The IVOA is still fully operational. The web site is working for me…

With regard to ASCOM and SAMP: My understading is that ASCOM is a hardware
protocol which allows standarized control of hardware devices. SAMP
is a protocol for interfacing programs with one another. I.e., an image
display program can get images from SkyView (which is primarily an image
generation program.).

At one time SAMP enabled programs could interface with SkyView accessed
through our web pages, but unfortunately that become unavailable when SkyView
moved to HTTPS. Users of SkyView-in-a-Jar can still send images to
SAMP enabled programs from SkyView.

This position is observable in principle from anywhere on the Earth except Antarctica.
If you live in the continental US, then every day it passes quite high in the sky. Right now it
would be highest in the sky at about midnight. It will pass (Lat-21.07) degrees south of directly
overhead, where Lat is your latitude. Each night it this will happen about four minutes earlier, so that
over the course of a year it will be uniformly spaced over the 24 hour day.

Regards,
Tom McGlynn

I’m afraid we cannot help with this sort of transient localized phenomenon. You might try the http://heavens-above.com/ site, or even just check in the local news if something has been going on in that area.

Tess

Is IVOA still active? The site http://www.ivoa.net no longer seems to be active.

Thank you, Mark

Hello Lisa,
I apologize that we have not gotten back to you sooner.

On the SkyView Query Page enter the coordinates in the “Coordinates or Source” box using the following format: 5 41 34.03,-1 56 16.8

Then select the DSS or other surveys in the “DSS: Optical” survey box.
Then click the “Submit” button at the top of the form.

An image will be displayed centered on your coordinates.

I took a look at the resulting images and do not see a star right at the center. If you see that there is a typo in the coordinates you were given let me know and I can convert them to the SkyView format.

If you have further questions let me know.

We are sorry for your loss.

Sincerely,
Laura
SkyView

Hello,

I apologize that we have not gotten back to you sooner.

There are several resources for getting information about objects at or near your coordinates.
The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database is a good place to start: https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/?q=nearposn
Enter your coordinates in the RA and DEC areas as: 13 03 10.18 and -43 59 15.94
You will get a list of nearby sources with the closest at the top. If you click on the name in the Name Column you will be given more information about the source.

Another resource is SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-fcoo. Enter your coordinates as 13:03:10.18-43:59:15.94

I hope this information is helpful.

Laura
SkyView