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SIPS v3.8.1 makes distinguishing between already known variable
stars and possibly new (yet undiscovered) ones much easier. Variable
stars are typically searched using the pane showing a chart of
Variability Index for each detected star within the field of view
(such index can be either the RMS of the series over observing time,
Variability Detection Index or a result of a neural network, trained
to distinguish variable star light curve shape).
At the same time the SIPS Photometry tool can work with Field
Description, which allows storing of already known variable stars
together with their comparison and check stars for very fast
processing of newly observed series.
Updated Variability Detection Index pane displays already known
stars within the chart with different colors, depending on the star
role in the Field Description. This feature immediately highlights
which star is already included into Field Description (and thus is a
known variable) and which is not known to be variable yet.
Hint: As individual star roles are displayed in their respective
colors, this feature can show also possible high Variability index of
some used comparison or check stars. The highlighting of respective role in the Variability Detection
Index chart uses colors used elsewhere in the Photometry tool (rings
in images, points in the Light curve chart). However some user may
suffer from lowered ability to distinguish colors, particularly the
red and green used for VAR and CMP stars by default. To allow such
user choosing colors more easily distinguished, the Set Colors dialog
box was introduced to allow definition of all used colors (and
possibly to define only shades of gray). Defined colors are used not
only in the Variability Detection Index chart, but also on images,
Light curve panes etc.
Bug fixes
SIPS v3.5 significantly modified the way matched catalog stars
are overlaid on the image. But a small bug caused the algorithm
expected the wider side of the image is always in the direction of
the Right Ascension. When this was not the case (e.g. camera was
rotated so the longer side of the sensor was in the direction of
Declination), only cropped catalog overlay was loaded.
Please note the image was still successfully matched and
coordinates of every star were calculated, only the matching
catalog stars were not determined for stars outside the image
center square area.
SIPS v3.8.1 fixes this problem and catalog overlay is always
loaded for the whole image area regardless of the image
orientation.
SIPS is a freeware and can be downloaded from the Download section of this web site.
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