Technical data

Chapter 2 File 7
3. Select either Cities or Observatories, then select your desired location.
4. Check the Timezone and Daylight Savings status by clicking on the Set Timezone button. The Set Timezone
dialog box will be displayed.
5. Click on the OK button in the Set Timezone dialog box to return to the Set Location dialog box.
6. If you are satisfied with your selection, click on the OK box. Otherwise, make another selection, then click the
OK button.
7. If you want to save these selections for the next session, select the Save Parameters from the Time menu.
To View the Starmap:
1. Select Zoom from the Starmap menu.
2. Choose 50% coverage, if it is not already selected. This will give you a view of approximately 50% of the sky when
looking straight up. You may also enter the Field of View directly in degrees if you desire. Click the OK button when
finished.
3. Choose Viewpoint from the Starmap menu. Click on South. This will allow the Starmap to display the sky as it
appears at the selected location looking southward at this exact instant!
4. Choose the Options menu item. This displays a selection menu of all of the Starmap options such as grid lines and
names. Select the Deepsky Objects check box, then click on OK. The Starmap will now be displayed with Clusters
(yellow circles), Nebulas (green squares) and Galaxies (red ellipses). If you zoom-in for a closer look at these objects,
you will notice that they are drawn to scale. Each class of object has its own minimum size so that they will still be
visible with a wide field of view.
5. Move the mouse so that the cursor is directly over a Star. Click the Left mouse button. You should now have the
Starmap Utilities dialog box displayed and a bullseye is drawn around the object that you have selected.
6. Choose the Get Description radio button. If your aim was good, the Object Description dialog box will be
displayed. Here you will find information such as the objects actual location, magnitude, B-V color, and a number of
other features. Click on OK when you're done.
7. Open the Object Selection dialog box from the Starmap menu.
8. Select the Messier catalog and enter 51 (do NOT enter the M prefix) in the Number field. This will select M51,
The Whirlpool Galaxy. Then click on the OK button. The starmap will redraw with M51 at the center of the display.
9. Open the Zoom Factor dialog box by selecting the Zoom entry from the Starmap menu or by holding down the
control key and pressing “Z”.
10. Set the Field of View to 0.5 degrees, then click the OK button. This will redraw the starmap showing both M51
and its companion galaxy. You may hit the ESC key to abort the drawing of each phase of the starmap.
11. To see an image of M51, just click on M51 and when the Star Map Utilities Box appears, click on Show Image.
After a moment an image of M51 will be displayed in a new window.
16. Close the image display by clicking on the “x” icon in the upper right corner of the image window, or by choosing
the Close function from the File menu.
By now you should have a good feel for the overall structure and methods used in Autostar Suite. You can now begin your
journey into discovering the Cosmos!