NED Frequently Asked Questions -- NED Interface

NED Interface How can I get a permanent record of my search results? How do I get copies of the abstracts e-mailed to me? Is there a way to have the list defaults in NED query pages automatically cleared of options? We would like to automate access to NED using computer programs and scripts. Are there any issues with automation that we should be aware of? I have a list of thousands of objects which I'd like to run through NED. What is the easiest way to do this? Q.: How can I get a permanent record of my search results? A.: The method you use depends on how you access NED. 1) Any NED web page may be directly downloaded to your machine using your browser. 2) A search By Parameters will return a text file in a specified output format. Q.: How do I get copies of the abstracts e-mailed to me? A.: If you are accessing NED through the Web interface, you can download the abstracts or save them onto your machine via the "Save" option of your browser. Q.: When I use a NED Form with scrollable lists of options, the default is always preset to a particular option. This forces me to exclude that option each time I use that list. Is there a way to have the list defaults in NED query pages automatically cleared of options? A.: This is the default behavior of NED (and any other Web site) when it is accessed with Internet Explorer: IE always highlights the first entry of each list it displays. If you access NED using Netscape Navigator, Firefox, Safari, or most other Web browsers, the default action is to display lists with no selections chosen. Unfortunately, this is a feature of Internet Explorer that we cannot easily program around, but we are working toward a solution. Q.: We would like to automate access to NED using computer programs and scripts. Are there any issues with automation that we should be aware of? A.: Yes. NED's ability to support high volume/speed automated queries is limited. Please adhere to the NED Guidelines for Automated Queries. Thank you for your cooperation. Q.: I have a list of thousands of objects which I'd like to run through NED. What is the easiest way to do this? A.: There are at least three methods that you should consider. The NED Batch functionality is completely replaced and improved with more capabilities, by the following services: By Parameters Search Build Data Table from Input List By Name Build Data Table from Input List Near Name or Position Another option is to submit multiple URLs via "wget", "curl", or a similar download program designed to work with URLs. NED uses the HTTP "get" protocol whenever possible with query filters and options encoded as simple URL name/value pairs in the form "&name=value". In this case, you will have to substitute a plus sign "+" for a space, and the string "%2B" for a plus sign if either of these symbols appears in a name you submit. For example, the name "SDSS J122653.91+333057.6" becomes "SDSS+J122653.91%2B333057.6". Here are some other examples. 1) Retrieve basic data for Arp 220 and display it as a bar-separated ASCII table: http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/objsearch?objname=arp+220&extend=no&out_csys=Equatorial&out_equinox=J2000.0&of=ascii_bar 2) Search for objects within 1.0 arcmin of Arp 220, sort them by their distances from Arp 220, and display their basic data as a tab-separated ASCII table: http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/objsearch?search_type=Near+Name+Search&objname=arp+220&radius=1.0&out_csys=Equatorial&out_equinox=J2000.0&obj_sort=Distance+to+search+center&of=ascii_tab 3) Do the same 1.0-arcmin search, but from Arp 220's equatorial position for J2000.0, 15h34m57.1s, +23d30m11s: http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/objsearch?search_type=Near+Position+Search&in_csys=Equatorial&in_equinox=J2000.0&lon=233.73798d&lat=23.50319d&radius=1.0&out_csys=Equatorial&out_equinox=J2000.0&of=ascii_tab 4) Retrieve photometric data for Arp 220 as a text table with bar-separated fields: http://ned/cgi-bin/datasearch?objname=arp+220&meas_type=bot&ebars_spec=ebars&label_spec=no&x_spec=freq&y_spec=Fnu_jy&xr=-1&of=ascii_bar&search_type=Photometry Many URLs like these may be put into a file named, for example, "getNEDdata.001". "wget" can then retrieve NED's data with a command like: wget --continue --input-file=getNEDdata.001 --output-document=NEDdata.001 Note, too, that NED's data can be formatted as XML "Virtual Observatory" tables (VOTables). The first example URL above would return NED's data in XML format by substituting "&of=ascii_bar" with "&of=xml_main": http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/objsearch?objname=arp+220&extend=no&out_csys=Equatorial&out_equinox=J2000.0&of=xml_main Web-based Tools NED VO Services, Chapter 18 of The National Virtual Observatory: Tools and Techniques for Astronomical Research has more examples and detailed explanations for using NED's VO services. Please note that NED's ability to support high volume/speed automated queries is currently limited. We ask that you adhere to the NED Guidelines for Automated Queries. Thank you for your cooperation. Return to beginning of this page. Return to NED's FAQ Page. Back to "About NED". Back to the NED Feature List.

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