Comets into Stellarium

Liz · #1 19-08-2010, 04:26 PM

Could someone remind me how to put comet data into stellarium?
Have been searching but havent found it. Thanks.

Barrykgerdes · #2 19-08-2010, 04:59 PM

Hi Liz

Its easy if you can edit the ssystem.ini file without making any mistakes.
What comet do you want the data may already be available. If you have discovered a new one give me the coords of three sightings and I will give you its orbital parameters.

If you check out the stellarium wiki you will find data on lots of comets ready for insertion into the ssystem.ini file

The only real problem is the eventual size of the ssystem.ini needs to be less than 20KB or stellarium will be significantly slowed. but thats a lot of comets.

Barry

Liz · #3 19-08-2010, 05:20 PM

Thanks Barry - i wanted to put in Comet Encke.
Having a play now - you go in the config.ini, and pop in all the coordinates?? Have you got Enckes coordinates?
thanks
Liz

edit ... have popped in the coord from Ian Musgaves page, but not happening??

chrisp9au (Chris) · #4 19-08-2010, 05:55 PM

G'day Barry,

This question has been asked before?
Are there plans to automate this process?
Seems a bit antiquated to have to edit .ini files?

Cheers

Chris

Barrykgerdes · #5 19-08-2010, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liz

Thanks Barry - i wanted to put in Comet Encke.
Having a play now - you go in the config.ini, and pop in all the coordinates?? Have you got Enckes coordinates?
thanks
Liz

edit ... have popped in the coord from Ian Musgaves page, but not happening??

Hi Liz
From your post elsewhere I gathered you wanted Enckes so I was going to chase it up however I could not find Enckes amongst my records and did not have time to prepare a new set of orbital parameters.

We get requests to provide automatic updates of ssystem.ini to avoid manual entry but it needs someone to write the necessary program and there have been no offers yet.

Personally I have no problems with manual up dates when I need an entry I just generate it.

Barry

mithrandir (Andrew) · #6 19-08-2010, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liz

Could someone remind me how to put comet data into stellarium?
Have been searching but havent found it. Thanks.

It's a bit of work but:
go to http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi
fill it out like this (use the change links to fill in the values)

Code:

Ephemeris Type [change] :  ELEMENTS
Target Body [change] :  Comet     2P/Encke [2009]
Center [change] :  Sun (body center) [500@10]
Time Span [change] :  discrete time(s)=2010-08-19
Table Settings [change] :  defaults
Display/Output [change] :  plain text

click "Generate Ephemeris"

In another window open:
http://projects.familie-steinel.de/s...ium-comet-jpl/

copy and paste the Horizons output
click "Parse Input"

copy and paste the bottom window into ssystem.ini

This is the current data

Code:

[2PEncke]
# Data taken from JPL/HORIZONS
# correct for the specified time frame:
# Start Time : A.D. 2010-Aug-19 00:00:00.0000 CT 
# Stop Time  : A.D. 2010-Aug-19 00:00:00.0000 CT 
name                        = Comet 2P/Encke                        
parent                      = Sun
coord_func                  = comet_orbit
radius                      = 10
oblateness                  = 0.0
albedo                      = 1
lighting                    = true
halo                        = true
color                       = 1.0,1.0,1.0
tex_halo                    = star16x16.png
tex_map                     = nomap.png
lighting                    = false
orbit_TimeAtPericenter      = 2455415.0014430126
orbit_PericenterDistance    = 0.3358682360751346
orbit_Eccentricity          = 0.8483364644712021
orbit_ArgOfPericenter       = 186.5507501643271
orbit_AscendingNode         = 334.5648481987205
orbit_Inclination           = 11.78312860961414

Barrykgerdes · #7 20-08-2010, 07:42 AM

Thanks for that Andrew. If the sky is clear tonight Liz should be able to find it.

Barry

Liz · #8 20-08-2010, 09:24 AM

Thanks Andrew and Barry.
I entered the data from Ians page
http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/201...tellarium.html

[Encke]
name = 2P/Encke
parent = Sun
radius = 24
oblateness = 0.0
halo = true
color = 1.0,1.0,1.0
tex_halo = star16x16.png
tex_map = nomap.png
coord_func = comet_orbit
orbit_TimeAtPericenter = 2455415.077574995
orbit_PericenterDistance = 0.3369758246572427
orbit_Eccentricity = 0.8479456370992317
orbit_ArgOfPericenter = 186.4988142344296
orbit_AscendingNode = 334.5696032945518
orbit_Inclination = 11.78284902989807
lighting = false
albedo = 1
sidereal_period = 365.25

Is not working ... is there anything else I should be doing?

Barrykgerdes · #9 20-08-2010, 10:03 AM

Hi Liz

I just added this to the bottom of the ssystem.ini file:

[2PEncke]
name = 2P/Encke
parent = Sun
coord_func = comet_orbit
radius = 10
oblateness = 0.0
albedo = 1
lighting = true
halo = true
color = 1.0,1.0,1.0
tex_halo = star16x16.png
tex_map = nomap.png
lighting = false
orbit_TimeAtPericenter = 2455415.0014430126
orbit_PericenterDistance = 0.3358682360751346
orbit_Eccentricity = 0.8483364644712021
orbit_ArgOfPericenter = 186.5507501643271
orbit_AscendingNode = 334.5648481987205
orbit_Inclination = 11.78312860961414

and it worked for me.

Don't forget to search for 2P/Encke

Did stellarium start after your change or crash? If it started OK the entry must have been read correctly. You may not be searching with the right name. If Stellarium crashed during load you have a syntax error in the ssystem.ini

Barry

Liz · #10 20-08-2010, 10:27 AM

Barry, I just popped in your coordinates with no problem, and searched for the comet, but still not there.

Doing a search, it doesnt come up in the prompts for 2P or Encke, though seems to be sitting happily in the ini file?

ian says - When you run Stellarium, you will have to turn planet hints on in the configuration menu if they are not already on. you will also have to adjust the magnitude slider so the circle will appear in Version 10.x

Couldnt find planet hints in config??

mithrandir (Andrew) · #11 20-08-2010, 10:38 AM

Liz there might be two ssystem.ini files.

Assuming we are talking about Windows, if there is one in %appdata%\stellarium\data it overrides the one in %programfiles%\stellarium\data

chrisp9au (Chris) · #12 20-08-2010, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

We get requests to provide automatic updates of ssystem.ini to avoid manual entry but it needs someone to write the necessary program and there have been no offers yet.

Personally I have no problems with manual up dates when I need an entry I just generate it.

Barry

Sorry to press the point Barry,

The following questions are aimed at resolving this issue, put forward as constructive criticism.

Why does there need to be a program written?
If there is a need, then why don't the Stellarium programmers write it?
Alternatively, why can't there be regular distribution of an updated ssytem.ini file that contains currently visible comets?
If your answer is that Stellarium users have individual needs of the ssytem.ini file, then why can't there be a comets.ini file just for comets?
There may be many users not as capable as you to do manual updates?
Could you please add my request to the list of similar requests?
The more requests, the more likely that somebody will get the message that this is an 'issue', squeaky wheel remedy?

Cheers

Chris

Barrykgerdes · #13 20-08-2010, 11:11 AM

Hi Chris

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

Sorry to press the point Barry,

The following questions are aimed at resolving this issue, put forward as constructive criticism.

Why does there need to be a program written?

At the moment there is no code in the source to collect the data and process it into a form stellarium can use

Quote:

If there is a need, then why don't the Stellarium programmers write it?
Alternatively, why can't there be regular distribution of an updated ssytem.ini file that contains currently visible comets?

The programmers that work on Stellarium need to earn a living. They don't get paid for coding stellarium so it needs to be done in spare time. We would like to first get version 1.0.0 up and running but there is still a lot of work to be done for this first.

Incidently there are a number of people writing alternative ssystem.ini file and have them available. I have one I will attach but it needs some extra textures for best use. Rename it ssystem.ini and use it to replace the existing one. eg add it to Documents and settings\yourname\application data\stellarium\data. In this position it will override the default in the main stellarium\data folder

It is intended to include a suitable comet program that can automatically load a range of comets, as well as more nebulae and a way to add them, DSS background, etc

Quote:

If your answer is that Stellarium users have individual needs of the ssytem.ini file, then why can't there be a comets.ini file just for comets?

At the moment there is only facilities to read one ssystem.ini file. There is nothing to stop you writing many versions of the ssystem.ini containing your own idea of solar system objects

Quote:

There may be many users not as capable as you to do manual updates?
Could you please add my request to the list of similar requests?
The more requests, the more likely that somebody will get the message that this is an 'issue', squeaky wheel remedy?

Cheers

Chris

You can open the stellarium page and there is a section for requests. There you can make a list of what you would and others would like. I think you will already find your requests there

Barrykgerdes · #14 20-08-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liz

Barry, I just popped in your coordinates with no problem, and searched for the comet, but still not there.

Doing a search, it doesnt come up in the prompts for 2P or Encke, though seems to be sitting happily in the ini file?

ian says - When you run Stellarium, you will have to turn planet hints on in the configuration menu if they are not already on. you will also have to adjust the magnitude slider so the circle will appear in Version 10.x

Couldnt find planet hints in config??

Hi Liz
Andrew may have the answer. Check to see that there are no other versions of the ssystem.ini file.

If there is no ssystem.ini in stellarium\data the program will crash but if there is an alternative version in documents and settings\yourname\application data\stellarium\data it will certainly override.

If you can find already find the planets the hints will be on. Just check your config.ini file under [astro] for
flag_planets_hints = true

Also the default position of the slider may not show Encke. make sure the slider is at least half way.

Barry

chrisp9au (Chris) · #15 20-08-2010, 12:17 PM

Thanks Barry.

Chris

mbo (Pat and Kirk) · #16 20-08-2010, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liz

Doing a search, it doesnt come up in the prompts for 2P or Encke, though seems to be sitting happily in the ini file?

Maybe try searching for "Comet", or whatever your 'name =' parameter starts with.

Liz · #17 20-08-2010, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

Hi Liz
If there is no ssystem.ini in stellarium\data the program will crash but if there is an alternative version in documents and settings\yourname\application data\stellarium\data it will certainly override.

Barry

How do I do this, did a search for ssystem.ini but nothing.
The way i access the notepad with the info is through the start/programs/stellarium, then into the config.ini section where I put the comet data.
Not sure where the ssystem.ini is.
Sorry guys, will give up after this effort.