Go To Coordinates

The Go To Coordinates command has a dual purpose: it loads the precise coordinates of the Image Cursor and sends the Image Cursor to precise coordinates. This window remains on top while you adjust other windows and can save the displayed in a history list. Therefore, it can be used to send the cursor to the same coordinates multiple times in different Image Windows or in a different Mira session. To send the Image Cursor to specific coordinates entered manually (like from a catalog), enter the coordinates and click Go >>.

The Go To Coordinates window works with the top-most Image Window, it is useful for transferring exact Image Cursor coordinates from one Image Window to another. For example, use the Load >> command on the image, and then bring a different Image Window to the top and use Go >> command on the new window.

Open the Go To Coordinates dialog open from the Image Window > Coordinates menu or using the Ctrl+G key on the top-most Image Window. This command is also available from the Cursor submenu of the Image Context Menu.

Go To Coordinates Properties
[Load >>]	Loads the Image Cursor coordinate from the current image in the top-most Image Window.
[Go >>]	Sends the Image Cursor of the top-most Image Window to the listed coordinates.
Column, Row RA, Dec	Enter the coordinates manually or load them from the image. The values are interpreted settings from theWorld Coordinates checkbox and WCS selector. If [Load>>] is clicked, these fields are loaded with the coordinates of the Image Cursor. The format for manually entering world coordinates is described below. The HMS,DMS coordinates must be separated by a semicolon (;), like 255.5 ; 608.25 or 7h 18.8m ; -24 57 00.
RA Column	Enter the coordinate manually or load it from the image. The value is interpreted using settings from the World Coordinates checkbox and WCS selector. If [Load >>] is clicked, this field is loaded with the x coordinate of the Image Cursor. The format for manually entering world coordinates is described below..
Dec Row	Enter the coordinate manually or load it from the image. The value is interpreted using settings from the World Coordinates checkbox and WCS selector. If [Load >>] is clicked, this field is loaded with the y coordinate of the Image Cursor. The format for manually entering world coordinates is described below.
World Coordinates	Check this box to either load equatorial world coordinates from the image or send the cursor to the world coordinates in the coordinate fields. If not checked, the ordinary column and row coordinates are used. This is specified using the WCS selector.
WCS:	This specifies the type of equatorial coordinates to use. There are two choices of world coordinates: HMS, DMS are Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (Dec) expressed in Hours, Minutes, and Seconds, and Declination expressed in Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds. This options requires the image to have a World Coordinate System calibration. Deg, Deg are Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (Dec), both expressed in units of decimal degrees. This requires the image to have a World Coordinate System calibration.
Zoom	This list selects the zoom factor for displaying the image after clicking [Go >>].

Coordinate Format

The cursor position may be specified in either pixel coordinates column,row or world coordinates in units of HMS,DMS or degrees,degrees. Coordinates may be entered into the coordinate fields manually by pasting or by typing the values directly, or entered from the image using the [Load >>] button. Two pages are provided for expressing coordinates independently or together; these are named X and Y and X or Y.

The rules for entering coordinates are simple:

When using the HMS,DMS system on the X and Y page, the RA and DEC values must be separated by a semicolon (;).
The individual components of HMS,DMS coordinates may be separated using a space, comma, or letters for hours, minutes, seconds, or degrees as listed in the table at the bottom of this topic.

The cursor coordinate may be specified in either world coordinates or pixel coordinates according to the state of the World Coordinates checkbox. In addition, two formats are supported for expressing world coordinates HMS,DMS and Degrees,Degrees.

Uncheck the World Coordinate box to use Pixel Coordinates specified in (column,row) measure.
Check the World Coordinate box to use World Coordinates specified in an angular coordinate system of degrees, like (RA, Dec) and (longitude, latitude).

For World Coordinates, select the WCS Mode as HMS,DMS or Degrees,Degrees.
When [Go >>] is clicked, the image cursor is moved to the specified images coordinates and the image is scrolled and zoomed to bring the target to the center of the window. The Zoom setting controls the zoom factor used to center the image when using the [Go >>] button.

NOTE: When loading previous coordinates from the history list, be sure the World Coordinates checkbox and WCS selection are set correctly.

The table below shows several examples of how to specify RA and DEC when WCS is selected as HMS,DMS.

Right Ascension (RA)

Declination (DEC)

7 18.8

7 18 48

7 18 48.05

7h 18m 48.05s

7h18m48.05

7:18:48.000

7.313333

-24 57 00

-24 57

-24 57.614

-24.95

-24:57:00

-24d57m0.448s

-24d 57m

Examples

Examples of all 6 combinations of World Coordinates and WCS units are shown below. Note that the characters h, m, s, and d are not required for RA and DEC in HMS,DMS format.

Coordinate Format

Examples

Related Topics