[vsnet-chat 655] LX200 Control Software "Ricerca" by S. Massaro

[Taichi Kato <tkato>]

Dear Colleagues,

   Salvatore Massaro has kindly provided a demo version of the software
"Ricerca", which enables automatic observation by Meade LX200.

From the description of "Ricerca":
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The software 'RICERCA' allows the user to have always under control every part
of the observating procedure, but, in the same time, it's all automatized.
By now, it works with four lists of objects: Galaxies, Variable stars, binary
stars, Messier objects.
The software organize the list of astronomical objects in a logic sequence,
taking care of date, time, height and other parameters, then it shows them in 
the sequence set by user: for example from West to East, so that you can't 
loose any setting object...
For every object a lot of data are shown: Name, Coordinates, magnitude, height,
azimuth, magnitude of a possible supernova located in that galaxy, atmosferical
extinction, rise, transit, set, period of the variable star, etc...
But the most important thing is that all these functions can control an LX200
telescope (if you own one) to automatically point the object you are working
with! All this for an all-automated observative session.
When you finish with an object, you can (you must!) record all data about the
observation in a data-base created just for this reason: say goodbye to pen and
paper...
a lot of useful utilities are also present.
The software is shareware and if you allow me, I'll send you a demo version so
that everybody can try it.
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   Massaro also communicates that the full version of "Ricerca" can handle
CCD observing sequence, e.g. with CCDOPS.

   The demo version is available from the VSNET anonymous ftp.

http://ftp.kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp/pub/vsnet/others/prog/Ricerca/

   which contains a compressed file (Ricerca.zip) and its unzipped contents.

   Thank you very much to Salvatore Massaro for offering this excellent
software, and we hope this would help your nightly observations!

Best regards,
Taichi Kato (VSNET sub-manager)

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