ASTRO

SPREADSHEET ASTRONOMY

1-2-3 Template Library
For Solving Astronomy Problems
Menu- and Macro-Driven

ASTRO is a library of twenty-seven menu and macro-driven worksheets (automatic templates) for Lotus 1-2-3 which allows the user to compute and display the results of many of the computational problems of advanced astronomy. It requires little or no knowledge of 1-2-3 to operate and makes effective use of the graphics and computational capabilities of 1-2-3. The spread- sheet environment facilitates 'what if' calculations and easy, unambiguous data entry. The templates are based on the algorithms in Meeus' "Astronomica1 Formulae for Calculators." and Zombeck's "Handbook of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics". The templates are called by a main menu and a series of submenus. The templates are:

  • Julian Date and Heliocentric Julian Date Conversion
  • Conversion between ephemeris and universal time
  • Calculation of mean and apparent sidereal time
  • Conversion between equatorial and horizon coordinates
  • Conversion between equatorial and ecliptic coordinates
  • Conversion between equatorial and galactic coordinates
  • Precession of coordinates from one epoch to another
  • Precise precession of coordinates
  • Reduction to apparent place
  • Reduction to topocentric place
  • Calculation of angular separation
  • Calculation of the time of Moon phases
  • Calculation of the coordinates of the Sun for any instant
  • Calculation of the orbital elements, positions, distances, and apparent diameters and magnitudes of the planets for any instant
  • Calculation of an ephemeris for a visual binary star system
  • Calculation of the heliocentric radial velocity of an object
  • Calculation of the relative air mass between an observer and an object
  • Calculation of the times of sunrise, sunset, and civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight
  • Calculation of the time of rising and setting of an object
  • Calculation of the relativistic look-back time as a function of redshift
  • Calculation of the Planck radiation functions
  • Calculation of the absolute spectral and photon irradiance for an object of arbitrary magnitude
  • Tabulation and display of the mean star density as a function of magnitude
  • Conversion of physical constants
  • Tabulation of physical constants
  • Tabulation of astronomical constants
  • Linear least squares analysis for up to 100 pairs of data points
A comprehensive User's Manual provides examples and detailed descriptions of the mathematical formulae used in all the calculations.
"The ASTRO templates are extremely versatile, as they allow you to modify them to meet your exact needs: only some knowledge of LOTUS 1-2-3 Is needed for such modification."
Dr. Grzegorz Madejski
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center

"I find the ASTRO templates to be very helpful and readily available on my personal computers ,especially the laptop. For precession calculations, coordinate transformations, and many other useful things, they are much easier to access and use than anything that I could have programmed. I especially appreciate the easy data entry and on-screen information that Is always there to provide an example. I've hardy had to look at the user's manual. "
Dr. Paul Gorenstein.
Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

System Requirements:

If you can run Lotus 1-2-3 (DOS or 1-2-3 Classic Window), you can run ASTRO.

PRICE: $55.00

This price includes the user's manual and shipping to all U.S. cities. All foreign orders add $10.00.

Send check, P.O., or money order to:

SCIENCE.wks
42 Fletcher Street
Winchester, MA 01890
e-mail: mvz@tiac.net

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