Sky Portal App and Celestron Scope

[Raymond Locke]

The Sky Portal App that I use on my phone sometimes designates stars by the "HRxxx" name.  But the catalogs in my NexStar hand control only uses the CCD,Abell,NGC, Messier,IC and Caldwell catalogs.  How can I get the Celestron to find the "HRxxx" stars?

Has anyone else had this problem?

[Jonathan Sabin]

That looks like Sky Safari Pro -- which with the addition of the Skyfi option, will allow you to connect to most telescopes. (My CPC 1100 is about 12 years old, and my Meade LX200 was even older - - and there were no 'age' issues connecting to either.)

Once you've connected your scope, your phone, with the app running, becomes your controller and you can "Go To" any object you select, regardless of how it's labeled in the app.

In fact, you don't even have to point - - the latest version allows you to talk to it; click on the microphone icon and say "Go to Saturn" (or whatever), and the scope will point to it.

The Skyfi may not be the most inexpensive tool in your kit, but it is quite cool.

https://skysafariastronomy.com/skyfi-3-professional-astronomy-telescope-control.html

[Wolf Schutze]

Alternative designations of HR999

Henry Draper Catalogue   HD20644
SAO Catalogue   SAO75871
Hipparcos Catalogue   HIP15549
Durchmusterung Catalogue   BD+28 516
FK5 Catalogue   2234

[Raymond Locke]

Thanks for the idea.  But the app that I am using is the regualr Sky Portal (free) App on my phone.  I dont want to pay 199$ for sky safari pro.

I've been using the hand control that came with my Celetron Evolution 9.25 but I want to try and use my Sky Portal App.  I wi-fi ed it the other day, and it almost worked!  I got the app to connect and align but the arrows on my phone wouldnt move the scope.  I've got to work that out.

[Wolf Schutze]

I use Sky Safari and it links with Celestron hardware.

https://skysafariastronomy.com/skysafari-6-professional-astronomy-telescope-control-software-for-ios.html

Wolf.