Valid format types for the Location and Target fields include:
| Format Type | Format examples |
|---|---|
| Greek letter, Flamsteed number, and variable star designations Bayer Greek letter designations: Use a Unicode Greek letter or an English spelling of the Greek letter name, and the 3-letter constellation abbreviation. For superscript numbers in Bayer designations, use a dash plus the number after the Greek letter. Plain numbers and Roman letters are interpreted as Flamsteed and variable star designations respectively. |
β Cyg, beta Cyg, π-3 Ori, Pi-3 Ori, 61 Cyg, R CrB, RR Lyr |
| Common star catalogs Valid catalog IDs: "HIP" (Hipparcos), "HR" (Harvard Revised, same as Yale Bright Star), "HD" (Henry Draper) and "Gl" (Gliese) |
HIP 123, Gl 456, HR 789 |
| Deep sky catalog labels Valid catalog IDs: Messier ("M"), NGC, IC, Col (Collinder), Caldwell, PK (Perek-Kohoutek), ESO, UGC, PGC. PK objects are planetary nebulas. The last three catalogs are detailed galaxy catalogs with over 200,000 galaxies available. Separate the catalog name from the ID with a space, and remove spaces from the catalog ID if it has any. |
M 31, Messier 13, IC 10, NGC 4565, Caldwell 41, PK 205+14.1 |
| Proper Names These include stars with well-known names,as well as a few uncommon catalog IDs that are rarely used except for a small number of nearby stars. |
Polaris, Betelgeuse, Barnard's Star, 82 G. Eri, Lalande 21185 |
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Celestial coordinates in degree/minute/second format (2 or 3 numbers per angular coordinate)
Specify right ascension in hours, declination in degrees, and (optionally) distance in light years. Separate the components of each coordinate with at least one space, and the coordinates themselves with commas. Labels for the coordinates (like "hr", "min", or "°") are allowed, but will be ignored when the coordinates are entered. The final value for the location depends strictly on the numbers entered, and their order. |
12hr 0min, 45deg 22min 12hr 0min, 45deg 22min, 100 12 0, 45 22 12 0, 45 22, 100 12hr 0min 30.5sec, 45deg 22min 11sec 12h 0m 30.5s,45° 22' 11",3500 |
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Celestial coordinates in decimal format (1 number per angular coordinate) Specify right ascension in decimal hours, declination in decimal degrees, and (optionally) distance in light years. As with degree/minute/second format, separate coordinates with commas, and a missing distance is treated as infinitely remote. |
12.01,-12.22 12.01,-12.22,100 |