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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>DOCdb - about these pages</title> <base href="https://www.docdb.net/"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="css2.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="css-docdb.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="fav.ico"> <script type="text/javascript" src="stefan/jquery.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="js/show_hide.js"></script> </head> <body> <div id="container"> <div id="db_ph_header"> <p style="font-size:0.7em;">sponsored by <a href="http://www.psychohistorian.org/" title="Visit the ph homepage" target="_blank">psychohistorian.org</a></p> </div> <div id="db_banner"> <div style="width:50%; float:left;"> <h1 style="color:black; margin:5px 0 0 10px; font-size:2em;">DOCdb</h1> <p style="color:black; margin:10px 0 0 10px; font-size:1.1em; font-weight:bold;">Deep Sky Observer's Companion – the online database</p> </div> <div style="width:396px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"> </p><p class="user_line">Welcome, guest!</p><p class="user_line">If you've already registered, please <a title="Load your personal observing settings" href="login.php">log in</a>,</p><p class="user_line">or <a title="Set up a new observing profile" href="register.php">register</a> an observer profile for added functionality.</p> </div> </div> <div style="width:100%; height:8px; border-top:1px black solid;"></div> <div id="db_menu"> <ul><li><a href="index.php" title="DOCdb home page">home</a></li><li><a href="object_index.php" title="Find deep sky object data and descriptions">find ds objects</a></li><li><a href="observer_bios.php" title="Meet the deep sky observers and astrophotographers">people</a></li><li><a href="history.php" title="Historical material and electronic versions of old documents">historical</a></li><li><a href="tutorials.php" title="Observing tips and resources">tutorials</a></li><li><a href="links.php" title="Internet-based deep sky resources">links</a></li><li class="last"><a href="login.php" title="Log in">login</a></li> </ul> <div class="clear"></div> <ul><li class="current_menu">about</li><li><a href="constellation.php" title="Explore the constellations">constellations</a></li><li><a href="observing_sites.php" title="Where to observe">places</a></li><li><a href="astrophotography.php" title="Images of the deep sky">astrophotos</a></li><li><a href="tools.php" title="Useful online calculations">tools</a></li><li><a href="bibliography.php" title="For your reading list">bibliography</a></li><li class="last"><a href="register.php" title="Register your own observer's profile">register</a></li> </ul></div> <div id="gustav-div" style=" display:none "> <div style="width:470px; float:left; border-right:1px #E6E6E6 solid; "> <div style="width:100%; height:5px;"></div> <div style="width:70px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"><b>List</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:395px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"><i>log in to manage your observing lists</i></p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:70px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>browse</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:395px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"> </p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:70px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>position</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:395px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"> </p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:70px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>next</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:395px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"> </p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:70px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>options</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:395px; float:right;"> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">summary</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">rename</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">prune</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">trim</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">remove</p></div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">close</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">copy</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">combine</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">plan</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">bookmark</p></div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">load</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">new</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">delete</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">marathon</p></div> <div style="width:78px; float:left;"><p class="user_line">favourite!</p></div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div style="width:470px; float:right;"> <div style="width:100%; height:5px;"></div> <div style="width:92px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"><b>Full database</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:375px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line" title="Browse the complete DOCdb database">Entire <a href="object_index.php">DOCdb database</a> of 18,816 objects.</p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:92px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>browse</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:375px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"><a style="display:inline;" title="Show first object in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m0"><img alt="" src="img/icons/lend.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Skip 1,000 objects back in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m-99"><img alt="" src="img/icons/lll.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Skip 10 objects backward" href="navigate.php?d=m-10"><img alt="" src="img/icons/ll.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Show previous object in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m-1"><img alt="" src="img/icons/l.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Show a random object in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=mr"><img alt="" src="img/icons/random.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Show next object in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m1"><img alt="" src="img/icons/r.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Skip 10 objects forward in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m10"><img alt="" src="img/icons/rr.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Skip 1,000 objects forward in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m99"><img alt="" src="img/icons/rrr.png"></a><a style="display:inline;" title="Show last object in DOCdb" href="navigate.php?d=m100"><img alt="" src="img/icons/rend.png"></a> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:92px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>position</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:375px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"><a title="Show object" href="show_object.php?id=seven_sisters_of_the_pole">Seven Sisters of the Pole</a> (1 of 18,816)</p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:92px; float:left;"> <p class="user_line" style="margin:0;"> <b>next</b>:</p> </div> <div style="width:375px; float:right;"> <p class="user_line"><a title="Next open cluster" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=toc">oc</a> <a title="Next globular cluster" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tgc">gc</a> <a title="Next planetary nebula" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tpn">pln</a> <a title="Next bright nebula" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tbn">bn</a> <a title="Next dark nebula" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tdn">dn</a> <a title="Next galaxy" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tgx">gx</a> <a title="Next galaxy cluster" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=txc">gxcl</a> <a title="Next asterism" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tas">ast</a> <a title="Next alias" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tal">aka</a> <a title="Next lost object" href="find_next_in_main.php?type=tqq">lost</a></p> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div style="width:100%; height:3px;"></div><div style="width:100%; height:6px; border-top:1px black solid;"></div> </div> <div id="db_breadcrumb"> <div style="width:120px; float:right"><p class="user_line"><a id="gussie" title="Show list and database browsing options" style="font-variant:small-caps" href="toggle_browse.php">show browsing</a></p></div> <ul> <li class="first">Navigation</li> <li>about</li> </ul> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div id="article_main_home"> <div class="clearh"></div> <div class="db_four_column_left"> <h1>About DOCdb – a creative-commons deep sky database</h1> <p>DOCdb – Deep Sky Observer's Companion and database – is an online deep sky repository: a collection of web pages about deep sky observing.</p> <p>In addition to news items, feature articles, historical resources and tutorials, DOCdb provides a database of deep sky object catalogue information, archival and user-contributed descriptions, sketches, and photographs.</p> <p>DOCdb is a communal effort and will always be free to use (although some of the content is protected by various copyright conditions as stipulated by the individual contributors).</p> </div> <div class="db_two_column_right"> <h1>Contributors</h1> <p>A special word of thanks to the following for their help:</p> <p class="small_slim">Christian Hettlage, Francois Paul, Carol Botha, Gustav Paul, Martin Lyons, Hans van der Merwe, Bertus Kock, Magda Streicher, <span class="amp">&</span> Richard Ford.</p> <div class="clearh"></div> <p><span style="float:right;" class="dateline">2010 July 27</span></p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="clearh_line1_dim_slim"></div> <h1 id="help_docdb">Keen to help?</h1> <p>Your contributions are both welcome and much-needed. By sharing your deep sky descriptions, sketches & observing journals you're helping increase DOCdb's usefulness to the observing community. Other ways you could participate include:</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;research biographical profiles of historical deep sky observers;</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;digitize sketches published in old journals, monographs, etc.;</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;create electronic versions of important deep sky publications (scan/digitize articles, OCR, re-type, check);</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;prepare sketch blanks for various objects, from edited photos or published star charts;</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;find and collect published or unpublished photometric sequences of stars in open clusters (useful for limiting magnitude determination);</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;help revise new versions of, or create an Observer's Guide to, Barnard's dark nebulae, Gum nebulae, RCW nebulae, LMC and SMC charts, etc.; or</p> <p>&ensp;•&ensp;prepare data files in DOCdb-friendly format for stellar rings and chains as noted by Isserstedt, Uranova, Opik, Pismis, etc.</p> <div class="clearh"></div> <p>New feature articles & tutorials are always welcome, as are additions to the photo galleries.</p> <div id="contact_info" class="db_two_column_left"> <div class="clearh_line1_dim_slim"></div><div class="clearh"></div> <h1>Contact information</h1> <p class="small_slim">e-mail: auke<img src="img/icons/789.gif" border="0" width="20" height="16" alt="">psychohistorian.org<br />Skype: psychohistorian<br />mobile: +27(0)74.100.7237</p> <p class="small_slim">Get in touch via the <a href="db_contact.php">Contact Page</a>.</p> </div> <div class="db_four_column_right"> <div class="clearh_line1_dim_slim"></div><div class="clearh"></div> <h1>Web hosting</h1> <p>The DOCdb webspace is hosted on the psychohistorian.org server and is owned and maintained by Auke Slotegraaf, an enthusiastic deep sky observer & astronomy popularizer from South Africa.</p> </div>  </div>  <div id="article_right"> <div class="focus"> <h2>The Bug Report</h2> <div class="clearh"></div> <p>DOCdb is still in beta-release.</p> <div class="clearh"></div> <p>Known issues, feature requests, and updates on bug fixes, are here:</p> <p class="tiny"><a title="Rumour control" href="bug_report.php">> Bug Report</a></p> </div>  <div class="focus"> <h2>Feedback</h2> <div class="clearh"></div> <p>Found a bug? Have a comment or suggestion to improve DOCdb? Please let us know!</p> <div class="clearh"></div> <p class="tiny"><a href="db_contact.php">> Contact us</a></p> </div> <div class="focus"> <h2>Help!</h2> <div class="clearh"></div> <p>DOCdb is a free online resource that exists to promote deep sky observing.</p> <div class="clearh"></div> <p>You could help by sharing your observations, writing an article, digitizing and proof-reading historical material, and more.</p> <div class="clearh"></div> <p class="tiny"><a href="about.php#help_docdb">> Find out more</a></p> </div> </div>  <div class="clear1"></div> <div class="clear1"></div> <div id="content_footer">  <p class="title1">Elsewhere in DOCdb</p> <ul> <li><a href="index.php" title="Home page">home</a></li> <li><a href="object_index.php" title="Deep sky object descriptions">NGC, IC & more</a></li> <li><a href="tutorials.php" title="Observing tips and resources">tutorials</a></li> <li><a href="observer_bios.php" title="Meet the deep sky observers">observers</a></li> <li><a href="history/biography.php" title="Profiles of historical observers">biographies</a></li> <li><a href="news_archives.php" title="All news stories">news archives</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="about.php" title="about this website">about DOCdb</a></li> </ul> <div class="clear"></div> <ul> <li><a href="db_contact.php" title="Getting in touch">contact</a></li> <li><a href="constellation.php" title="Explore the constellations">constellations</a></li> <li><a href="tutorials.php#star_charts" title="Free star maps to download">star charts</a></li> <li><a href="observing_sites.php" title="Where to observe">sites</a></li> <li><a href="history/texts.php" title="Digitized versions of historical articles">e-texts</a></li>  <li><a href="links.php" title="deep sky on the web">links</a></li>  <li class="last"> </li> </ul> <div class="clear"></div> <ul> <li><a href="about.php#help_docdb" title="Help build DOCdb">help us!</a></li> <li><a href="history.php" title="Historical material of interest to us deep sky types">history</a></li> <li><a href="tutorials.php#equipment" title="Deep sky gear">equipment</a></li> <li><a href="astrophotography.php" title="Imagers of the deep sky">astrophotos</a></li> <li><a href="history/sketches.php" title="Historical sketches of deep sky objects">sketches</a></li> <li><a href="tools.php" title="A bevy of handy routines">tools</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="http://www.psychohistorian.org/" target="_blank" title="sponsor's home page">psychohistorian</a></li> </ul> </div>  <div class="clearh_line1"></div><div class="clearh"></div> <p class="copy">Everything on DOCdb.net is © 2004-2010 by Auke Slotegraaf, unless stated otherwise or if you can prove you have divine permission to use it. Before using material published here, please consult the <a class="bodycopy" rel="license" target="_blank" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/za/">Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.5 License</a>. Some material on DOCdb is copyright the individual authors. If in doubt, don't reproduce. And that goes for having children, too. Please note that the recommended browser for DOCdb is Firefox 3.x. You may also get good results with K-Meleon. Good luck if you're using IE. A successful experience with other browsers, including Opera and Safari, may vary.</p> <div class="clearh_line1_dim"></div> <div class="clearh"></div> </div>  </body> </html>