1 NEWS: NAOS -- Finding Guide Stars for use with NAOMI on the WHT


  The NAOMI adaptive optics system is now available for scheduled observing
  on the William Hershell Telescope (WHT) on La Palma.  Observations made
  with the NAOMI system usually require a guide star located close to the
  target object being observed.  The NAOS package has been developed to
  assist in finding such guide stars.  You prepare a list of potential
  target objects and NAOS remotely searches a version of the USNO PMM
  astrometric catalogue to find suitable guide stars for these targets.

  You would usually use NAOS at your home institution prior to travelling
  to La Palma to observe with NAOMI.  NAOS is fully documented in the
  manual SUN/235.

  NAOS will be included on the Starlink CD-ROM to be released in the
  summer of 2001.  However, in order to make it available sooner and,
  in particular, to assist in the preparation of the proposals for the
  forthcoming PATT deadline (31 March 2001), copies can be retrieved from
  the Starlink Software Store.  Details are given below.

  If you have any queries about NAOS, or encounter any difficulty in using
  it, then please send an e-mail message to cursa@star.rl.ac.uk.


  A C Davenhall (acd@roe.ac.uk), 
  A J Longmore (ajl@roe.ac.uk),
  12 March 2001.

2 Obtaining NAOS

  NAOS can be retrieved from the Starlink Software Store.  Though it
  can be installed in your own file space it is recommended that it is
  installed in the standard Starlink directory tree, which will require
  the assistance of your site manager.  To obtain a copy from the
  Software Store go to URL:

     http://www.starlink.rl.ac.uk/cgi-store/storetop

  and follow the links `full list of available software' and `Applications
  and User Interfaces'.  Then click on the entry for `NAOS'.  NAOS requires
  version 6.2 of CURSA which is also available from the software store.

  Once NAOS is installed you make it available by typing the command:

    source /star/bin/naos/naos.csh

  If you have installed NAOS in a non-standard location then the `/star'
  directory should be replaced with wherever you have installed it.  You
  need to repeat this command every time that you log in, and you may want
  to put it in your .login file.

  If you have installed NAOS in a non-standard location then you may find
  that you need to edit the first line of each of the scripts naomiguidestars
  and naomiremote to access Perl correctly.  These scripts are in
  subdirectory:

   ..wherever you have installed NAOS../star/bin

  On Starlink systems Perl is usually kept in file:

   /star/Perl/bin/perl

2 Accessing the Documentation

  NAOS is documented in SUN/235.  The documentation will be available in
  the usual fashion with the copy of NAOS on the summer 2001 CD-ROM.  In
  the interim the documentation is included in the version of the package
  available from the software store.  Also, for convenience, a copy of the
  Web version is available at URL:

    http://www.roe.ac.uk/acdwww/sun235.htx/sun235.html

  It is also possible to retrieve a postscript copy by anonymous ftp from
  Edinburgh.  The details are as follows:

    ftp:        ftp.roe.ac.uk
    directory:  /pub/acd/misc
    file:       sun235.ps