"Deepsky help file of the HNSKY program"

This supporting help file contains a huge amount of visual obervations of almost all NGC and IC deepsky object and much more. It can be used as a standalone information source. It is available as .HLP version hns_deep.hlp (v2008-3-6) or the HTML help version with extension CHM, hns_deepCHM.zip. (v2008-3-6) Please note that currently only the .HLP version is supported in HNSKY.

The help file is intended for use with the HNSKY planetarium program. It is a compilation of about 6.0 Mbyte of text files equivalent to about 3000 pages of A4 paper. It

is for your personal use only. Commercial use is forbidden. The contains of this Helpfile is copyrighted by the authors:

1) The potpourri of astronomical objects where provided by the members of Saguaro Astronomy Club in there deepsky database SAC 7.0 and Steve Observation files.

2) Additional astronomical (potpourri) information by Han Kleijn.

4) The SCDO or Steve Coe Deepsky Observations are copyright (C) of Steve Coe, but can downloaded free in ASCII format from: http://saguaroastro.org/archive/home.htm

4) The NGC/IC observations are copyright (C) of Steve Gottlieb, but can downloaded free in ASCII format from: www.ngcic.org

The authors/sources are indentified as 2+ for 2000+, C for Steve Coe and G for Steve Gottlieb.

How to use DEEPSKY HELP file including logbook functions:

There are few possibilites:

1) Using HNSKY: Activate the "DEEPSKY HELP IN AUTOMODE" option in the HNSKY program. After clicking on a object. HNSKY will call the "find" function to find the object in the help file. If more then one reference is found they will be listed. Messier references outside the 2000+ are referred such as M31_. The same applies for objects in most potpourri tables. This to suppress there finding during find actions.

2) Help contents: Look at the locations in the index and just scroll through. The 2000+ database is organised/sorted by R.A, Steve Coe observations by constellation and Steve Gottlieb's observations by NGC/IC number.

3) Help search index: Type a keyword in the index of the Help program. In the 2000+ part the deepsky name, other name, constellation and object type are used as keyword. So you can type "ORI" to get all object in Orion or "SP GALAXY" to get all spiral galaxies listed. The "Steve Coe" and "Steve Gottlieb" observations have only the main name indexed.

4) Help seach find: Use the Help find function. This will find object any word in the complete file such as UGC numbers and other not indexed references. For example type in find menu "ORI NEBULA" to get all nebula in Orion.

Logbook features (.HLP version only, not the .CHM version: You can use the Windows Help system's Annotate feature. It allows you to put your own little comments into this database or any windows help file (*.HLP).

To use it, simply choose Annotate from the Edit menu of the help file you are currently viewing. Then type in any comment you may wish to make and click Save. Back in the help file you will see a little paper-clip symbol. This is a reference to your annotation. Simply click on it and your note will be displayed!

Windows is not modifying the help file, but is rather storing these notes in a separate annotation file (*.ANN) in the windows help directory/map. Just search for the HNS_DEEP.ANN file. You could copy this file to other users.

Telescopes used: In the observations, Steve Coe has kept record of the telescopes used. The Same applies for the NGC/IC observations of Steve Gottlieb. 17.5 and 13 inch telescopes are marked as 17.5: and 13:. For 2000+, Tom Lorenzin gave me the following reply: Actually, sky conditions (transparency, stability, light-pollution, etc.) will have much more influence upon what detail can be discerned than will telescope aperture. To answer your question, however, I used primarily 8-inch f:10 Schmidt-Cassegrains, and 17.5-inch f:4.5 Newtonians, finding surprisingly little difference in objects' appearance if the sky conditions were good. That is, features seen in the larger scopes were visible in the smaller, too - just slightly dimmer.

The authors/sources are indentified as 2+ for 2000+, C for Steve Coe and G for Steve Gottlieb.

This page: www.hnsky.org