Proposal Planning Toolkit: Precess Help

This is a help page specific to using Precess online. For more information, please consult the CIAO Precess help page here.

Input Coordinates

The user may enter the input coordinates or resolve a Target Name using the Resolve Name button.

Coordinate System

Select the coordinate system to convert from/to. Precess supports the following choices: Note about Ecliptic: Precess does not allow conversions from one Ecliptic system to another Ecliptic system. The GUI therefore will allow Ecliptic to be in either the Input list or the Output list, but not both at the same time.

Equinox

Specify the epoch. This is enabled only if the selected Coordinate System is Equatorial(Xxxxx) or Ecliptic(Bxxxx).

Coordinates

Input a set of coordinates in the format of the selected coordinate system or resolve a target name which will set the RA/Dec coordinates in J2000. The supported coordinate ranges are listed below.

Target Name

Enter a valid target name and click the Resolve Name button. This will query the catalog[s] specified in the Name Resolver field. If one, and only one entry is found, the coordinates will be displayed in J2000. If no entry is found or more than one entry is retrieved, the user will be asked to modify the Target Name and try again.

Name Resolver

Name of the service or services that will be used to resolve the target name when the Resolve Name button is pressed. The services will be chosen in the specified order. For example, "NED/SIMBAD" will first search for the target name in NED and then, if the name was not found, in SIMBAD.

Constellation Output

The output is the constellation in which the given input position lies. Positions are precessed to B1875.0 and compared with the Delporte (1935) constellation definitions.

Output Format

The output is provided in two formats.

10.12.3.1 Thursday, February 08, 2024
The Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) is operated for NASA by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.   Email: cxchelp@cfa.harvard.edu Smithsonian Institution, Copyright © 1998-. All rights reserved.