starslocated

Starslocated is a term used in astronomy and software development to describe the process or capability of determining the precise celestial coordinates of stars within an image or field of view. In practice, it encompasses astrometric calibration, pattern recognition, and catalog matching to convert image coordinates into right ascension and declination.

The task relies on reference star catalogs such as Gaia, Hipparcos, and Tycho-2, and employs methods like plate solving—matching observed star patterns to catalogs—and pattern-based recognition. Modern approaches may also incorporate machine learning to improve robustness in crowded or distorted fields. The goal is to produce a World Coordinate System (WCS) mapping that allows every detected star to be placed on the celestial sphere.

Software tools commonly implement starslocated capabilities. Astrometry.net provides automated plate solving to identify the sky coverage of an image. Astronomical software packages such as Astropy offer WCS utilities for coordinate transformation and integration with broader data analysis workflows. Other imaging and telescope control systems incorporate similar astrometric calibration routines as part of automated pointing and tracking.

Applications of starslocated include automated telescope pointing and tracking, calibration of astronomical images, automated sky surveys, and archival data processing. While “starslocated” is not a universally standardized term, it is often used informally to describe the broader set of procedures and tools that determine star positions within imagery, typically overlapping with established concepts like plate solving and astrometric calibration.