Newbie: trying to find 'Hope'

Thanks everyone for the replies. I live near Portsmouth & we have an
observatory nearby at Clanfield
(http://www.hantsastro.org.uk/observatory/5inch.shtml) which has a 5 inch
telescope, but which quotes a focal length of 88 inches. Would I be able to
see the star through this, or do I need to travel a bit further afield (and
if so, where)?

Many thanks,

Andy


"Andrew Kidd" wrote in message
.uk...
Hi ... A friend has registered a star that she has named as "Hope", and
the only details that she has a RA12hrs 23mins 08sec Dec 4.74489 MAG
14.08

I only have a 'Noddy' telescope but was trying to help her find it using
some cunning software and pure, old fashioned, freezing-yer-buns-off luck.

Could someone please advise if we have the correct information to find
"Hope", and recommend a software package that we can punch the numbers
into to show us roughly where to look?

I use wwwstreetmap.co.uk to generate the Lat & Long for my home address,
beyond that I'm a bit stumped.

Cheers,

Andy

Thanks everyone for the replies. I live near Portsmouth & we have an
observatory nearby at Clanfield
(http://www.hantsastro.org.uk/observatory/5inch.shtml) which has a 5 inch
telescope, but which quotes a focal length of 88 inches. Would I be able
to see the star through this, or do I need to travel a bit further afield
(and if so, where)?

A telescope of about 8 to 10 inches should be able to see this star under
good skies. I'm sure that there are local astronomical societies nearby
which would have instruments of this size and larger.

You best best would be to head down to Selsy. That about the darkest skies
in that area (I think). Failing that, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, The Lake
District or even Scotland. Although that's a little far for you.

I'm surprised that no-one else has told you the really bad news that the
star "Hope" isn't really registered. The official star catalogues do not
allow you to name stars. At best, you have a certificate which looks
pretty, but it actually worthless, sorry.

Regards

Colin Dawson
www.cjdawson.com


"Richard Bullock" wrote in message
...
Thanks everyone for the replies. I live near Portsmouth & we have an
observatory nearby at Clanfield
(http://www.hantsastro.org.uk/observatory/5inch.shtml) which has a 5 inch
telescope, but which quotes a focal length of 88 inches. Would I be able
to see the star through this, or do I need to travel a bit further afield
(and if so, where)?

A telescope of about 8 to 10 inches should be able to see this star under
good skies. I'm sure that there are local astronomical societies nearby
which would have instruments of this size and larger.

Hi Richard,
Richard Bullock wrote:
Simbad at
http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/sim-fid.pl
or
http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/sim-fsam.pl
list no star at those coordinates
(12 23 8 +4 44 41.604)


It list no star at these coordinates because it doesn't search through all
of the star catalogues.

Try http://archive.ast.cam.ac.uk/viz-bin/VizieR

That's a useful link. Thanks.

put the star coordinates in in the box marked "Target Name", select target
radius to 0.5' and press "Find Data", and you'll get multiple references to
a ~14th magnitude star at that location.

And Hubble's Guide Star Catalog has one with coordinates that almost
exactly match what he's looking for: star GSC002800812 is listed as mag
14.05 at 12:23:08.08 +4:44:41.5, with position uncertainty of 0.2 arcsec.

Best Regards,
John.

Colin Dawson wrote:
..

I'm surprised that no-one else has told you the really bad news that the
star "Hope" isn't really registered. The official star catalogues do not
allow you to name stars. At best, you have a certificate which looks
pretty, but it actually worthless, sorry.

Regards

Colin Dawson
www.cjdawson.com




I think we were all being sensitive and stating round that
fact..........;O)

I suppose you're going to burst the Father Christmas bubble for him as
well.....

Gaz

"skating around that fact", even!

I suppose you're going to burst the Father Christmas bubble for him as
well.....

Gaz


What Father Christmas bubble?

Regards

Colin Dawson
www.cjdawson.com

Gaz wrote:
"skating around that fact", even!

I always thought it was 'skirting', but that doesn't sound quite right
either now :-)

--
Holly, in France
Holiday Home in Dordogne
http://la-plaine.chez.tiscali.fr/

You know, *THE* Father Christmas bubble...;O)

Gaz

Father Christmas was based on Saint Nicholas, who lived in what is now
Turkey before the Turks themselves arrived. Some of the indigenous peoples
of the time were closely related to Greeks and Greek Cypriots. In London the
rhyming slang for Greek is "bubble and squeak", or "bubble" for short.
Perhaps that's what he means, but then again perhaps not!

"Colin Dawson" wrote in message
.uk...
I suppose you're going to burst the Father Christmas bubble for him as
well.....

Gaz


What Father Christmas bubble?

Regards

Colin Dawson
www.cjdawson.com