To facilitate successful observing runs, the LDT supports several methods for preparing and submitting observing target lists and telescope motion pattern requests.
Target List Catalog
Observer Target List Files
The LDT accepts target catalogs through a tool called the Observer Target List. This is an interface that allows the user to send targets directly to the Telescope Control System from one of the observer computers (dct-obs1 / dct-obs2). Your Observer Target List file must be on the observer computer in order to use this UI (you may transfer your catalog via scp, USB drive, carrier pigeon, etc.).
The catalog files should be composed using a basic text editor (e.g. vi or emacs) and saved with the extension .tls. The characters in the files must to be limited to the basic ascii text set (no smart quotes, hidden characters, or characters from an extended character set like ISO-Latin-1). It is recommended that you use our target file validator tool prior to your observing night to ensure proper formatting.
A sample file containing Name, RA, DEC, muRA, muDEC, Magnitude, dRA, and dDec, is shown below. Note that the target name appears in double quotes. The telescope will accept both sidereal and non-sidereal track rates through the use of the dRA and dDec differential tracking rates – non-sidereal track rates should be provided in arcsec hr-1. muRA and muDEC should be in mas/yr where muRA is the angular measurement used by most catalogs (μα×cos(δ)). The coordinates must to be in J2000.0, as there is currently no option for submitting coordinates in other epochs.
#title=true ra=true dec=true epoch=false muRA=true muDec=true magnitude=true dRA=true dDec=true rotatorPA=false rotatorFrame=false # "35671 1am NS" 01:00:09.4 +05:59:47 0.0 0.0 21.4 -2.75 -1.18 "19122 1am" 01:29:15.3 +11:37:16 0.0 0.0 16.2 0.0 0.0 "19122 1am NS" 01:29:15.3 +11:37:16 0.0 0.0 16.2 -28.46 -13.3 "136199 Eris 1am" 01:41:13.9 -03:18:44 0.0 0.0 18.7 0.0 0.0 "136199 Eris 1am NS" 01:41:13.9 -03:18:44 0.0 0.0 18.7 -1.36 -0.31 "120348 1am" 02:44:50.7 -10:01:41 0.0 0.0 20.5 0.0 0.0 "120348 1am NS" 02:44:50.7 -10:01:41 0.0 0.0 20.5 -3.16 -0.92
A full explanation of the functionality of the UI and the list format is given in the Observer Target List User Manual.
Observer Target User Interface Highlights
Once you have loaded in a .tls catalog file, the UI features three computed columns to assist with nighttime observing: current airmass, AZ, and EL – all of which will be recalculated any time you resort your table. You may edit any of the targets in your list from the UI by double clicking on the entry you wish to edit. Furthermore, a "Test" line is provided for entering new targets on the fly, which may be used if you do not have many targets or did not have time to write a file prior to arriving at LDT.
Catalog files cannot be saved from the UI, so any changes made to the catalog list within the UI will be discarded when the UI is closed.
Use Cases
Target vs fixed frames, PA, etc. Bring out subtleties of how powerful these things are.
Ephemeris Data
Using the TCS Horizons Interface
Telescope Motion Pattern Data
- Pattern Data Submission [Set of commands to be executed in order] With dither patterns, guide is supposed to break / reacquire -- but it sometimes breaks.
- Automated Functions
Other Resources
We provide a list of Object Data and Finder Chart Generators