construction of atlas pages. Because the page depicts the same vertical scale in degrees of declination, the output will cover a slightly reduced extent in right ascension.