docs: def load_pointings(self):
          """Load some pointings"""
          import os,re,ephem
          import tkFileDialog,tkMessageBox
          filename=tkFileDialog.askopenfilename()
  	if filename is None:
  	    return 
          f=open(filename)
          lines=f.readlines()
  	f.close()
  	points=[]
  	if lines[0][0:5]=="<?xml":
  	    ### assume astrores format
  	    ### with <DATA at start of 'data' segment
  	    for i in range(len(lines)):
  	        if lines[i][0:5]=='<DATA':
  		    break
  	    for j in range(i+5,len(lines)):
  	        if lines[j][0:2]=="]]":
  		    break
  	        vs=lines[j].split('|')
  		points.append(vs)
          elif lines[0][0:5]=='index':
  	    ### Palomar Format
  	    ### OK.. ID/NAME/RA /DEC format
  	    for line in lines:
  	        if line[0]=='!' or line[0:5]=='index':
  		    # index is a header line for Palomar 
  		    continue
  	        d = line.split()
  	        if len(d)!=9:
  	            import sys
  	            sys.stderr.write("Don't understand pointing format\n%s\n" %( line))
  	            continue
  	        ras="%s:%s:%s" % ( d[2],d[3],d[4])
  	        decs="%s:%s:%s" % ( d[5],d[6],d[7])
  	        points.append((d[1].strip(),ras,decs))
          elif lines[0][0:5]=="#SSIM":
  	    ### Survey Simulator format
  	    for line in lines[1:]:
  		d = line.split()
  		points.append((d[8],d[2],d[3]))
          else:
  	    ### try name/ ra /dec / epoch
  	    for line in lines:
                  d=line.split()
  	        if len(d)!=4:
                      if len(d)!=8:
  	               import sys
  	               sys.stderr.write("Don't understand pointing format\n%s\n" %( line))
  	               continue
  	            line = "%s %s:%s:%s %s:%s:%s %s" % (d[0],d[1],d[2],d[3],d[4],d[5],d[6],d[7] )
  		    d=line.split()
   	        import math
                  f=d[1].count(":")
  	        if ( f > 0 ) :
  		    points.append((d[0],d[1],d[2]))
  	        else:
  		    points.append(('',math.radians(float(d[1])),math.radians(float(d[2]))))
  
          self.plot_points_list(points)
  	return