Re: star databases (was: RE: OT Query: Starship Troopers- MIA???)

On Tue, 2 Nov 1999, Do not pass when solid yellow line is on your side
of the road wrote:

> [...]
> >>>>stellation is which ("Big Dipper? I'm more interested in LTT 5721
> >>>>at coords 14 29 42 by -62 40 46!"*)
> >>>>
> >>>>* - bonus points for anyone who can name that star  ;-)
> >>>
> >>>That's either on the bright star or binary lists, I'm guessing it's
> >>>Polaris. A web search failed me :-(
> >>
> >>Actually it's on neither list (ummmm...okay, might be on the binary
list,
> >>as it is a companion to a multi-star system). And being 11th mag, a
little
> >>too faint to be seen naked eye (Polaris is mag ~1.9).
> >>
> >>(hint: try looking it up on SIMBAD)
> >>
> >>Mk
> >
> >At this point I'll declare defeat and stick with my nice, provincial 
> >near star list and whatever a quick websearch comes up with.
> 
> SIMBAD's a nice, handy database on stars with which you can dig up
> all kinds of info with. Another resource for those of you who want
> to find out various tidbit information on a given star for your fave
> empire/stellar government. :)  It's not the end-all be-all of
databases
> for stars, but it is fairly comprehensive:
> 
>    http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/Simbad
> 
> But as it is geared for the more professional astronomer some info in
> it may seem a bit esoteric.  ;-)

the data in SIMBAD would make life for me sooo much easier; i could bung
in hipparcos/tycho identifiers and get out thrilling names like 'Wolf
238'
and 'Alpha Centauri' instead of dull old 'HIP33285'. sadly (quoting from
their web page) ...

"SIMBAD is a charged service: the users contribute by covering partly
the
cost of the resources involved in the database service."

so i can't just waltz on in.

"Starting January 1995, access to the SIMBAD astronomical database is
provided free of charge to a large part of the European astronomical
community: all bona fide scientists affiliated to astronomical research
institutions in ESO or ESA member states."

sadly, i am nowhere near being a bona fide astronomer; i don't even know
a
bona fide astronomer.

"SIMBAD is free of charge for U.S. users, thanks to an agreement with
NASA."

i assume this means bona fide astronomers in the US, rather than j
random
netizen.

anyway, simbad is not really accessible to most people. however, it
might
well be one day.

tom