SCAT(7) SCAT(7)
NAME
scat - sky catalogue
SYNOPSIS
scat
DESCRIPTION
Scat looks up items in catalogues of objects outside the
solar system. Items are read, one per line, from the stan-
dard input, and their descriptions or cross-index listings
(suitable for input to scat) are printed on the standard
output. An item is in one of the following formats:
ngc1234
Number 1234 in the Revised New General Catalogue of
Nonstellar Objects. The output identifies the type
(eg=galaxy, pn=planetary nebula, gc=globular cluster,
oc=open cluster, dn=diffuse nebula or nc=nebular clus-
ter), possibly contained within the Large Magellanic
Cloud (in lmc) or Small Magellanic Cloud (in smc), its
position in 2000.0 coordinates and galactic coordi-
nates, and a brief description.
sao12345
Number 12345 in the Smithsonian Astrophysical Star Cat-
alogue. Output identifies the visual and photographic
magnitudes, 2000.0 coordinates, proper motion, spectral
type, multiplicity and variability class, and HD num-
ber.
m4 Catalog number 4 in Messier's catalog. The output is
the NGC number.
"alpha umi"
Star names are provided in double quotes. Known names
are the Greek letter designations, proper names such as
Betelgeuse, and bright variable stars. Constellation
names must be the three-letter abbreviations. The out-
put is the SAO number. For non-Greek names, SAO num-
bers and names are listed for all stars with names for
which the given name is a prefix.
12h34m -16
Coordinates in the sky are translated to the nearest
`patch', approximately one square degree of sky. The
output is the coordinates identifying the patch, the
constellations touching the patch, and the NGC and SAO
objects in the patch.
c umi
SCAT(7) SCAT(7)
Gives voluminous output consisting of the patches cov-
ering the named constellation.
FILES
SEE ALSO
sky(7)
/n/kwee/usr/rob/sky2/constelnames for the three-letter
abbreviations of the constellation names.
BUGS
The database is fine, but the program is feeble.
Coordinates printed by the program in the listings for SAO
and NGC objects are not understood as input.