I'm building a 16" Dob with setting circles  I would like to have a coordinate conversion Excel program  As I use my Burnham book, I could directly enter the RA & DEC of any star and get the corresponding  alt/az coordinate values for my location and time, and push my Dob there.

I think I could build the spread sheet my self if I had the math formula of conversion.

An associated Database would be nice, but a whole lot simpler and quicker if I just entered the Ra & DEC.

Encoders/computer set up would be nice, but right now I fancy lighted percision setting circles.

Thankx   Glen C glenc@hei,net  Woodland WA 

Hi,

Back in the early 80's I wrote a simple MS DOS program to do this. I found all the equations in the April '82 issue of Astronomy and it was a fun project. I think this would easily work in Excell. You could also make your own database of objects in Excell, that would automatically update the coordinates based on the date and time. Take a look at the following web page, it should give all the necessary equations:

http://home.att.net/~srschmitt/celestial2horizon.html

Good luck with your project.

Bill

Hi glenoc,

If you want to see the formulas involved, and do the calculations for your self, instead of a computer program, check out this link, http://www.stargazing.net/kepler/altaz.html

I hope this helps!

Dennis

 Thank you

I will study this.

Glen C

Thank you.

I will study this.

GlenC 

Hi Glen,

Another thought that comes to mind would be making a homemade digital setting circle system from the optical encoders found in a computer mouse. There are many web sites that give a pretty good step-by-step instruction and you can download the control program for free. Here are a few examples:

http://www.amsky.com/atm/accessories/mouse/encoder.html

http://www.astrosurf.com/radar/Main_en.htm

http://www.amsky.com/atm/accessories/mouse/mouse.html#return_from_encoder

Bill