### Connect to a Catalog

This tool establishes a connection to the NASA SkyView server (at skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov) and downloads a catalog of objects within a specified region of the sky. The positions of the retrieved objects can be automatically plotted on the current graph if desired.

- Coordinate or Source

  This field is used to determine the center of the field to be retrieved. If you specify coordinates these are used as the center. When equatorial coordinates are being used the RA may be specified as either hh mm ss or ddd.fff, i.e., in hours or in decimal degrees. The coordinate fields must be separated by a comma or sign of the declination.

  If any letter is used in this field the field is assumed to be an object name and is sent to the SIMBAD name resolver to be resolved.

  Examples:

  6 45 10.76 -16 41 57.82

  6 45 10.76, -16 41 57.82

  101.2948411 -16.6993947

  101.2948411, -16.6993947

  sirius

- Search width

  size of the square region in which the objects are extracted.

- Choose desired catalog(s)

  This selection box allows you to select the catalog from which the objects are extracted. Use the left mouse button and click the desired catalog on the list box to select it. To deselect it, click it again. Multiple catalogs may be selected in this way. For details, please refer to

  http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/survey.pl

- Coordinate System

  Click on this field to choose among equatorial, galactic and ecliptic coordinates. The default is equatorial.

  You may select the equinox year to be used in Equatorial or Ecliptic coordinates. Any equinox year within about two centuries of the present may be used. The default is 2000.

- Plot on the current graph?

  Checking this box plots the coordinates of selected objects on the current graph.

- Submit

  Pressing this button submits the request to the server. This button will be disabled during the HTTP transaction.

- Reset

  Pressing this button resets the entries.

- Cancel

  Pressing this button closes the dialog box. This button will be disabled during the HTTP transaction.

- Help

  Pressing this button opens the help file.

  Go to About fv.