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How To Create Realistic Skyscapes
Using CELESTIA?®
Written by: Peter Allen Rosetto
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Table of Contents
Overview
The following instructions will enable the user to create realistic skyscapes and time-lapsed sequences from the perspective of standing on any defined planet using the CELESTIA?® planetarium software. These views present extraordinary visual data that are fun to see and have educational merit. I have assembled two such skyscapes below but the user is encouraged to experiment on their own. The first example depicts Jupiter rising from Europa. It can be replicated using the basic CELESTIA?® program. The second is a sun set on Vulcan which the user will learn is actually a moon and not a planet in the 40 Eri A system. For this sequence to work, however, the STARTREK add-on must be downloaded from celestiamotherlode.net.
EXAMPLE 1: The Phases of Jupiter
1) Start CELESTIA?®
2) From the MAINMENU select Render->View Options?€¦
3) From the View Options: Show Panel uncheck Celestial Grid, Constellation Borders and Constellations. All other options should be selected for the best views
4) From the View Options: Orbits/Labels Panel select both the planet and moon ORBIT options. You may also choose to select their label options. This is optional and not required to complete this skyscape.
5) Press OKAY to close Panel.
6) Execute the following key sequence:
[RTN] europa [RTN] ?€?G?€™
CELESTIA?® will center-on and go to the moon ?€?Europa?€™. You will be approximately 6000 km away from its surface.
7) Increase Time-Speed to 1000x (repeatedly press ?€?L?€™ key).
Europa should now be spinning slowly counter-clockwise from the left to the right of the screen.
Using the LFT-RGT arrow keys, rotate the moon until the moon is rotating from the top down.
NOTE: Use the location labels to establish true vertical movement.
9) Now repeatedly press the [HOME] key and [DWN] arrow until the Distance from Europa is approximately 50m and its horizon is in the lower 2/3rds of the display.
10) Turn off the ?€?orbit?€™ and ?€?label?€™ options to clean up your view.
11) Now we wait for Jupiter to pass into our view. When its in the position that we like press ?€?Y?€™ to sync with Europa?€™s orbit. Jupiter will stop moving.
Your view should look similar to Figure 1 below:
Figure 1: Jupiter FULL
Now we are essentially standing still on Europa looking EAST. Jupiter will not move from our sight. This is because Europa is in a synchronous orbit with Jupiter meaning that one side always faces Jupiter. One must remember, we are on an alien world. You will also note that the background stars move vertically and not in the circular pattern that they follow here on Earth. This is due to the fact that we?€™re on its equator as well as that Europa?€™s axial tilt is far less than Earth?€™s.
EXAMPLE 2: Vulcan Sunset
NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE ALREADY LOADED THE STAR TREK ADD-ON BEFORE THE FOLLOWING WILL WORK.
1) Start CELESTIA?®
2) From the MAINMENU select Render->View Options?€¦
3) From the View Options: Show Panel uncheck Celestial Grid, Constellation Borders and Constellations. All other options should be selected for the best views
4) From the View Options: Orbits/Labels Panel select both the planet and moon ORBIT options. You may also choose to select their label options. This is optional and not required to complete this skyscape.
5) Execute the following key sequence:
[RTN] 40 Eri A [RTN] ?€?G?€™
CELESTIA?® will center-on and go to the star ?€™40 Eri A?€™.
[RTN] Vulcan [RTN] ?€?G?€™
CELESTIA?® will center-on and go to the moon ?€™Vulcan?€™.
6) Increase Time-Speed to 1000x (repeatedly press ?€?L?€™ key).
Vulcan should now be spinning slowly counter-clockwise from the left to the right of the screen.
7) Using the LFT-RGT arrow keys, rotate the moon until the moon is rotating from the top down.
NOTE: Use the location labels to establish true vertical movement.
Now repeatedly press the [HOME] key and [DWN] arrow until the Distance from Vulcan is approximately 300m and its horizon is in the lower 2/3rds of the display. The sky should be blue but may be black dependent upon the time of day it is.
9) Turn off the ?€?orbit?€™ and ?€?label?€™ options to clean up your view.
10) Press ?€?Y?€™ to sync with Vulcan?€™s orbit. Now we wait for the sky to turn dark.
Your view should look similar to Figure 2 below:
Figure 2: Vulcan Sunset
There can be many different sunsets on Vulcan and there are as many sunrises. The cool ones have the planet T?€™Khut in blood red hovering like a nemesis. This is a very interesting system to toy around. I can hardly imagine what it would be like to have known our skies to look like this instead of the way they do. Would they have figured out orbits and the like before or after our own culture did in its development? Hmmm?€¦
Have Fun!
