Latest Cartes du Ciel beta release

[Merlin66]

Patrick has been working overtime!
The latest release now includes coverage of faint planetary satellites (using the Spice kernel - a 1.3Gb download:eyepop:
Version 4.3 beta, release Notes

New calculation of the planetary satellites with CALCEPH library:
To have the best possible precision of the position it is now possible to calculate it using a SPICE kernel.
To do this, you have to install the corresponding data files from:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/skychart/files/2-catalogs/SpiceKernel/
The skychart-spice-base file is required and you can add skychart-spice-ext for more satellites. The list of satellites in each file can be found on the download page.
On Linux you also need to install libcalceph before you can use this function: https://github.com/pchev/libcalceph/releases/tag/v3.4.7

New functions:
- Add 8 faint satellite of Jupiter, this require to install the updated Spice kernel as of November 2021.
- New program icon by Mattia Verga.
- Adjust magnitude and distance for the effect of proper motion.
- Update to latest version of solar and lunar eclipse catalog.
- For date before 1657 the Delta T computation is from Morrison, Stephenson, Hohenkerk, Zawilski 2021.
- For date older than 1840-1950, depending on the country, when the LMT timezone is in use, the time offset is now for the longitude of the observatory.
- Can use SPICE kernel for NEO or other solar system objects. On Linux this require installation of libcalceph, see above.
- Use binary file instead of database for asteroid element, improve performance
- Show more asteroid information from the Asteroid lightcurve database
- Display object information directly from the Search window
- Add Alpaca telescope discovery
- Add civil twilight in the calendar
- Allow to import a mosaic in the observing list
- In Observer tool, stop the telescope motion when releasing the arrow button
- Use the nebula outlines from OpenNGC, add option to select line or surface
- Allow simulation for a single asteroid and comet
- Add menu "Window/Lock chart position" to not move the chart after a search
- Show hour angle and airmass under mouse cursor
- Add telescope handpad for ASCOM and INDI
- Add option to blure and set transparency of surface catalog
- Add pre-pointing feature for asteroid occultation

Bug fix:
- Fix Bayer labels
- Update Quicksat to support the new magnitude file
- Fix PHD2 comet tracking interface
- Fix setting telescope time
- Planet in line mode must be really transparent
- Fix "Show Mark" option for comet and asteroid simulation

Removed:
- Move SAC to obsolete catalog, replaced by OpenNGC
- Remove Iridium flare computation

[bojan]

I tried it this morning, and went back to v4.2, there are still some bugs left.
(first it crashed, then couldn't start, then sort of worked..).

[Merlin66]

Hmmmm, that's strange.
I downloaded earlier today and I'm currently using it.
No issues so far.
Ken

[Stonius]

Thanks for the heads up. I've no idea what the SPICE kernel does. I tried to look it up but I couldn't find anything in plain english. The OpenNGC thing looks interesting and I'll be curious to see the fainter Jupiter satelites, though I imagine they're photographic targets. Some of the other bells and whistles look interesting too.


Cheers


Markus

[Merlin66]

Markus,
The spice kernel is a series of databases and the associated programs to calculate the transient orbital ephemeris of NEO and other bodies with fluctuating orbits.....
Well beyond me...but Patrick has managed to get CdC to "talk" to it and then display the bodies accurately (within 0.01 arcsec) on sky map.

[Merlin66]

The fainter planetary satellites are now plotted in CdC.

[chrisp9au]

My attempt to run the beta version fails with the attached error message.
Checking the properties of the the start icon shows the "Run as administrator" option is unchecked.
What do I need to do? :question:
Thanks, Chris

[Merlin66]

Chris,
not sure what to suggest.
Have you tried running the skychart.exe from the folder?

[chrisp9au]

Yes Ken, tried that with same result.
Have reported the issue to the CDC support forum (MantisBT)
Will advise any resolution.
Cheers, Chris

[Merlin66]

Chris,
What about uninstalling, reboot PC and re-install??

[Stonius]

Patrick is very adamant about not running in administrator mode, but sometimes sequencing programs require admin mode (Voyager). Is it being opened standalone, or being called by your sequencing software?


Markus

[chrisp9au]

I wouldn't know what sequencing software is?
As stated, administrator mode is not checked in the properties.

[Stonius]

It won't be that then :-) Used for astrophotography (Sequence Generator Pro, Voyager and the like)

[chrisp9au]

I uninstalled the beta version, and reinstalled, same result.
Uninstalled again and installed version 4.2, works perfectly.
So there is something different in 4.3