----- Original Message ---- > From: kochab_1 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Hello, I just join the group after finding this software about 2 > months ago. I was considering buying Voyager or Starry Night, but > after downloading CDC, thus far, it has all I need and more. However, > I am starting to have some issues and would like to get some input > from experienced users. Using CDC I have been tracking 1 Ceres and > with all the talk about the NEO asteroid, I went searching for 2007 > tu24. Now I realized that I should increased the number of asteroids > to include the 2007 tu 24 on the list, but I thought I had to use the > ASTORB resource.
Until recently, the "number of asteroids" setting was only used when using ASTORB, since the "standard" asteroid file had less than the default vaule of 500. The standard list is a combination of two MPC (Minor Planet Center) files: "bright" asteroids, and "unusual" asteroids (mostly near-earth asteroids). Usually when an unusual object comes along, the first thing you should do is click "astreroid elements" at the bottom of the asteroids window to download updated MPC files. This is much faster than dealing with the entire ASTORB file (over 300000 asteroids now). If an object isn't in the standard file, you can also customize the list by editing your "asteroides.dat" file in your ciel>cat>planets folder. You can get elements for individual (or up to 30) asteroids in the correct format from the MPC at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html Enter the object designations, then skip all the ephemeris stuff, then choose the "TheSky" format near the bottom to get an elements file in text format. CdC uses the same format (but with .dat extension on the file name rather than .txt) You can do the same for comets, with the "cometes.dat" file. -John ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
