Information on the Saguaro Astronomy Club Database version 7.43

	dated June 24, 2006 

        stevecoe@ngcic.org


This club project started many years ago, when we wanted a listing
of the brightest deep sky objects on our computers.  Thinking it
would be an easy task, here we are nearly 25 years later, still 
maintaining and updating a much larger listing of information
about what to observe at the telescope.  How far we have come
from the list of objects from Burnham's Celestial Handbook, all
typed in on my Apple II+.  Time flies.  As always, if you find an
error, please let us know.

This ZIP file contains five text files:

This README.TXT file.

SACDOC.TXT is the documentation for the SAC database, there
is much information here on the data fields and what the data means.
Please spend some time reading this info before trying to utilize the 
database, it will help you to use this data effectively.

REVHIST.TXT is the revision history, a short file about the various
releases of the SAC database.

POTPORRI.TXT is a set of information about a wide variety of
astronomical phenomena from white dwarf stars, red stars and
meteor showers.  These are useful files, but they did not fit the
information style of the main database.

SAC743.XLS is version 7.43 of the SAC data in as an Excel
data spreadsheet.  There are lots of possible ways to search
and sort the data in this popular spreadsheet.

SAC743_QCQ.TXT is version 7.43 of the Saguaro Astronomy Club
database in quote, comma, quote delimited form.  Any modern
database manager or spreadsheet will import the data in this form.
I contains information on over 10,000 deepsky objects.

SAC743_FENCE.TXT is verion 7.43 of the SAC data as a text
file that has vertical bars between the fields.  You can search
and sort the data with a simple text editor.

Much time and effort was spent to update the data with information
available on the WWW.NGCIC.ORG Web site.  Thanks to Bob Erdmann
for managing the site and providing this valuable resource.  Both
Wolfgang Steineke and Dr. Harold Corwin have many hours of
searching for, and correcting, errors in the NGC.  Their work is
reflected in this release of the SAC database.  A small fraction of
the number of objects still persist as NONEXISTENT, compared 
to the beginnings of this database.  Brian Skiff of Lowell Obs. has 
also been a constant help with a variety of information about 
these deep sky objects.  Stephen Michael Schimpf spent much time
with the NOTES field, finding errors and trying to make the 
data more consistent. 

Thank you to the skill, knowledge and expertise of all who helped
the Saguaro Astronomy Club create an excellent listing of what
to observe in the deep sky.