Introduction
MPEC SORT
Easily download, sort, and print Minor Planet Center MPEC data.
The MPEC Sort program allows you to easily download, sort, and print a report of the current MPEC data from the Minor Planet Center web site. With a few simple clicks of the mouse the MPEC Sort program will go out and find the newest MPECs, download the data, and import it in to a local database. You can then enter RA, Declination, and Magnitude limits to further narrow down the results of objects visible from your location. Once you have narrowed it down to the list of objects you can view, run the report that you can print out and reference during your viewing session.The Comet Ephemerides tab. Now you can calculate comet ephemerides at any time. The program downloads the comet orbital element file from the Minor Planet Center. Just select a comet from the list, specify some parameters (or leave them as default), and click calculate. That’s it. You are presented with that comet’s ephemerides in both RA / Declination and Alt. / Az.
MPECsort Application program originally written and maintained by Keith Yohn, WWIN Observatory
Currently the MPEC Sort application is able to download the following circulars:
- AMORS
- UNUSUAL MINOR PLANETS
- PHAS
- ATENS and APOLLOS
- ATIRA
- COMETS
*Internet connection required to download MPEC data.
A big thanks to Bill Schwittek for sharing his CMTWIN32 application source code.
Usage
Easy as 1, 2, 3....
The quickest way to use the MPEC Sort application is to:
1. Press the “Auto Import” button
2. Enter your RA, Declination, and Magnitude limits and then press the “Run Report” button.
3. Print your report for easy viewing during your observing session.
Comets Only
Version 3.4.0 now has the ability to include comets as well as the other minor planet circulars. If you have the comets option checked in the options window, you can now do a “Comets Only” import which will calculate the ephemeris for all of the comets and then display them in the grid and allow you to filter them based on RA , Declination, and magnitude limits. Once filtered, you can then run a report for those filtered comets to print out to reference during your observing session.
Manual Paste of MPEC data
If you must manually paste the MPEC data from the Minor Planet Center site, simply click the “Manual Paste MPEC data” button. A text box will be displayed where you can paste the text from the Harvard website. It is always recommended that you use the Auto Import whenever possible. The manual import process is very picky about the format of the text that is pasted in the text box.
Changing your RA, Declination, or Magnitude limits
If you want to change your RA, Declination, or Magnitude limits after you have already run the report simply click on the “View / Sort Data” tab. Change your limits and then click the “Run Report” button again.
The Options window
The Options screen (ctrl + O) allows you to change a number of options in the program. From this screen you can turn on auto updates, select which circulars the program downloads, change the name that shows at the top of the report, and much more.
Documentation
IMPORTANT: In order for MPECsort to function properly and for you to both SEE and IMPORT data, it is essential that you follow the installation process to the letter:
NOTE: MPECsort can be used will all telescope/PC planetarium programs for the purpose of acquiring data on all of the most current and daily-updated NEOs as supplied by the Daily Orbital Updates (DOUs) from the Minor Planet Center. This data is updated about 2 a.m. each morning at MPC and your system can be updated with the very latest positional information on all NEOs and COMETS with fresh data daily. Those objects that can be updated daily are:
- AMORS
- UNUSUAL MINOR PLANETS
- PHAS and VIRTUAL impactors
- ATENS and APOLLOS
- ATIRA
- COMETS
INSTALLATION NOTES
1) FIRST scroll to the bottom of the page and see the TWO (2) necessary programs for your computer to both run MPECsort as well as be able to acquire and present the data that is available;
2) BEFORE installing/running the MPECsort application, install the following two programs shown at the bottom of the MPECsort Application Download screen:
b) .Net framework version 2.0 or later (the link is provided on the download page)
3) MPECsort Application will run on all Windows XP, Vista, Win7 & Win10 platforms, 32 or 64 bit.
4) Once both of the two programs above are installed, THEN download/RUN the MPECsort Application software.
SETUP NOTES AFTER INSTALLATION
1) MPECsort is very easy to set up and get ready for its first data download and presentation. CLICK ON THE ICON on your Desktop to open MPECsort
2) After a few seconds you will see the Application screen presented on your computer.
3) BEFORE you can download and present data and with the MPECsort Application screen showing, go the menu at the top and click EDIT then click OPTIONS
4) DATABASE LOCATION:
5) OBSERVATORY NAME
6) MPC Base URL
This MUST read: http://minorplanetcenter.net/
7) PROGRAM LOCATIONS
These two fields are if you are USING GUIDE 8 or GUIDE 9 program for telescope control and wish to have NEOS and comets appear updated on the program screen via this application. If you are not using GUIDE (www.projectpluto.com) then you can leave these two fields blank. (Also see the reference to the FILE link and Guide and Charon Updates below!)
8) YOU ARE READY TO RUN MPECsort Application
Once all the fields are checked and the proper pathways are established and shown, press OK on the Options window to get back to the MPECsort Application Screen.
At this point, ALL THREE large tabs should be highlighted and active. If they are not, assure that all steps preceding have been done and ancillary programs are installed.
MPECsort USE
1) OBTAINING DAILY ORBITAL UPDATES OF NEOs and COMETS Very simple: you have two (2) ways in which to do this: you can copy and paste the data directly from the MPC page updated each morning just for this MPECsort program found at:
by using the bottom tab: Manual Paste MPECs or Much simpler and requiring less than one minute via high speed Internet, use the TOP tab "AUTO IMPORT" which will automatically download all of the current daily data for you.
2) SETTING THE DATA FOR CUSTOM DISPLAY - LIMITING YOUR CRITERIA FOR OBSERVATIONS
Sometimes, if not set properly, this can result in improperly completed lists of data, so be careful on this part!
IMPORTANT NOTE: At this point, do NOT enter data nor parameters using the TABS along the top of the spreadsheet (i.e., "Report", NEA Data, Comet Ephemerides...."
Once you have obtained the DOU via Auto Import, you will see a long data spreadsheet appear on the MPECsort Application screen. This is the result of all the acquired data for the parameters which are defined by YOU or might be set via the parameter windows ("CRITERIA") on the spread sheet page (along the lower edge of the screen). "Criteria")
Following are the CRITERIA (personal parameters) that you will need to set as the seasons and your observing requirements change:
"R.A. between:" - this is the span of Right Ascension that you believe will be visible for you on any given night of observation; ALWAYS enter the WEST-most RA first and the EAST-most (highest RA or farthest east in the sky) in the second field (Example: 08 and 23 .... never 23 and 08 )
"Decl between:" - very important setting; if you can see no further south than, say 17 degrees, then let that be your limit. ONCE AGAIN, the order of these settings is critical for data to properly show.
Always put the LOWEST Declination first (i.e., -17) and the highest limit last (i.e, 90); that would give the entries as: -17 and 90, NEVER "90 and -17". There is no need to place the "+" sign for northern declinations, but you MUST of course signify southern declinations with the minus sign!
"Mag.greater than" - simply set this value to your limiting magnitude of your telescope or imaging system.
** YOU ARE READY TO CREATE YOUR DAILY REPORT **
At this point MPECsort has downloaded ALL NEOs and comets for you and YOU have selected the observational parameters of your observing schedule and/or observatory.
PRESS the button on the LOWER RIGHT ("Run Report") of the spreadsheet and give MPECsort a few seconds to convert this to your observatory-ready guide.
The result will be an HOUR-BY-HOUR multipage listing of all objects meeting your criteria for time, horizons and magnitude limits.
Note that at any time you can use the UPPER TAB ("View/Sort Data") to "go backwards" and change your data and criteria and create yet another new report via "Run Report"
When you exit out of MPECsort Application for the evening, you will want to clear your database; the next evening, simply use AutoImport to load fresh and current data for each successive night.
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Comet Ephemerides Tab
This is a very useful and state-of-the-art application within MPECsort Application which allows the user to view the orbital parameters, change them if observations warrant, and obtain precise daily epoch-friendly data for all comets listed on the MPC Observable Comets lists, which are also upgraded each day.
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FOR GUIDE (www.projectpluto.com) users!
On the Main MPECsort Data screen when opened, the first top tool link is FILE.
Clicking on FILE there is a very powerful tool for Guide Program users: UPDATE CHARON AND GUIDE 8 FILES (also works on Guide9 of course)
If you are connected to high speed Internet, clicking on this line will automatically replace TWO (2) files in your Guide8 (or 9) folder, once which is used to actually DISPLAY the NEOs and Comets from the DOU on the GUIDE telescope control screen, as well as provide an equal file for Guide's CHARON astrometric measuring program that provides exact placement of targets based on the best know DOU positions.
The files created are: mpcorb.dat (a shorter version than the entire MPCORB listing, but containing ALL NEOs, PHAS and Virtual Impactors, AND neatod.dat
BOTH are necessary for scientific astrometric and photometric work with Guide as well as all planetarium programs and makes keeping all objects current within on day quick and simple.
Note that COMETS are not updated on this Guide data retrieval and those must be entered manually from the MPC Guide database per Guide protocol.
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Enjoy our MPECsort Application.....it turns hours of observing preparation into minutes of the highest organization and skills!