Castor addon Help Request

Have a question about using Celestia? Check here first for FAQs and helpful advice.
Forum rules
Please help to make this forum more useful by checking the FAQs before posting! Keep it clean, keep it civil, keep it truthful, stay on topic, be responsible, share your knowledge.
Avatar
Topic author
roninwolf1981
Posts: 34
Joined: 23.02.2017
Age: 43
With us: 7 years 7 months
Location: Bastrop, TX

Castor addon Help Request

Post #1by roninwolf1981 » 30.10.2018, 18:46

My version of Celestia is 1.6.1. My computer is a 64-bit Windows 10 desktop that was updated from Win7 to Win10 in 2016. After having installed the addon from Celestia Motherlode, I've noticed that Castor's primary barycenter isn't visible, neither from the Sol system's view nor upon approaching the Castor system. Upon troubleshooting, I've noticed a "cc_disabled_stars.stc" file in the Castor addon folder. Removing the .stc file, the "stars.dat" places a star well within Castor's 3 barycenters named "TYC 1282-3359-0." Reading the "cc_disabled_stars.stc" file, the script reads as:

Spoiler
Barycenter 0033591282 "Disabled"
{
RA 0
Dec 0
Distance 100000
}

Putting the "disabled_stars.stc" file disables the TYC star inhabiting Castor's system. Even with or without the "cc_disabled_stars.stc" file, Castor's main barycenter does not display either from the Sol system or within Castor's system itself. Attempting to click on the star as viewed from Earth, the 1st readily clicked point is the Castor C subordinate barycenter. The main Castor barycenter is only visible at 11 astronomical units, Castor A-B's barycenter becomes visible within 9.8 astronomical units. The barycenters display names for Castor A, B and C get washed over by their subordinate binary stars, so I can ignore this. My question is, is there a formula that can make the central Castor barycenter's name visible all the way from the Sol system, and if I attempt to click on Castor from Earth, is there a way to have the central barycenter to take precedence over the subordinate stars and barycenters?

Here is the formula for the Castor.stc addon; it's rather long, so I'll put a Spoiler on it:
Spoiler
Replace Barycenter 36850 "Castor:ALF Gem:66 Gem:HIP 36850:HD 60179:SAO 60198"
{
RA 113.65002
Dec 31.888636
Distance 51.551604
}

Barycenter "Castor A-B:ALF Gem A-B:HIP 36850:SAO 60198"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 10000 #
SemiMajorAxis 216.7218543 # Combined mass CaCb = 1.19 x Sol, Combined Mass AaAbBaBb = 4.85 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.9
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 213.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
}

Barycenter "Castor A:ALF Gem A:66 Gem A:HD 60179"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor A-B"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 467 # 467 years
SemiMajorAxis 48.53608247 # Aa+Ab = 2.65 Sol ; Ba+Bb = 2.2 Sol
Eccentricity 0.343
Inclination 114.5
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 213.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
}

"Castor Aa:ALF Gem Aa"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor A"
SpectralType "A2Vm"
AppMag 5.10938
Radius 1600800
InfoURL "http://www.solstation.com/stars2/castor6.htm"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 0.025215606 # 9.21 days
SemiMajorAxis 0.041509434 # mass 2.15 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.499
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 213.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
UniformRotation
{
Period 10000
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
}
}

"Castor Ab:ALF Gem Ab"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor A"
SpectralType "M5V"
AppMag 5.10938
Radius 552416
InfoURL "http://www.solstation.com/stars2/castor6.htm"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 0.025215606 # 9.21 days
SemiMajorAxis 0.178490566 # mass 0.5 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.499
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 33.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
UniformRotation
{
Period 1000
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
}
}

Barycenter "Castor B:ALF Gem B:66 Gem B:HD 60178"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor A-B"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 467 # 467 years
SemiMajorAxis 58.46391753 # Aa+Ab = 2.65 Sol ; Ba+Bb = 2.2 Sol
Eccentricity 0.343
Inclination 114.5
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 33.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
}

"Castor Ba:ALF Gem Ba"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor B"
#SpectralType "A2Vm"
SpectralType "A3Vm"
#SpectralType "A4Vm"
#SpectralType "A5Vm"
AppMag 5.10938
Radius 1113600
InfoURL "http://www.solstation.com/stars2/castor6.htm"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 0.008021903 # 2.93 days
SemiMajorAxis 0.006818182 # mass 1.7 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.01
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 213.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
UniformRotation
{
Period 10000
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
}
}

"Castor Bb:ALF Gem Bb"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor B"
SpectralType "M2V"
AppMag 5.10938
Radius 500000
InfoURL "http://www.solstation.com/stars2/castor6.htm"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 0.008021903 # 2.93 days
SemiMajorAxis 0.023181818 # mass 0.5 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.01
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 33.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
UniformRotation
{
Period 1000
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
}
}

Barycenter "Castor C:YY Gem:ALF Gem C:66 Gem C:HD 60179C:SAO 60199"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 10000 #
SemiMajorAxis 883.2781458 # Combined mass CaCb = 1.19 x Sol, Combined Mass AaAbBaBb = 4.85 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.9
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 33.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
}

"Castor Ca:ALF Gem Ca"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor C"
SpectralType "M0.5Ve"
AppMag 5.10938
Radius 528960 # 76% x Sol
InfoURL "http://www.solstation.com/stars2/castor6.htm"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 0.002228611 # 19.536 hours
SemiMajorAxis 0.008621849 # mass 0.62 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.0
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 213.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
UniformRotation
{
Period 10000
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
}
}

"Castor Cb:ALF Gem Cb"
{
OrbitBarycenter "Castor C"
SpectralType "M0.5Ve"
AppMag 5.10938
Radius 473280 # 68% x Sol
InfoURL "http://www.solstation.com/stars2/castor6.htm"
EllipticalOrbit {
Period 0.002228611 # 19.536 hours
SemiMajorAxis 0.009378151 # mass 0.57 x Sol
Eccentricity 0.0
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
ArgOfPericenter 33.139
MeanAnomaly 60
}
UniformRotation
{
Period 1000
Inclination 100
AscendingNode 56.072
}
}

This .stc file was intended to replace the sole Castor star that was generated from the "stars.dat" file. I don't wish to disable the ability to click on the barycenters in the Castor star system. What I want is for the main Castor barycenter's name to be visible from the Sol system and be the 1st thing clicked on if I attempt to click on the Castor star system from the Sol system. Is there a formula modification that allows this?
With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied...chains us all irrevocably.

Return to “Help Central”