[sac-forum] Messier 2 Declination Error

From: "AJ Crayon" <acrayon@xxxxxxx>
To: "SAC Forum" <sac-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "AZ Observing" <AZ-Observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "EVAC Forum" <evac@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:46:37 -0700

Has anyone had problems locating M2 with digital setting circles or a GoTo 
system?  This involves any of the electronic systems.

I have run across declination errors with this entry on the XP4 Flash Sky 
Commander digital setting circles and on Orions SynScan GoTo system.  Reason is 
because the declination is -0° 49' and the way computer hardware handles -0.  
Turns out most computers convert -0 to +0 resulting in incorrect calculations.

I corrected my version of XP4 with an update the the Messier catalog when this 
was discovered some time ago.  I have just found the problem in the SynScan 
system and notified Orion this morning.

So, I ask, has anyone else had problems with their system finding M2?

AJ Crayon
Phoenix, AZ

Follow-Ups:

[sac-forum] Re: Messier 2 Declination Error
From: Bob Christ

[sac-forum] Messier 2 Declination Error

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