Unique Asteroid and NEO Sorting Progam Exclusively from ASO!

[drclay]

Hat's off to the ASO Webmaster, Keith Yohn.

A new MPEC asteroid sorting program - MPEC Sort Application - is currently posted on the
Arkansas Sky Observatories website:

http://www.arksky.org
or direct link:
http://www.arksky.org/MPCSort/Home.html

This is a free program that has been constructed by the ASO webmaster, Keith Yohn, who has
graciously allowed this to be available to the general population of asteroid watchers.
It has been in use at ASO for about 4 years and works rapidly and allows a quick printout
for your exact choice of parameters of observing NEOs that are updated monthly via the
MPEC.

Included in these MPEC monthly updates are the Distant Minor Planets, Atens and Apollos,
Unusual Minor Planets, and Amors.  This program will allow you to concentrate on any or
all of these groups of targets, while selecting only those that fit within your
observational parameters, equipment limitations, and observing schedules.

No searching for lists, no constant downloading and no manual sorting for your observing
programs.

This program is a turn-key operation that searches for the necessary MPEC updated files,
sorts them and then arranges and hour-by-hour (RA order) observing program list set up
exactly for your needs and equipment.

He has also installed links to required ancillary programs that you may or may not
currently have installed on your computers to facilitate the operation of this sorting
program.

Keith operates a private observatory, WWIN Observatory, in Cabot, Arkansas and is also
instrumental in the computer operations at Arkansas Sky Observatories.

Currently the MPEC Sort Application is able to download and sort to your specifications
the following circulars:


    AMORS


    UNUSUAL MINOR PLANETS


    PHAS


    ATENS and APOLLOS


    DISTANT MINOR PLANETS

and will always use the most recent updates of those objects as found on the monthly MPEC
updates.

Observers can select from the following parameters:

1) RA starting point to RA ending point for any given period (you choose the span of RA
that is best suited for your observing periods)

2) DEC limitations, both northern and southern hemispheres, allowing for you to restrict
objects below or near horizon points

3) magnitude limitations, based on your equipment and observing programs; select only
those down to a specific magnitude.

4) limits of minor planet category or categories.



This is a remarkably efficient and simple program to use and saves educators and
researches many hours of manually sorting target objects for each month; you will find
that you can maintain a very accurate listing of potential targets just for your
parameters that is refreshed each month.  One click if you are on line and the program
automatically retrieves all the data and begins sorting for YOUR specific requirements.

Clay
_____
Dr. P. Clay Sherrod
Arkansas Sky Observatories
MPC H45 - Petit Jean Mountain South
MPC H41 - Petit Jean Mountain
MPC H43 - Conway West
http://www.arksky.org/

[lindendave]

Let me be one of the first to let everyone know just how beneficial this application is. I was fortunate enough to be one of the early users of Keith's application and it truly has saved me numerous hours building observing lists for my NEO research.

This has to be one of the best applications to hit the astronomy scene in a long time!

[keiffer6]

Thanks for the kind words. I hope others find the application as useful as both of you have. It is my pleaseure to give something back to the astronomical community.