[vsnet-chat 287] Electronic GCVS

[c.scovil@genie.com]

A lot has been said about the availability of the GCVS in electronic form, and
how very big it is and what a problem it is to handle the large file.  Why do
your own programming or conversion when it has already been done by at least
two commercially available programs.  One is "The Sky" from software Bisque
(quite expensive), the other, and my favorite, is called "The Guide".  It is
put our by Project Pluto.  Both are advertised is Sky & Telescope and other
magazines.  "The Guide" is only 69$ US.  It has the entire Guide Star Catalog,
SAO Catalog, NGC & IC and many others, and the GCVS with all updates.  It will
read almost any catalog, including "The Real Sky" CDRom set of the Digitized
Palomar Survey, and display the starfield.

You can simply ask it to display any variable by name, and it will do so at any
scale you choose.  Then you can ask for detailed information on the variable,
and get that.  You can choose any scale from 180d (half the sky) to about 4'
square.  All GSC stars will be shown, nad you can label SAO stars, or HD or
GSC, or whatever you want.  It prints out very good charts that you can take
right to the telescope and use.  Check out the advertising in the magazines,
and you can believe every word, and the program will do more.  I have been
working with the author for a couple of years.  The program comes on one CDRom,
with an instruction book.


Regards,
Charles Scovil, AAVSO

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