AMPLE (Adaptable  Minor  Planet  Ephemerides)  is  integrated 
software package to deal with  a  number  of  problems  concerning 
minor planets with the aid of IBM-type personal computer. 

     Among these problems are the following:

   - obtaining selections of orbital elements  and/or  photometric 
parameters  of  minor   planets   in   conformity   with   imposed 
restrictions and their  sorting;  drawing  frequency  distribution 
graphs (histograms) and plots of scattering  elements in  two-  or 
tree-dimensional phase space for found selections; 
   -  ephemeris  computations  in   various   coordinate   systems  
(spherical, rectangular), referred to different  main  planes  and  
centers; 
   -  comparison  of  observed  positions   with   computed   ones  
(computation of O - C); 
   - identification  of  minor  planets,  that  is  finding  among  
numbered minor planets that (or those)  whose  computed  positions   
are sufficiently close to the observed position of unknown object; 
   - compiling a list of all numbered minor planets which  can  be 
seen  at  certain  moment  within   specified   sky   region   and 
visualizing their mutual positions; 
   - drawing the picture of apparent motion of  minor  planets  in 
the sky with respect to fixed stars; 
   - visualization of orbital motion of minor planets.

     AMPLE is organized on the pattern of a yearbook. Yearly issue 
of the package is destined for operating basically within the time 
interval covering 16 months (from November of the  year  preceding 
to the title year of the package to February of the subsequent one 
(basic interval). 
     The package is  intended  for  dealing  with  numbered  minor 
planets included into data base  of   the   package.  The  current 
version of the package  contains  information  on 619150  numbered 
minor planets  as  September 9,  2022. 
     The package  computes  positions  of  minor  planets  by  the 
formulae of elliptic motion  using  sets  of  osculating  elements 
obtained in advance for  a  number  of  non-uniformly  distributed 
moments of time. The space between the moments  is  determined  in 
such a way as to assure precision  of  spherical  coordinates  not 
worse than  0.2  arcsec  within  120  day  intervals  centered  at 
oppositions of each planet which fall within basic  interval.  For 
minor planets with perihelion distances less  than  1.4  a.u.  the 
created net of osculating elements  assures  precision  not  worse 
than 0.2 arcsec during the whole basic interval. Beyond the limits 
of 120 day intervals the precision of computations is not  ensured 
for the ordinary  minor  planets.  The  computed  positions  whose 
precision  can  not  be  ensured within 0.2 arcsec are  marked  by 
asterisk. 

    In a number of the package sections, such as EPHEMERIDES, O-C, 
TRACKS, ORBITS  computations  can be  fulfilled for the moments of 
time lying outside of the basic interval. In  this  case positions 
are  computed  on  the  base  of the fundamental set of osculating 
elements for standard epoch lying within title year. 

     It is worth noting that the employing method of  computations 
enables the time-consuming problems to be effectively solved  with 
good precision  in  a  matter  of  seconds  (e.g.  the  opposition 
ephemerides for all minor  planets  at  oppositions  during  2023, 
covering 80 day intervals with 10 day step, can be calculated  for 
the time on the order of 1000 seconds). 
     In so doing AMPLE enables one to display only those lines  of 
ephemerides which  fit  combination  of  restrictions  imposed  on 
several ephemeris data.  

     As AMPLE is able to reproduce  virtually  any  table  of  the 
Ephemerides of Minor Planets, it may  be  considered  as  computer 
version of the EMP. 


ATTENTION
----------
     Beginning  from AMPLE-2007 it is also  introduced the special
option  to calculate  positions  of minor  planets  at  any moment
(within  time  interval  from  1800   till  2100)   by   numerical 
integration. Such option   exists  only  in  sections  EPHEMERIDES
and  O-C. 

     Starting from AMPLE-2008 a new  opportunity  is introduced in
AMPLE: performing the ephemeris  and O-C  calculations for objects
which are absent in the data base of the package. Such objects can
be described  by orbital  elements or  by initial  coordinates and
velocities. 

     New opportunity is also introduced in AMPLE-2009, Version 1.4:
calculation of value of  MOID (Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance)
between  orbit  of some body  (ordered  major or minor planet)  and 
orbits of any set of  selected minor  planets, and  other functions 
of elements.  

     Starting from Version 1.5  new opportunities are introduced in 
AMPLE:  calculation of criteria of Tisserand for orbits  of any set 
of minor planets with  respect  to the orbit  of some  ordered body 
(major or minor planet);  calculation  of photometric  diameters of 
any set of minor planets.

     New opportunity is also introduced in AMPLE-2011:  calculation
of  ephemeris  in  rectangular  coordinates  for  any set  of major 
planets  and  minor planets  with respect  to the  center  of  some 
ordered minor planet. 

     Starting   from  version  of AMPLE  for 2012 (Version 1.6) new 
opportunities are introduced (section "Elements"):all operations of
package section "Elements" can  be done for  objects from user text 
file (the list must contain object numbers singly in each line);
calculating near commensurability for any set of minor planets with 
respect to the orbit of some ordered body (major or minor planet);
calculating the time of perihelion passage  as  the nearest  to the 
epoch passage.

     Starting   from  version  of  AMPLE for 2013 (version 2.0) new 
opportunities are introduced (section "Elements"):      
calculating the times of  ascending  and  descending nodes passages  
nearest to the epoch of perihelion passage. 
   The orbital elements of all minor planets used in AMPLE for 2023
have been determined in IAA on the ground of available observations 
in the catalogue of observations of the Minor Planet Center.
 In so doing coordinates and masses of perturbing planets are taken 
from DE 440.


     AMPLE works under MS Windows, and the various possibilities of
the system are applicable when using the package.  The Help service
of AMPLE is developed with Microsoft HTML Help WorkShop, all topics
are represented as  html files.  AMPLE distributive is created with
program Nullsoft Scriptable Install system 2.46.


I. Installation of AMPLE package (Windows modification) 

 
     Access to the package is open via FTP for anonymous  user  at
the address: ftp://ftp.iaaras.ru/pub/WINAMPLE.  

1. Installation


    To install AMPLE package do following.

   1) Copy archive 2023 from WINAMPLE directory to hard disk
      of your computer. 

   2) Enter the  directory  "disk1" and run  program Setup.exe 

      Carefully read  the  information in  Setup  Windows,  answer
      questions. To continue, press "Next" button. To return  back
      to  previous  step,  press "Back"  button. To cancel  Setup, 
      press "Cancel" button.


     During  the installation  folder "AMPLE23" will be created in
     the TARGET folder. It contains following subfolders: 
     AmpleExe - program, help and DLL files;
     AmpleDat - data files and auxiliary information;
     AmpleDoc - documentation;
     AmpleTst - examples of input text files  for  IDENTIFICATION,
                O-C, PLATE and examples of configuration files;
     SetPar   - setpath.

     Also WORK directory will be created. 



  With possible questions or requests please apply at the address:

 Institute of Applied Astronomy, nab. Kutuzova, 10, St. Petersburg
 191187, Russia, or by FAX: +7-812-275-1119 or by e-mail: 
  mvasilev@iaaras.ru or  cya@iaaras.ru