[AstroPy] Is There an AstroCalc Module?

[Wayne Watson]

Before I install it, is there a document that summarizes what's in it? 
That is, gives a brief summary of each function?

Russell Owen wrote:
> The RO package is pure python so I only have a source code version 
> available. That is the one you want.
>
> I suggest you use "easy_install" or "pip" to install it.
>
> You can also install it by downloading it and running "setup.py 
> install" in the main directory--though it may require setuptools. Once 
> you have installed setuptools you have "easy_install" so you might as 
> well use that. (pip also requires setuptools -- nearly any sort of 
> installer does these days).
>
> Or if you wish to avoid setuptools then you can download the source 
> and copy or move the "RO" directory (<package root>/python/RO) into 
> your site-packages directory. I don't know where site-packages is on 
> Windows.
>
> Regards,
>
> -- Russell
>
> On Dec 28, 2009, at 10:34 AM, Wayne Watson wrote:
>
>> Hi, I'm on Python 2.5, Windows. Are any of the downloads on the link 
>> applicable to my situation? If I use it, where under c:/Python25 do I 
>> put it? Lib?
>>
>> Russell Owen wrote:
>>> There is various software that will perform astronomical 
>>> transformations of time and position. I do not know what exists for 
>>> projections (other than any projections that might exist in 
>>> matplotlib).
>>>
>>> One option is RO.Astro 
>>> <http://pypi.python.org/pypi?:action=display&name=RO>, which I 
>>> wrote. The routines are easy to use (see documentation in doc 
>>> strings) and the coordinate transformations are performed to high 
>>> accuracy. It is pure python (though it uses numpy) so it is trivial 
>>> to install and fully cross-platform, but not as fast as some other 
>>> options.
>>>
>>> Overview:
>>> RO.Sph: handles computations in spherical coordinates (e.g. RA/Dec 
>>> to Az/Alt). RO.Sph.coordConv is the "do it all" routine. It also has 
>>> angSideAng, a routine to handle spherical geometry computations, and 
>>> routines to convert between spherical and cartesian coordinates.
>>> RO.Cnv: handles computations in cartesian coordinates; this is where 
>>> most of the real computations are performed
>>> RO.Tm: handles various time computations
>>>
>>>
>>> -- Russell
>>>
>>> On Dec 28, 2009, at 8:40 AM, Wayne Watson wrote:
>>>
>>>> See Subject. I'm looking for something like the methods described in
>>>> Meeus' Astro Formulae for Calculators. Something too that provides
>>>> rotation matrices,  calculations to find sidereal time, and  az
>>>> equal-distance projections.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>>          Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
>>
>>            (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
>>             Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 
>> feet                             "... humans'innate skills with 
>> numbers isn't much
>>             better than that of rats and 
>> dolphins."                       -- Stanislas Dehaene, 
>> neurosurgeon                    Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
>>
>
>

-- 
           Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)

             (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
              Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet  
                
              "We're leaving you with a world that runs like
               clockwork. And the clock it runs like is a cuckoo
               clock." -- Frank Oppenheimer, physicist
 
                    Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>