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.