Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Wed, 02/05/2014 - 14:27
It'd be great if we could have the option to only plot to the chart limit within (say) half the chart size of the variable. I believe some of the old (d) charts did this. If you're observing a 16th mag variable, you want nearby comp and field stars of course, but you don't necessarily want the entire chart populated with all stars down to the chart limit! Maybe the 'outer' stars could only go down to 2 mags above the chart limit?
So, for a (d) chart to 14.5m and of a 1 degree field, all stars to 14.5m would be plotted within 15' radius of the var, but outside that area, only stars to 12.5m would appear.
I'm ok if this is an option in the plotter, but personally I wouldn't use it. I remember those very old charts, with a high density of stars in the middle. They were quite irritating to use for a "star hopper" like myself. I really need the chart to look as much as the real sky as possible to facilitate locating the field conveniently.
Thanks,
Mike LMK
As a 100% starhopper too, I'd say that all those faint stars - that possibly you can't see anyway, because you might be starhopping with a low power - actually confuse you. With stars whose fields you know intimately (for me this would be, say, VX Cas, YZ Cep etc) the plethora of stars isn't a problem.
My 'mini-gripe' was more with the actual plotting of charts than using the charts themselves. Not really a gripe at all, but I have to call it something!