  Linux Astronomy HOWTO
  Elwood Downey and John Huggins howto@astronomy.net
  $Revision: 1.6 $, $Date: 2000/05/03 22:01:25 $

  This document shares tips and resources to utilize Linux solutions in
  the pursuit of Astronomy.
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Table of Contents


  1. Introduction

     1.1 Knowledge Required
     1.2 Scope
     1.3 Version
     1.4 Copyright

  2. Software

     2.1 Collections
     2.2 Planetarium Programs
     2.3 Libraries
     2.4 Other

  3. Astronomical Images over the web

     3.1 List

  4. Organizations

  5. Hardware Control

     5.1 Telescope Control
     5.2 CCD Camera Control

  6. Installation Help



  ______________________________________________________________________

  1.  Introduction

  1.1.  Knowledge Required


  With all the help from major Linux distributions such as SuSE, Redhat,
  Caldera and many others, Linux based systems are becoming easier to
  use.  However, there is still some need of understanding of basic UNIX
  skills to make the most of Linux.  Thus, this HOWTO will assume that
  the reader has at least a basic knowledge of using a UNIX system
  including the ability to compile and install programs.

  A few resources we have found useful over the years include:



  ·  "A Practical Guide to the UNIX System", Mark G. Sobel

  ·  "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment", the late W. Richard
     Stevens

  ·  "Running LINUX", Matt Welsh et al.

  ·  "LINUX Device Drivers", Alessandro Rubini



  Similarly, this is not a tutorial or reference for astronomy
  principles or

  astronomical instrumentation. Astronomy is perhaps the grandest of all

  sciences, employing widely disparate disciplines in a bold attempt to

  understand nothing less than the universe itself. Your interests will
  lead

  in many directions. A few references we have used include:



  ·  "Astronomy with your Personal Computer", Peter Duffett-Smith

  ·  "Astronomy on the Personal Computer", Oliver Montenbruck et al

  ·  "Textbook on Spherical Astronomy", W. M. Smart

  ·  "The Astronomy and Astrophysics Encyclopedia", Stephen P. Maran,
     ed.



  1.2.  Scope


  The authors define the scope of this HOWTO as primarily an index

  to Linux tools applicable in some fashion to the pursuit of Astronomy.
  It

  is *not* our intention to list WWW astronomy references in general.
  Our

  own interests tend more towards the technology than the pure science
  and so

  we welcome contributions from others who have found Linux tools which

  contribute in other ways to Astronomy. Please contact us at the
  address

  above.


  1.3.  Version


  $Revision: 1.6 $



  $Date: 2000/05/03 22:01:25 $



  The latest version of this document is always available on the
  Astronomy Net at Astronomy HOWTO.
  We eagerly accept suggestions from you.  Send them to Astronomy HOWTO
  Editors.



  1.4.  Copyright


  Copyright 2000 by Elwood Downey and John Huggins. This document may be
  distributed only subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the
  LDP License except that this document must not be distributed in
  modified form without the author's consent.



  A verbatim copy may be reproduced or distributed in any medium
  physical or electronic without permission of the author. Translations
  are similarly permitted without express permission if it includes a
  notice on who translated it.  Commercial redistribution is allowed and
  encouraged; however please notify authors of any such distributions.



  Excerpts from the document may be used without prior consent provided
  that the derivative work contains the verbatim copy or a pointer to a
  verbatim copy.



  Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
  document provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
  preserved on all copies.



  In short, we wish to promote dissemination of this information through
  as many channels as possible. However, we wish to retain copyright on
  this HOWTO document, and would like to be notified of any plans to
  redistribute this HOWTO.



  2.  Software



  2.1.  Collections


  Here are some links to collections and other indexes of Linux
  astronomy

  software.


  ·  The Linux for Astronomy CDROM

  ·  Scientific Applications on Linux (SAL), Physics and Astronomy

  ·  Linux Applications and Utilities Page, Science and Math



  2.2.  Planetarium Programs


  Here is discussion of whole programs for use in finding objects,
  natural and

  man-made, in the sky which run on Linux.



  ·  XEphem

     has been the pet project of one of us (Downey) for the past

     15-odd years. It has grown to become one of the more capable

     interactive tools for the computation of astronomical ephemerides.



  ·  XSky

     is by Terry R. Friedrichsen, terry@venus.sunquest.com. XSky is

     essentially an interactive sky atlas.



  ·   Skymap

     is an astronomical mapping program written in Fortran and C for
     unix workstations by Doug Mink of the Smithsonian Astrophysical
     Observatory Telescope Data Center.



  ·   Xplns

     reproduces real starry sky on your display of X Window System.



  ·   AstrHorloge

     is a small astronomy software that shows a sky map, give you the
     coordinates of

     stars and planets.



  2.3.  Libraries


  This section discusses bits and pieces of software that can be used to
  form the

  basis for specialized projects.



  ·  SLALIB, part of the

     Starlink Project, is a

     complete library of subroutines for astrometric computations.



  ·  Astrophysics Source Code Library

     is a collection of links to numerical astrophysical process models.



  ·  Astronomy and numerical software source codes is a collection of C
     codes related to astronomy.



  ·  How to compute planetary positions.



  2.4.  Other


  Every list needs a miscellaneous section, and this is it for Software.



  ·  IRAF is a gigantic

     but exceptionally capable astronomical analysis system,

     shepherded over the past 20-odd years by Doug Tody of NOAO.

     It has accumulated innumerable authoritative contributions from
     leading

     astronomers in all areas of astronomical data analysis. If you have
     a serious

     interest in astronomical data reduction and significant time to
     invest, this

     system will reward you mightily.



  ·  Nightfall Eclipsing Binary Star Program



  3.  Astronomical Images over the web


  Much effort exists to allow access to Astronomical image file type
  such as FITS from any web browser.  Here are some pointers.



  3.1.  List


  The folks at harvard have a list of Image Servers and Image Browsers.



  ·  Astronomical Images Over the Web



  4.  Organizations



  ·  The yearly Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems, ADAAS,

     Conference Series provides a forum for scientists and computer
     specialists

     concerned with algorithms, software and operating systems in the
     acquisition,

     reduction and analysis of astronomical data.  The program includes
     invited

     talks, contributed papers and poster sessions as well as user group
     meetings

     and special interest meetings ("BOFs'').  All these activities aim
     to

     encourage communication between software specialists and users, and
     also to

     stimulate further development of astronomical software and systems.



  ·   The linuxastro mailing list, linuxastro@majordomo.cv.nrao.edu, is
     for

     people who are interested in porting astronomical software to
     linux. For

     more information, see

     linuxastro.



  5.  Hardware Control


  More folks are using Linux to control equipment.  Users range from
  amateur astronomers in the field to professional observatories.



  5.1.  Telescope Control



  ·   OCAAS is a

     complete Observatory Control and Astronomical Analysis System for
     Linux.



  ·  XEphem

     has the capability to communicate with a telescope control daemon
     process.



  5.2.  CCD Camera Control



  ·   Apogee Instruments Inc supports their line of professional CCD
     cameras under Linux.



  ·   SBIG offers some assistance with operating their ST7 and ST8 CCD
     cameras under Linux.



  6.  Installation Help


  You need to know what you're doing with Linux and installing programs,
  but help is available for some programs.  Here are some ways to make
  life easier.



  ·   AstroMake

     is is a utility intended to make installations of some common
     astronomical packages (in binary form) easy.



  ·   XEphem requires several elements to exist on your machine.  Life
     is much

     simpler with the CDROM version of the program as it contains an
     installation

     script which loads the appropriate precompiled binary for most
     systems and

     places all auxiliary files to the correct spots. See

     XEphem CDROM



