AstroTargets

This repo contains a python script to create EQTOUR and Google Calendar files for monthly lists of astro targets.

To use the script:

Using conda or virtualenv, create a python virtualenv named astrotargets, activate it and install the pyongc, astroquery and astropy python libraries listed in requirements.txt

Create a text file containing a list of object names. The names can be Messier, IC, NGC Caldwell, HCG, PCG, Abell or common names such as Algol, Rho Ophiuchi etc. For example you might create a file galaxies.txt containing a list of interesting galaxies:

M81
M101
M31
NGC2749
Abell 30
Stephan's quintet
HCG 10

In a cmd, powershell or terminal window, activate the python virtualenv and run the script:

python ./getTargetDets.py galaxies.txt 20240101 20240130

The dates are optional, but if you specify these, then an ical compatible file will be created as well as an EQTOUR file.

If you specify an object that can't be identified by the programme, it will emit a warning and skip over that row. You can identify the problem row by reading the error message. Often its just a spelling mistake or missing apostrophe.

output Files

Two files can be created, one ending in _tour.lst and one ending in .ics. For example:

• galaxies_tour.lst is an EQTOUR compatible listing file you can copy to your EQTOUR folder and use to drive your EQMOD compatible mount.

• galaxies_cal.ics optionally created only if start/end dates are specified. This is an icalendar file suitable for import into Google Calendar or other calendar apps.

This repository contains a number of examples.