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The NSV (New Catalog of Suspected Variables) is mostly of interest to variable star observers. It lists over 14,000 stars that someone has thought might be a variable, but which haven't been studied well enough to be sure of the matter. Double stars are designated by double star catalog and number, for instance ADS (Aitken Double Star) or Struve number. When you select the "Double Star" option, a list of over 130 double star catalogs (all named after their discoverers) is shown. The "Supernova" option looks for supernovae that have occurred in other galaxies. Over 1000 have been observed; the first was in our neighboring galaxy, M-31 in Andromeda. Apart from that supernova and one in the Large Magellanic Cloud in 1987, no supernova outside our galaxy has been bright enough to be visible to the unaided eye. Supernovae are designated by a year and a letter (e.g. 1993J or 1885A). The "Durchmusterung" option provides a way to find stars in the four catalogs of the DM Catalog. These are known as the Bonner Durchmusterung (BD), which covers stars in the northern half of the sky; the Sudentliche Durchmusterung (SD), which covers stars between declinations -1 and -23 degrees; the Cordoba Durchmusterung (CD), which covers declinations -22 to -90; and the Cape Photographic Durchmusterung (CP), which covers -18 to -90. You'll notice that these catalogs overlap in places. The designation consists of the catalog abbreviation (BD, SD, CD, and CP), followed by the zone number, followed by the star number. For example: BD +32 724 CP -67 1233 In the "Hipparcos" option enter an Hipparcos catalog number to recenter on that object. 5b: Finding galaxies The "Galaxy" option in the "Go to" menu provides ways to find both galaxies and clusters of galaxies. The menu appears as: PGC Uppsala MCG ESO/Uppsala CGCG Markarian Abell Cluster Zwicky Cluster Common Name Hickson
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