James, First, to clear up some questions about designations (including your question from MPML): the other designation, AT72198, is a "user-assigned" designation, meaning that that's what the discoverer called it. When observations of new objects are sent to the MPC, they are checked to see if they might possibly be near-earth objects, in which case they are listed on the NEOCP (NEO confirmation page) <http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/NEO/ToConfirm.html> for immediate confirmation and follow-up observations by other observers. Whether they're potentially dangerous or not, they have to be observed/confirmed for at least a few nights to get a "temporary" designation- 2005 FN in this case. For a typical newly discovered main-belt asteroids, only the discoverer and the MPC cares about the user-assigned designation, so we never hear about it. But for potential NEOs, they go immediately to the NEOCP, so anyone interested in asteroids hears about it, and the user-designation is the only name available for it at the time.
Temporary designations are described at <http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/info/OldDesDoc.html> (read the first part about "new-style provisional designations) It is entirely possible for an asteroid to get more than one temporary designation (when it is first seen at the next oppostion following the discovery, it may not be clear yet if it's the same asteroid). You can check for cross-references at <http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/MPDes.html> To make matters worse, these designations are often given in "packed" form. See <http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/info/PackedDes.html> Only after a few years of astrometric observations do asteroids qualify for a permanent designation (a number, often written within parentheses). The numbering system is consecutive, approximately in order of discovery (more specifically, the order in which the asteroid qualified for a permanent designation). Once an asteroid is numbered, the discoverer can also propose a name. =========================================================== Now back to CdC To keep your list of asteroids from getting unwieldy, go to your ciel/cat/planet folder and open the file "asteroides.dat" in a text file (for lists that aren't extremely long, you can use Notepad. Turn off word-wrap). You can cut and paste parts of it into other text files (with temporary names) to break it into its original parts. Then rename whichever part you want to asteroides.dat and that's what CdC will use. You can get elements for individual asteroids (up to 30 at a time) from <http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html> Enter the names or numbers or temporary designations, skip all the stuff in the middle, then under "format" select "TheSky", then click "get ephemerides". A file "elements.txt" will download to your computer. Rename it asteroides.dat and put it in your ciel/cat/planet folder (after saving your old asteroides.dat file as something else, or you can also cut-and-paste the new text into the old file). This page is also useful for cross-referencing designations, because under "format", if you choose "none", then click "get ephemerides", rather than giving you a txt file of elements, it will give you ephemerides for the objects. At the top of each is a link "display all designations for this object". This seems to be more complete than the other cross-reference link above. -John --- jamesdixon80 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Under Search-> Find -> Nebulae there is an option to select from a > list of common names. That is close as it is in alpha order. > Actually, I don't think the asteroid I mentioned, 2005FN, is > available. I'm looking at the CBAT list and the list ends at 2005FK. > Toward the end of the list it has objects that I assume don't have > official MPC numbers yet, just designations. I guess those are easy > as they are sorted by the designation. The others are sorted by the > offical MPC number so it is hard to find one if you only know the > common name. The ASTORB list has more entries but appears to be > limited to officially numbered objects and is sorted by them. Of > course, a little Googling will probably turn up the official number > of > just about any numbered asteroid I'm interested in. > > Jim Dixon > > > --- In [email protected], "jamesdixon80" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > The problem is that the list is not in the right order. If there > was > > 100 objects, that would be one thing but when I've loaded enough > > objects to get some obscure asteroid scrolling through a list whose > > order is not obvious can be fruitless. > > > > Jim Dixon > > > > > > --- In [email protected], John St�hle > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Catalogs -> Asteroids -> Pick from list > > > F (for Find) -> Solar system -> Asteroids -> Pick from list > > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > I know how to load an arbitrarily large list of asteroids into > CdC and > > > > make them available but is there an easy way locate one > particular > > > > asteroid? For example, if I'm looking for 2005 FN. Even if I've > > > > loaded a large list it is hard to find. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Jim Dixon > > > > > > -- > > > Regards, MfG, Mvh, John > > > > > > John St�hle . 012� 28' 05" E . 55� 45' 15" N = 12.468 E . 55.754 > N . > > > Bagsv�rd . Danmark . Skandinavien . Europa > > > > > > Insured by the Russian mafia: You hit me, they hit you. > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > --------------------~--> > Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? > Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! > http://us.click.yahoo.com/RzSHvD/UOnJAA/79vVAA/1.XolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/TzSHvD/SOnJAA/79vVAA/1.XolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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