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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.1.2//EN"
"http://docbook.org/xml/4.1.2/docbookx.dtd" []>
<article>
<articleinfo>
<title> Linux Astronomy HOWTO </title>
<authorgroup>
<author>
<firstname>Elwood</firstname> <surname>Downey</surname>
</author>
<author>
<firstname>John</firstname> <surname>Huggins</surname>
</author>
</authorgroup>
<address> <email>howto@astronomy.net</email> </address>
<subjectset>
<subject><subjectterm>Astronomy</subjectterm></subject>
<subject><subjectterm>GNU/Linux</subjectterm></subject>
</subjectset>
<pubdate>2001-08-27</pubdate>
<revhistory>
<revision>
<revnumber>1.4</revnumber>
<date>2003-04-17</date>
<authorinitials>Pro</authorinitials>
<revremark>Converted to Docbook XML from revision 1.38, several new URLs
added, released with the consent of the original authors.</revremark>
</revision>
</revhistory>
<abstract>
<para> This document shares tips and resources to utilize Linux solutions
in the pursuit of Astronomy.</para>
</abstract>
</articleinfo>
<sect1 id="introduction">
<title> Introduction </title>
<sect2 id="knowledge-required">
<title> Knowledge Required </title>
<para> With all the help from major Linux distributions such as SuSE,
Redhat, and many others, Linux based systems are becoming easier to
use. However, there is still some need of understanding of basic <acronym>UNIX
</acronym> 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. </para>
<para> A few resources we have found useful over the years include:</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>A Practical Guide to the UNIX System</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>Mark</firstname> <othername>G.</othername>
<surname>Sobel</surname>
</author>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<citetitle>Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment</citetitle>,
the late
<author>
<firstname>W.</firstname> <othername>Richard</othername>
<surname>Stevens</surname>
</author>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>Running LINUX</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>Matt</firstname> <surname>Welsh</surname>
</author> et al.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>LINUX Device Drivers</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>Alessandro</firstname> <surname>Rubini</surname>
</author>
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para> 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:</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical
Almanac</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>P.</firstname> <othername>Kenneth</othername>
<surname>Seidelmann</surname>
</author>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>Astronomy with your Personal Computer</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>Peter</firstname> <surname>Duffett-Smith</surname>
</author>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>Astronomy on the Personal Computer</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>Oliver</firstname> <surname>Montenbruck</surname>
</author> et al </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <citetitle>Textbook on Spherical Astronomy</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>W.</firstname> <othername>M.</othername>
<surname>Smart</surname>
</author>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<citetitle>The Astronomy and Astrophysics Encyclopedia</citetitle>,
<author>
<firstname>Stephen</firstname> <othername>P.</othername>
<surname>Maran</surname>
</author>, ed.</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="scope">
<title>Scope</title>
<para> 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 <acronym>WWW</acronym> 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.</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="version">
<title> Version </title>
<para> The latest version of this document is always available on the
<ulink url="http://astronomy.net/">Astronomy Net</ulink> at
<ulink url="http://howto.astronomy.net/howto/Astronomy-HOWTO.html">
Astronomy HOWTO</ulink>. </para>
<para> We eagerly accept suggestions from you. Send them to Astronomy
HOWTO Editors <email>howto@astronomy.net</email>. </para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="copyright">
<title> Copyright </title>
<para> Copyright 2000-2001 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.</para>
<para> 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.</para>
<para> Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this document provided the copyright notice, the list of authors and this
permission notice are preserved on all copies.</para>
<para> 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. For information about translations of this document, please see
below.</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="contrib-and-translation">
<title> Contributions and Translations </title>
<para> As we pursue the goals of the Astronomy HOWTO, we will recogize the
contributions of folks who provide us with data here.</para>
<para> Since Astronomy is very much an international effort, we encourage
translation of this HOWTO into any language. We only ask the following:</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> If you are a translator, please contact us at the above address
so we may give proper credit here. This way, readers will immediately see what
translations are available and see where to get them.</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> Please obtain the latest copy of the Astronomy HOWTO from its
home at <ulink url="http://howto.astronomy.net/">Astronomy Net</ulink> before
you begin your translation effort.</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para> We thank the following for their translation efforts:</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.michael-moltenbrey.de/misc.html">
German Translation</ulink> courtesy of <othercredit><firstname>
Michael</firstname><surname>Moltenbrey</surname></othercredit></para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="on-authors">
<title> About the authors </title>
<para> Elwood Downey has over twenty years experience in software
engineering for various astronomy projects. Learn more about Elwood at
<ulink url="http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/resumes/ecdowney/resume.html">
Clear Sky Institute</ulink>.</para>
<para> John Huggins has eleven years experience in hardware engineering
including eight years associated with an astronomy project. Learn more at
<ulink url="http://www.va.net/~jhuggins/">John's Site</ulink>.</para>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="software-list">
<title> Software </title>
<sect2 id="software-collection">
<title> Collections </title>
<para> Here are some links to collections and other indexes of Linux
astronomy software.</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.randomfactory.com/lfa.html"> The Linux
for Astronomy CDROM</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://SAL.KachinaTech.COM/Z/4/index.shtml">
Scientific Applications on Linux (<acronym>SAL</acronym>), Physics and
Astronomy</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/linapp3.html#science">
Linux Applications and Utilities Page, Science and Math</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro/astromake/">
AstroMake</ulink> is a utility intended to make installations of some common
astronomical packages (in binary form) easy. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> The linuxastro mailing list also contains a list of
applications and packages. For more information, see
<ulink url="http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro">linuxastro</ulink>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove_list.php?form_cat=134">
Astronomy at sourceforge.net</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para> If the above does not appeal to your needs, these links may help:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://www.google.com/search?q=Astronomy+Software+Linux">Linux
Astronomy Software from the Google Search Engine</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Astronomy/Software/">
Astronomy Software from the Yahoo Listings</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="planetarium-software">
<title> Planetarium Programs </title>
<para> Here is discussion of programs which run on Linux for use in
finding objects, natural and man-made, in the sky. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://clearskyinstitute.com/xephem/">
<application>XEphem</application> </ulink> 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.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.astrotrf.net:8080/xsky_blurb.html">
<application>XSky</application>
</ulink> is by <personname><firstname>Terry</firstname><othername>R.
</othername><surname>Friedrichsen</surname></personname>,
<email>terry@venus.sunquest.com</email>. XSky is essentially an interactive sky
atlas. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/software/skymap.html">
<application>Skymap</application> </ulink> is an astronomical mapping program
written in Fortran and C for unix workstations by <personname><firstname>Doug
</firstname><surname>Mink</surname></personname> of the Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory Telescope Data Center. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.astroarts.com/products/xplns/">
<application>Xplns</application> </ulink> reproduces real starry sky on your
display of X Window System. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://www.lsw.uni-heidelberg.de/~rwichman/Nightfall.html">
<application>Nightfall</application> </ulink> is an astronomy application for
fun, education, and science. It can produce animated views of eclipsing binary
stars, calculate synthetic lightcurves and radial velocity curves, and
eventually determine the best-fit model for a given set of observational data
of an eclipsing binary star system. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://nova.sourceforge.net"> <application>NOVA
</application> </ulink> free Integrated Observational Environment for
astronomers. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://edu.kde.org/kstars"><application>KStars
</application></ulink> is a desktop planetarium for <acronym>KDE</acronym>.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="simulator-software">
<title> Simulators </title>
<para> Programs that classify themselves as simulators. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.shatters.net/celestia/"> <application>
Celestia</application> </ulink> Real-time visual simulation of space for
Windows and Unix(Linux) </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://openuniverse.sourceforge.net/">
<application>OpenUniverse</application></ulink> Simulates the Solar System
bodies in 3D in Windows and Linux </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="software-library">
<title> Libraries </title>
<para> This section discusses bits and pieces of software that can be used
to form the basis for specialized projects. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://rlspc5.bnsc.rl.ac.uk/star/docs/sun67.htx/sun67.html#xref_">
SLALIB</ulink>, part of the <ulink url="http://star-www.rl.ac.uk">Starlink
Project</ulink>, is a complete library of subroutines for astrometric
computations.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://ascl.net">Astrophysics Source Code Library
</ulink> is a collection of links to numerical astrophysical process models.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://people.ne.mediaone.net/moshier/index.html">
Astronomy and numerical software source codes</ulink> is a collection of C
codes related to astronomy. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://hotel04.ausys.se/pausch/comp/ppcomp.html">
How to compute planetary positions</ulink>. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://dimensional.com/~ashe/ccd-astro.html"> CCD
Astronomy on Linux</ulink>. A library of routines that help control SBIG
cameras. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://ktelescope.sf.net/">KTelescope</ulink> is
a library for controlling Meade's LX200 based telescopes. </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="games-software">
<title> Games </title>
<para> Yes, games. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.head-crash.com/orbit/">Orbit</ulink> -
Be a space fighter pilot in Windows or Linux. </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="other">
<title> Other </title>
<para> Every list needs a miscellaneous section, and this is it for
Software. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://iraf.noao.edu"> <application>IRAF
</application></ulink> is a gigantic but exceptionally capable astronomical
analysis system, shepherded over the past 20-odd years by <personname>
<firstname>Doug</firstname><surname>Tody</surname></personname> formerly at
<acronym>NOAO</acronym>. 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. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://www.lsw.uni-heidelberg.de/~rwichman/Nightfall.html">
<application>Nightfall</application> Eclipsing Binary Star Program</ulink>
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://xplanet.sourceforge.net"><application>
Xplanet</application></ulink> Very realistic rendering program for Earth and
other planets and moons. Uses X Windows and OpenGL. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.princeton.edu/~kmccarty/starplot.html">
<application>StarPlot</application></ulink> A 3-Dimensional Star Chart Viewer
for Linux. Uses C++ and Gtk+. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/psc">Personal
Sky Chart</ulink> for the Sharp Zaurus PDA which runs <acronym>
GNU</acronym>/Linux. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://edu.kde.org/kstars/astroinfo.php">AstroInfo
</ulink> project is working towards a community-based Astronomical
Encyclopedia. </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="online">
<title> Online Tools </title>
<para> I know we said we would not start listing Web sites, but here are a
few links to sites which offer fully operational tools running online that we
feel are especially useful or interesting, from a browser on any platform.
</para>
<sect2 id="online-form">
<title> Traditional Form Based Programs </title>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html">
Sun and Moon Rise and Set calculator</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/WebMICA_2.html">
Web version of MICA</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eph">JPL Ephemeris
Generator</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://space.jpl.nasa.gov">Solar System Simulator
</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk">Clear Sky Clock
</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://simbad.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/WSimbad.pl">
Simbad</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="online-Japplet">
<title> Java Applets </title>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://www.sweethome.de/giesen/GeoAstro/GeoAstro.html">
GeoAstro Applet Collection by <personname><firstname>Juergen</firstname>
<surname>Giesen</surname></personname></ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr">Aladin Interactive Sky
Atlas</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://www.astro.queensu.ca/~dursi/dm-tutorial/cluster-sim.html">
Cluster simulator</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.phys.vt.edu/~jhs/SIP">Sky Image
Processor</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/JTrack/3d/JTrack3D.html">
J-Track 3D - Satellite Tracking</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="image">
<title> Astronomical Images over the web </title>
<para> Much effort exists to allow access to Astronomical image file type
such as <acronym>FITS</acronym> from any web browser. Here are some pointers.
</para>
<sect2 id="list">
<title> List </title>
<para> The folks at harvard have a list of Image Servers and Image
Browsers. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/astro.image.html">
Astronomical Images Over the Web</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="organisation">
<title> Organizations </title>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> The yearly <ulink url="http://hea-www.harvard.edu/adass">
Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems, <acronym>ADAAS</acronym>,
</ulink> 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. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> The linuxastro mailing list,
<email>linuxastro@majordomo.cv.nrao.edu</email>, is for people who are
interested in porting astronomical software to Linux. For more information, see
<ulink url="http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro">linuxastro</ulink>.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="HW-control">
<title> Hardware Control </title>
<para>
More folks are using Linux to control equipment. Users range from
amateur astronomers in the field to professional observatories. </para>
<sect2 id="telescope">
<title> Telescope Control </title>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://ktelescope.sf.net/">KTelescope</ulink> is
a library for controlling Meade's LX200 based telescopes. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://clearskyinstitute.com/xephem">XEphem</ulink>
has the capability to communicate with a telescope control daemon process.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="CCD">
<title> <acronym>CCD</acronym> Camera Control </title>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.apogee-ccd.com/software.html">Apogee
Instruments Inc</ulink> supports their line of professional CCD cameras under
Linux. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://www.sbig.com/sbwhtmls/linux_announcement.htm">
SBIG</ulink> offers some assistance with operating their ST7 and ST8 CCD
cameras under Linux. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://dimensional.com/~ashe/ccd-astro.html">CCD
Astronomy on Linux</ulink> These pages describe a number of facets of using
astronomical CCD cameras for image acquisition and processing under Linux.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://home.earthlink.net/~dschmenk"><application>
Gccd</application></ulink> is a <application>gnome</application>-based CCD
camera and filter wheel control program. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.fli-cam.com">Finger Lakes
Instrumentation</ulink>, manufacturer of CCD cameras and filter wheels which
include drivers for Linux. </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect2>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="installation">
<title> Installation Help </title>
<para> 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. </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
<ulink url="http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro/astromake/">
AstroMake</ulink> is a utility intended to make installations of some common
astronomical packages (in binary form) easy. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> 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
<ulink url="http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/ecommerce/xephem/order.html">
XEphem CDROM</ulink> </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="research-projects">
<title> Projects using Linux </title>
<para> Here is a list of astronomy projects using Linux in whole or in part
of their instrumentation: </para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.chara.gsu.edu/CHARA/index.html">The CHARA
Array</ulink> is an optical interferometer project using Linux in their control
system. </para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para> <ulink url="http://www.eso.org/projects/caos"><acronym>CAOS
</acronym></ulink> Club of Amateurs in Optical Spectroscopy. </para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
</sect1>
</article>