XVarStar is a program written for variable star observers
Version : 0.8
Author(s) : Ivan Vitjuk (virtus@freeshell.org)
License : GPL
Website : http://virtus.freeshell.org/xvarstar
Installs from Open Source Astronomy for Linux cd 3
Disk space required for installation is 9.49 Mb
After the package is installed it can be accessed using the command
/opt/astro/bin/startxvarstar
A shortcut will be installed in the KDE/GNOME desktop menu system,
as an entry in the Astronomy submenu
- star name - magnitude - type - constellation - amplitude
This searching criteria can be combined so one can search for example all variable stars located in Andromeda constellation and with magnitude brighter than 5.00.
For installation instrictions see INSTALL file.
2. Catalogue
Catalogue used in this program is "Combined General Catalogue of Variable Stars". Info about this catalogue can be found in README.gcvs file. It has been downloaded from:
http://adc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/adc/cat.pl?/catalogs/2/2214A/
3. Usage
Usage of this program is really simple. There is four sections in main window. On the top there is frame with five buttons. Each one enables searching by one criteria.
Bellow this frame there is frame with input fields for each search criteria. There, user can type search string or number that will be used for searching. For each input field corresponding button in above frame must be enabled if one wants searching by this field.
Next, there is a frame with control buttons. When program is started, and before first search button "Load" should be pressed to load GCVS catalogue in memory. If any change occurs in catalogue there is no need to restart program, just press this button again to reload catalogue. Button "Search" starts searching by using selected fields, and button "Save" saves result in file. Button "Clear" clears text area bellow.
Last frame contains text area where search result and error messages are put.