Linux Astronomy HOWTO
  Elwood Downey and John Huggins howto@astronomy.net
  $Revision: 1.35 $, $Date: 2001/06/18 18:48:42 $

  This document shares tips and resources to utilize Linux solutions in
  the pursuit of Astronomy.
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Table of Contents


  1. Introduction

     1.1 Knowledge Required
     1.2 Scope
     1.3 Version
     1.4 Copyright
     1.5 About the authors

  2. Software

     2.1 Collections
     2.2 Planetarium Programs
     2.3 Simulators
     2.4 Libraries
     2.5 Games
     2.6 Other

  3. Online Tools

     3.1 Traditional Form Based Programs
     3.2 Java Applets

  4. Astronomical Images over the web

     4.1 List

  5. Organizations

  6. Hardware Control

     6.1 Telescope Control
     6.2 CCD Camera Control

  7. Installation Help

  8. Projects using Linux



  ______________________________________________________________________

  1.  Introduction

  1.1.  Knowledge Required

  With all the help from major Linux distributions such as SuSE, Redhat,
  Caldera and many others, Linux based systems are becoming easier to
  use.  However, there is still some need of understanding of basic UNIX
  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.

  A few resources we have found useful over the years include:


  ·  "A Practical Guide to the UNIX System", Mark G. Sobel

  ·  "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment", the late W. Richard
     Stevens

  ·  "Running LINUX", Matt Welsh et al.

  ·  "LINUX Device Drivers", Alessandro Rubini

  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:


  ·  "Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac", P. Kenneth
     Seidelmann

  ·  "Astronomy with your Personal Computer", Peter Duffett-Smith

  ·  "Astronomy on the Personal Computer", Oliver Montenbruck et al

  ·  "Textbook on Spherical Astronomy", W. M. Smart

  ·  "The Astronomy and Astrophysics Encyclopedia", Stephen P. Maran,
     ed.


  1.2.  Scope

  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 WWW 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.

  1.3.  Version

  $Revision: 1.35 $

  $Date: 2001/06/18 18:48:42 $

  The latest version of this document is always available on the
  Astronomy Net <http://astronomy.net/> at Astronomy HOWTO
  <http://howto.astronomy.net/howto/Astronomy-HOWTO.html>.

  We eagerly accept suggestions from you.  Send them to Astronomy HOWTO
  Editors <mailto:howto@astronomy.net>.


  1.4.  Copyright

  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.

  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.

  Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
  document provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
  preserved on all copies.

  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.


  1.5.  About the authors

  Elwood Downey has over twenty years experience in software engineering
  for various astronomy projects.  Learn more about Elwood at Clear Sky
  Institute
  <http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/resumes/ecdowney/resume.html>.

  John Huggins has eleven years experience in hardware engineering
  including eight years associated with an astronomy project.  Learn
  more at John's Site <http://www.va.net/~jhuggins/>.


  2.  Software


  2.1.  Collections

  Here are some links to collections and other indexes of Linux
  astronomy software.

  ·  The Linux for Astronomy CDROM
     <http://www.randomfactory.com/lfa.html>

  ·  Scientific Applications on Linux (SAL), Physics and Astronomy
     <http://SAL.KachinaTech.COM/Z/4/index.shtml>

  ·  Linux Applications and Utilities Page, Science and Math
     <http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/linapp3.html#science>

  ·  AstroMake <http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro/astromake/> is
     a utility intended to make installations of some common
     astronomical packages (in binary form) easy.

  ·  The linuxastro mailing list also contains a list of applications
     and packages.  For more information, see linuxastro
     <http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro>.

  ·  Astronomy at sourceforge.net
     <http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove_list.php?form_cat=134>

  If the above does not appeal to your needs, these links may help:

  ·  Linux Astronomy Software from the Google Search Engine
     <http://www.google.com/search?q=Astronomy+Software+Linux>

  ·  Astronomy Software from the Yahoo Listings
     <http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Astronomy/Software/>



  2.2.  Planetarium Programs

  Here is discussion of programs which run on Linux for use in finding
  objects, natural and man-made, in the sky.



  ·  XEphem <http://clearskyinstitute.com/xephem/> 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.

  ·  XSky <http://www.astrotrf.net:8080/xsky_blurb.html> is by Terry R.
     Friedrichsen, terry@venus.sunquest.com. XSky is essentially an
     interactive sky atlas.

  ·  Skymap <http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/software/skymap.html> is an
     astronomical mapping program written in Fortran and C for unix
     workstations by Doug Mink of the Smithsonian Astrophysical
     Observatory Telescope Data Center.

  ·  Xplns <http://www.astroarts.com/products/xplns/> reproduces real
     starry sky on your display of X Window System.

  ·  Nightfall <http://www.lsw.uni-
     heidelberg.de/~rwichman/Nightfall.html> 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.

  ·  NOVA <http://nova.sourceforge.net> free Integrated Observational
     Environment for astronomers.


  2.3.  Simulators

  Programs that classify themselves as simulators.

  ·  Celestia <http://www.shatters.net/celestia/> Real-time visual
     simulation of space for Windows and Unix(Linux)

  ·  OpenUniverse <http://openuniverse.sourceforge.net/> Simulates the
     Solar System bodies in 3D in Windows and Linux

  2.4.  Libraries

  This section discusses bits and pieces of software that can be used to
  form the basis for specialized projects.


  ·  SLALIB
     <http://rlspc5.bnsc.rl.ac.uk/star/docs/sun67.htx/sun67.html#xref_>,
     part of the Starlink Project <http://star-www.rl.ac.uk>, is a
     complete library of subroutines for astrometric computations.

  ·  Astrophysics Source Code Library <http://ascl.net> is a collection
     of links to numerical astrophysical process models.

  ·  Astronomy and numerical software source codes
     <http://people.ne.mediaone.net/moshier/index.html> is a collection
     of C codes related to astronomy.

  ·  How to compute planetary positions
     <http://hotel04.ausys.se/pausch/comp/ppcomp.html>.

  ·  CCD Astronomy on Linux. <http://dimensional.com/~ashe/ccd-
     astro.html> A library of routines that help control SBIG cameras.

  2.5.  Games

  Yes, games.

  ·  Orbit <http://www.head-crash.com/orbit/> - Be a space fighter pilot
     in Windows or Linux.

  2.6.  Other

  Every list needs a miscellaneous section, and this is it for Software.


  ·  IRAF <http://iraf.noao.edu> is a gigantic but exceptionally capable
     astronomical analysis system, shepherded over the past 20-odd years
     by Doug Tody of NOAO. 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.

  ·  Nightfall Eclipsing Binary Star Program <http://www.lsw.uni-
     heidelberg.de/~rwichman/Nightfall.html>

  ·  Xplanet <http://xplanet.sourceforge.net> Very realistic rendering
     program for Earth and other planets and moons. Uses X Windows and
     OpenGL.

  ·  StarPlot <http://www.princeton.edu/~kmccarty/starplot.html> A
     3-Dimensional Star Chart Viewer for Linux. Uses C++ and Gtk+.

  3.  Online Tools

  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.


  3.1.  Traditional Form Based Programs


  ·  Sun and Moon Rise and Set calculator
     <http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.html>

  ·  Web version of MICA
     <http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/WebMICA_2.html>

  ·  JPL Ephemeris Generator <http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eph>

  ·  Solar System Simulator <http://space.jpl.nasa.gov>

  3.2.  Java Applets


  ·  GeoAstro Applet Collection by Juergen Giesen
     <http://www.sweethome.de/giesen/GeoAstro/GeoAstro.html>

  ·  Aladin Interactive Sky Atlas <http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr>

  ·  Cluster simulator <http://www.astro.queensu.ca/~dursi/dm-
     tutorial/cluster-sim.html>


  ·  Sky Image Processor <http://www.phys.vt.edu/~jhs/SIP>

  ·  J-Track 3D - Satellite Tracking
     <http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/JTrack/3d/JTrack3D.html>

  4.  Astronomical Images over the web

  Much effort exists to allow access to Astronomical image file type
  such as FITS from any web browser.  Here are some pointers.


  4.1.  List

  The folks at harvard have a list of Image Servers and Image Browsers.


  ·  Astronomical Images Over the Web <http://tdc-
     www.harvard.edu/astro.image.html>


  5.  Organizations


  ·  The yearly Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems, ADAAS,
     <http://hea-www.harvard.edu/adass> 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.

  ·  The linuxastro mailing list, linuxastro@majordomo.cv.nrao.edu, is
     for people who are interested in porting astronomical software to
     linux.  For more information, see linuxastro
     <http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro>.


  6.  Hardware Control

  More folks are using Linux to control equipment.  Users range from
  amateur astronomers in the field to professional observatories.


  6.1.  Telescope Control


  ·  OCAAS <http://www.torusoptics.com/OCAAS.htm> is a complete
     Observatory Control and Astronomical Analysis System for Linux.

  ·  XEphem <http://clearskyinstitute.com/xephem> has the capability to
     communicate with a telescope control daemon process.



  6.2.  CCD Camera Control


  ·  Apogee Instruments Inc <http://www.apogee-ccd.com/software.html>
     supports their line of professional CCD cameras under Linux.

  ·  SBIG <http://www.sbig.com/sbwhtmls/linux_announcement.htm> offers
     some assistance with operating their ST7 and ST8 CCD cameras under
     Linux.
  ·  CCD Astronomy on Linux <http://dimensional.com/~ashe/ccd-
     astro.html> These pages describe a number of facets of using
     astronomical CCD cameras for image acquisition and processing under
     Linux.


  7.  Installation Help

  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.


  ·  AstroMake <http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/linuxastro/astromake/> is
     is a utility intended to make installations of some common
     astronomical packages (in binary form) easy.

  ·  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 XEphem CDROM
     <http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/ecommerce/xephem/order.html>


  8.  Projects using Linux

  Here is a list of astronomy projects using Linux in whole or in part
  of their instrumentation:


  ·  The CHARA Array <http://www.chara.gsu.edu/CHARA/index.html> is an
     optical interferometer project using Linux in their control system.

  ·  CAOS <http://www.eso.org/projects/caos> Club of Amateurs in Optical
     Spectroscopy.