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The list is loaded into the app via a an input text file and displayed in a table. The first 2 lines in the input file are meta data containing information about the optional data. An example is shown below with all the optional data included:
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Title, Right Ascension, and Declination are required parameters and the rest are optional. The first line of the meta data declares which columns will be supplied in the input file. The order of the columns cannot change and the only thing that can be edited in the first line is the true/false value for the column. In other words, the first line has to include all the parameters shown above. The second line is a simple separator and is required.
The columns input parameters are:
- title or name (surrounded in double quotes) - this will be send to the TCS and the science target name
- Right Ascension (hh:mm:ss.sss) - the seconds can be either integer or float
- Declination (+/-dd:mm:ss.ss) - plus sign is optional for the degrees, and arc-seconds can be either integer or float
- epoch
- Proper Motion in RA (mas/yr) - this is the angular measurement used by most catalogs: μαcos μα×cos(δ)
- Proper Motion in Dec (mas/yr) - μδ
- Magnitude
- differential tracking rate in RA (arc seconds/hour)
- differential tracking rate in DEC (arc seconds/hour)
- rotator Postion Angle (degrees)
- rotator Frame ("Target" or "Fixed") - a literal string without the quotes
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The format for the input file to the Observer Target List was changed recently to be more flexible and also compatible with Slew/Dither function within the LMI LOUI. The code is compatible with the old style input file so existing tls files would still work but it is recommended to change to the new style for sake of maintenance and the added functionality that may be offered in the future. For instance, the old style input file has no means for providing rotator PA position angle and rotator frame. |
Computed Columns
Every table includes three extra columns which are computed based on time for DCT; Air Mass, Azimuth and Elevation. These columns are provided to aid the observer in target selection and are time dependent. A resort of any of the columns causes the data to be recalculated and the updated values are shown.
Example Input Data
The simplest input file includes title, RA and DEC which are the minimal required data for the TCS. The title can be blank but it is a required field in the input file and the code will fail if the pair of double quotes are missing.