stellarium/

1. Ver. Issue 1.2 Stellarium everything you wanted to know .. .. but were afraid to ask http://www.stellarium.org/ This presentation is available on website :- http://questions4steveb.co.uk/Movies_and_presentations/

2. What is Stellarium ? • Open Source night sky star ‘mapping’ • ‘a true simulation of the night sky’ • GUI is ‘Mac like’, as PC users will discover ! • Windows 32 bit (2000 / NT / XP / Vista / 7 / 8) (ver 0.8.2 will work on Win98se !) • Windows 64 bit (Vista / 7 / 8) • Mac OS X 10.3.x (or above) • Linux (source) & .exe (for Ubuntu) (many distro’s include it as ‘standard’) • Smart phone versions exist, not Open Source

3. iPhone & iPad versions • ‘Stellarium Mobile’ = £1.99 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stellarium-mobile/id643165438?mt=8 • For alternatives, see :- http://appadvice.com/appguides/show/astronomy-apps Note that free apps often contain ‘embedded’ advertising (some limit this to start-up) One of the worst is “GoSkyWatch Planetarium” (annoying advertisements ‘pop up’ in bright colours during use & ruin your night vision)

4. Android smart phones • ‘Stellarium Mobile Sky Map’ = £1.69 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=com.noctuasoftware.stellarium&hl=en_GB The (free) Open Source version is being ‘worked on’ :- http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Android_port • Some (free) alternatives include :- • ‘The Night Sky Lite’ • (Google) ‘Sky Map’

5. (PC) Graphics card drivers • Uses ‘OpenGL (2.1)’ for max. compatibility • OpenGL is slow compared to Direct X (but only likely to be a problem on older kit or those using ‘motherboard built in graphics’ or 10 yr. old laptops :-) • You should get > 15 fps, even on old kit • if < 1 fps you have a driver problem ! (i.e. you are using the ‘default’ Microsoft video driver) • If it’s slow, reduce your screen resolution :-)

6. Setting a custom resolution • Stellarium uses Windows screen res. (to change, Right Click desktop for Properties, Settings tab ..) • To set a specific screen resolution :- Start - Programs - Stellarium - config.ini Click file to select & open it in Notepad Modify the ‘screen_w’ & ‘screen_h’ values Then save the file and (re)start Stellarium

7. The ‘Projection’ setting • Changes how Stellarium draws the sky Default is the ‘Perspective’ view Horizon is a straight line, max. FOV (field of view) 150º (similar to how your eyes see the sky) • Others (in order of max FOV) are :- • FOV 180º, ‘Fisheye’ & ‘Orthographic’ • FOV 233º, ‘Cylinder’ & ‘Mercator’ • FOV 235º, ‘Stereographic’ • FOV 360º, ‘Equal area’ & ‘Hammer-Aitoff’

8. Constallation Artwork • Specific to a ‘Sky Culture’ • default is ‘Western’ • If you don’t like any of them (I don’t) … …why not create your own ? • Actually, it’s not quite that easy … … look in /skycultures folder for examples • Better = download existing alternatives eg. Hevelius Constellation Art from :- http://www.wilmslowastro.com/software/software.htm (artwork source is from engravings at :- http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/sources/illustrations/constellations/)

9. Landscape settings • Controls how Stellarium draws the ground • ‘Show ground’ (default = on) • When off, you can ‘see through the earth’ :-) • ‘Show fog’ (default = on) • Haze/fog = horizion ‘glow’ / ‘light pollution’ (there is a separate setting for sky ‘light pollution’) • ‘Use associated planet and position’ • Means a new Landscape also changes the observers location • ‘Use this landscape as default’ • Use curerent chosen Landscape at next start You can load download pre-made alternatives or create your own personal ‘landscape’

10. Adding a new Landscape(the easy way) • Download the landscape.zip you want eg. from :- http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Landscapes • F4 for "Sky and viewing options" (or click icon) • In ‘Landscape’ tab, click “Add/remove landscapes” • In ‘Add/remove landscapes’ window, click “Install a new landscape from a ZIP archive” & ‘browse’ to where you saved the .zip in step 1. Some you might like = Mars, Moon, Avebury, Stonehenge, & ‘Field’ (simple grass field - good for horizon check)

11. Create your own landscape Adding a new Landscape(the hard way) NB a guide to Stellaritum control files can be found at: http://www.porpoisehead.net/mysw/stellarium_user_guide_html-0.9.1-1/

12. Your own landscape • Landscape size MUST an exact power of 2 • limitation imposed by (some) OpenGL drivers i.e. 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096 etc. (guereins is 8 x 256=2048 wide) • The higher the resolution, the slower it ‘renders’ but the better it looks = so max 4096w (x 2048h) is suggested • You can save as a single ‘normal’ panorama • ‘type = spherical’ ?! (eg ‘mars’, 2048x1024) • Or as a single ‘spherical projection’ • ‘type = fisheye’ (eg trees @ 512x512) • Or ‘chop it up’, into be 4, 8 or 16 tiles (+ a ground tile) • ‘type = old_style’ (eg ‘guereins’, 8 @ 256x256 + ground 512x512)

13. Landscape image making • You need a complete 360º width view • Image all everything around then take some ‘ground’ / ‘grass’ shots for ‘fill in’ use • Some cameras have a ‘panorama’ mode • Resolution is ‘adequate’, but most don’t do 360 so you may need 2 (or even 3) overlapping shots and will still have to ‘stitch’ to get the complete 360 view

14. Landscape ‘how to’ - overview Step 1) Take your photo’s at the observing location eg. your backyard / Cookham Dean Step 2) ‘Stitch’ to make a 360º ‘panorama’ photo max 4096 pixels wide (x 2046 heigh) Step 3) Make the sky ‘transparent’ (& save as PNG) + fill in extra ground as needed (& check the scale) Step 4) Optional = chop into 8 or 16 ‘panels’ … default, side1 = North (set ‘decor_angle_rotatez’ to adjust) alternative = make a ‘spherical projection’ (type=fisheye) Step 5) Generate Stellarium display parameters

15. How to - step 1, photo’s • Set your tripod at your normal observing location • The tripod the height is important if you want accuracy • Set minimium zoom (eg on 18-55 lens, set 18) • If using a 50mm lens, rotate camera to portrait mode • Take your photo’s You need complete 360º, overlap ea. about 30% You need from the near ground to the empty sky • If necessary, take 2 (or more) at each posn. • it’s not a bad idea to take a few extra ground for ‘fill in’ Top tips: 1) landscape photo’s are best taken on a clear day It’s easier to cut out ‘all blue’ (or all grey :-) ) sky than mixed clouds & sky 2) take a compass and mark ‘North’ (it’s a lot hard to find later :-) )

16. How to - step 2, panorama • ‘Stitch’ your images to make a panorama Eg. use free Microsoft ICE (‘Image Composite Editor’) http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/groups/ivm/ICE/ An OpenSource alternative, but harder to use, is HUGIN http://hugin.sourceforge.net/ 2. ‘Save As’ in a ‘reasonable’ resolution The panorama ‘width’ is 360 degrees (eg. 4096 pixels) The ‘height’ is 180 degrees BUT unless you took 180 degrees of photo’s, you will have ‘fill in’ extra ground (& sky**) later Note. ** you won’t need ‘empty sky’ (it’s just for sizing) however if you don’t add it, you will need to adjust the ‘decor_alt_angle’ parameter

18. How to - step 3, cut out sky ‘Transparent’ the sky using free** OpenSource software ‘The Gimp’ http://www.gimp.org/ • Open the panorama & note it’s width & horizon posn. • Create a new ‘full sized’ image If the width is 4096 pixels, then you need a height of 2048 In the ‘advanced’ tab, set PNG background color = transparent • Copy panorama & paste ‘as new layer’ into the new Make sure to align it so the horizon is in the ‘middle’ • Cut out the sky to expose ‘checkerboard’ background Use ‘select by color’ (DON’T set ‘feather edge’) • Export in ‘.png’ format to preserve the transparent sky ** non-free alternatives are Photoshop / PaintShop Pro

19. How to - fill in the ground • To avoid having to work out the ‘offset’ parameter settings, I suggest you ‘fill in’ the ground • I used GIMP to copy / clone existing ground • Don’t forget to export as PNG ! If the width is 4096 pixels, then the height is 2048 pixels The horizon is ‘in the middle’ @ pixel position 1024 The ‘lower’ 1024 pixels (down from the horizon) = ground The ‘upper’ 1024 pixels = (mainly) transparent sky

20. How to - step 4, convert • ‘Fisheye’ or Tiles is better than panorama • To make spherical (fisheye) use GIMP • Open the landscape and ‘distort’ it to ‘square’ In Image menu, Scale Image, set new ht = same as wdith and ‘unlink’ the two (so it actualy distorts) • Convert to ‘fisheye’ In Filters –> Distorts –> Polar Coordinates use ‘offset angle’ to get your NORTH (up) correct ! • For tiles, ‘chop’ the panorama into 4,8 or 16 (Plus one ‘extra’ part for the ‘near’ ground) Use an existing landscape.ini as a ‘template’ for your own (see ‘trees’ for fisheye, ‘moon’ for a single panorama)

22. How to - step 5, settings • Create a folder inC:/Program Files/Stellarium/landscapes/ Eg. C:/Program Files/Stellarium/landscapes/ockwells • Place the panorama image(s) in this folder Use simple name (no caps or spaces) eg ockwells.png • Create a ‘landscape.ini’ file Start with a copy of existing & adjust the values … eg. Ockwell’s Park,Lat: 51.489539, Long: -0.7460284, Altitude: 31m [location] (Ockwell’s Park), planet = Earth latitude = +51d29’22”, longitude = -0d44’46”, altitude = 31 (Cookham Dean Common is Lat: 51.551299, Long: -0.758932, Alt: est. 50m) If you get it wrong, Stellarium can lock-up ! A guide to Stellaritum control files can be found at :- http://www.porpoisehead.net/mysw/stellarium_user_guide_html-0.9.1-1/

23. Changing your ‘viewpoint’ • It’s as easy to visit Mars as Ockwell’s Park • F4 to open "Sky and viewing options" window • In the ‘Landscape’ tab, click ‘Mars’ & in Options box, note ‘Use associated planet and position’ • If it’s (already) set, then you are now on Mars ! • If not, set ‘Use associated..’ & click ‘Mars’ again • Your ‘viewpoint’ will then change to Mars ! (to confirm, use F3 & search for Earth)

24. Adding new Comets, Asteroids & planets

25. Adding Comet ISON etc. • Easy way = ‘import’ from Minor Planet Center (MPC) • F2 or click ‘Configuration’ icon • In ‘Plugins’ tab, select ‘Solar System Editor’ • In ‘options’, click ‘Configure’ (if greyed out, set ‘Load at start up’ & restart) • In ‘Solar System’ tab, view the list of existing ‘objects’ • To add, click ‘Import orbital elements in MPC format’ • In ‘Import data’ / ‘Lists’ tab, set ‘Select the Type’ as ‘Comets’ • Set ‘Select the source’ to ‘Download a list .. from the Internet’ • In ‘Select a source from the list’ scroll to ‘MPC’s list of observable comets’ • Then click ‘Get orbital elements’ • In ‘Objects found’ list, scroll to “C/2012 S1 (ISON)” & select [‘x’] it • Then click ‘Add objects” & restart Stellarium • Note. The Comet data is added to :- C:\Documents and Settings\seti3100\Application Data\Stellarium\data\ssystem.ini

29. Restart Stellarium

31. Adding Comets (the hard way) • Edit the ‘working’ .ini file at :- C:\Documents and Settings\{your a/c}\Application Data\Stellarium\data\ssystem.ini (the ‘default’ can be found in C:\Program Files\Stellarium\data\ssystem.ini) • Edit using Notepad etc. NOT Wordpad / MS Word ! & be careful = this file defines the Earth & all the planets ! • Many asteroids etc are already defined, eg. [mcnaught] :- [mcnaught] Unique short name, lower case name = C/2006 P1 (McNaught) Text displayed to user parent = Sun it’s parent (i.e. what it orbits) radius = 1000 in miles, determines relative ‘size’ displayed (Comets default to 5)

32. oblateness = 0.0 halo = true Means draw with a ‘fuzzy edge’ i.e. ‘atmospheric’ effect color = 1.0,1.0,1.0 white (r,g,b) tex_halo = star16x16.png The image file to use when adding atmospheric effect Note: if halo = false , set ‘tex_halo = NULL’ tex_map = nomap.png Image to show when ‘zooming in’ on the object (default, ‘nomap’, is a ‘fuzzy ball’ = there is no provision for comet ‘tails’) coord_func = comet_orbit Algorithum used to calculate position in the sky Whilst ‘halo’ etc. can make the comet ‘fuzzy’, there is no support for comet ‘tails’

33. orbit_TimeAtPericenter = 2454112.7968 orbit_PericenterDistance = 0.170729 orbit_Eccentricity = 1.000021 orbit_ArgOfPericenter = 155.9756 orbit_AscendingNode = 267.4148 orbit_Inclination = 77.8348 lighting = false ‘false’’ means don’t show ‘phases’ (so Moon = true) albedo = 1 orbit_visualization_period = 365.25 landscape = {name of folder containing the landscape image} In order to ‘visit’ a planet/moon/asteroid/comet you must have a landscape to ‘stand on’

34. How to ‘stand on a Comet’ • All you need is some ‘landscape’ to stand on • You can create a landscape (.png) ‘as normal’ or just copy the /moon landscape :-) • & set ‘planet’ = your Comet, eg C/2012 S1 (ISON) • add the ‘landscape =’ to the comets entry in the working ssystem.ini found in:- C:\Documents and Settings\{your a/c}\Application Data\Stellarium\data • Use F4 to open "Sky and viewing options" • In the ‘Landscape’ tab, click your just added landscape • In ‘options’, set ‘Use associated..’ • Then click on the just added landscape again :-) • You are now ‘standing on a comet’ !

35. Telescope Control

36. Enable the built-in control • In config.ini, enable ‘light travel time compensation’ • If you don’t Jupiters Moons won’t be exactly ‘centered’ • Launch Stellarium … • F2 or click icon for ‘Configuration Window’ • In Plugins tab, Telescope Control, Configure If ‘Configure’ is greyed out, set ‘Load at Startup’ & Restart Stellarium (the ‘select it again’ trick doesn’t work for Telescope Control) • In ‘Telescopes’ tab, click ‘Add’ • Leave default (Stellarium, direct … serial port) • In Properties, scroll down for ‘Device Settings’ • Select your mount from the pull-down list eg mine is ‘Meade Autostar compatible’

37. Mounts supported • Stellarium direct, via a serial port, supports :- • Celestron NexStar (compatible) Sky-Watcher SynScan ‘V3+’ and ‘AZ GOTO’ mount (includes EQ6, HEQ5-Pro ?) • Meade Autostar compatible (= ETX and DS, Autostar 1 #495 and (my) #497/old controller) ETX-70 with #494 Autostar 1 (extra features) Meade LX200 (compatible) Wildcard Innovations Argo Navis (in Meade mode) Losmandy G11 • Mount must ‘polar align’ before Stellarium control Stellarium can control as many mounts as you have serial ports Well, up to 9 .. Ctrl n = mount ‘n’ GoTo (& track) selected target on screen

38. Controlling other telescopes • Use the ‘Stellarium scope’ plug-in to drive ASCOM / EQMOD compatible mounts, see : http://www.welshdragoncomputing.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=31&Itemid=39 • Note: when using Stellariumscope + ASCOM • Ctrl 1 = GoTo center of Stellarium screen display • Ctrl 2 = GoTo and ‘sync’ (track) ‘target’ shown on screen • Ctrl 3 = abort move Latest StellariumScope (2013-08-09) & ASCOM known to work with Stellarium 0.11.1-0.11. 4 and 0.12.0-0.12.2 (as of Oct. 2013, Stellarium ver. 0.12.3 = ‘untested’)

39. Using ASCOM with Stellarium • Install ‘Stellarium scope’ locally from :-http://www.welshdragoncomputing.ca (Stellarium v12.x is intended to work w/o this step) • If your PC is Windows XP, then :- • You must have Windows XP Service Pack 3 installed • You must have MS .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=22 3. Install the latest ASCOM Platform 6 = ‘sp3’ http://www.ascom-standards.org/ • Download & install the drivers for your mount http://www.ascom-standards.org/Downloads/ScopeDrivers.htm 4. Restart your P.C. & launch Stellarium scope • Select the driver for you scope and tick ‘connect’ 5. Launch Stellarium … & select ‘local driver’

40. Controlling the HEQ5 / EQ6 etc. • Use StellariumScope + ASCOM + EQMOD, see :- http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-581-0-0-1-0.html • The ‘known working’ HEQ5/EQ6 version set is :- • Stellarium version 0.10.5 • StellariumScope version 20100614 (2010.6.14.47) • ASCOM Platform 5 with the 5.5.1 update • EQMOD version v121d (2010-05-30) Note - the following is not unusual with OpenSource s/w :-) “This version of Stellarium scope is designed to work with Stellarium version 0.10.6 and later. Your version appears to be: 0.11.0.”

41. Serial link mount drive • Your PC ‘COM1’ ports will default to :- 9600 baud, 8 data, 1 stop, No parity, No flow control = which is exactly what Meade Autostar handset requires ! • To change the COM settings :- • Launch ‘Device Manager’ • Expand ‘Ports’, adjust ‘Communications Port (COM1)’ • If, instead, you are using a USB<>Serial adaptor, • in Device Manager, open the USB adapter settings

42. Remote (wireless) Control • Use Stellarium in ‘direct’ serial port mode • Serial link is transmitted via :- a) Bluetooth (USB<>Bluetooth adaptor) b) WiFi (using ‘serial port divert’ s/w) • At the mount use adapter/PC to connect to serial again • Use Stellarium in ‘remote’ (network) mode • The remote PC must be running ‘client’ software • At the mount, fit Ethernet / WiFi <>serial module • Use some (free) ‘remote control’ software, eg:- http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx

43. 1a. Bluetooth mount connection • Best for iPad & Android • tablets & smart phones • & laptops with built-in Bluetooth (non-bluetooth PC’s can use a USB Bluetooth dongle) • At the mount, Bluetooth to serial adapter • These are available ‘off the shelf’ • Most are battery powered • Must support ‘bluetooth serial port profiles (spp)’ • Typical <£10 on eBay (or >£30 from Amazon etc)

44. A typical £10 stand-alone bluetooth<>serial adapter Reset Mode = master / off / slave Bluetooth module Power (usb 5v or 2 wire skt 6v)

45. 1b. Serial via WiFi • In theory**, the simplist to ‘get working’ • If it runs ‘local’, it (should) run remote • Remote mount driver can be simple device • Eg Raspberry Pi SBC (Single Board Computer) **dozens of apps. ‘claim’ to provide ‘Serial <> WiFi <> Serial’ functionality, however I only found one actually worked :- http://sourceforge.net/projects/com0com/

46. What’s wrong with Open Source ? • Many ‘claim’ to be ‘Windows compatible’ = but the only download available is ‘source’ (eg ‘SerServ’) • Windows .exe ‘afterthought’ & often ‘command line’ = so it just ‘falls over silently’ when something (anything) goes wrong (some create a ‘log’ file = most don’t) • No installer ? then assume it’s not going to work :-) but don’t count on it .. eg TCPCOM32 .msi installs OK but then fails at ‘launch’ every time with an ‘Error opening socket’ message • Documentation ? = typically, none = eg IPCom runs OK but ‘Unable to open COM1’ (why?) • ‘Dependencies of the unknown kind’ … eg ‘combytcp’ = throws MS.net ‘exception’ on main (& can ‘continue’ ok) but always aborts with ‘failed to initialise’ on the remote PC ?

47. What’s wrong with commercial s/w ? • Salesmen are not Software Engineers • Product comes with ‘exagerated’ claims • If not outright lies, it reflects sales limited understanding of s/w • ‘Free’ s/w is time and/or feature ‘limited’ • The limitations are typically not advertised • and it’s often impossible to tell a bug from a limitation • Reviewers frequently DON’T ACTUALLY USE the s/w • They base their articles on the vendors own advertisments EXAMPLE: You will find ‘HW VSP’ (free) ‘advertsied’ as a ‘serial2serial WIFi link’ It’s not = it’s a virtual COM port driver for HW’s WiFi hardware (it can’t actually direct WIFI to a physical port = if it could, you might not need to pay for any of HW’s hardwear :-) )

48. 2. WiFi to mount ‘Server’ • Best for ASCOM / EQMOD users • Eg non-Bluetooth laptop, or for extended range • Stellarium WiFi to remote ‘Stellarium scope’ • The remote PC then links to the mount using a standard serial cable This is much more complex than ‘Serial via WiFi’ and I never managed to get it working • Non-stelarium alternative for Macs, iPads etc. • Use the commercial ‘SkySafari’ (non-free ed.) + the mount uses the ‘SkyFi’ adapter, $160

49. Mount ‘Server’ s/w • Stellarium scope (ASCOM EQMOD mounts) http://www.welshdragoncomputing.ca/index.php? option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog &id=31&Itemid=39 I gave up after reading the description … • Use old Stellarium generic ‘client/server’ eg: C:\>TelescopeServerLx200 10002 COM1: Simpler, but didn’t work for me at all, you may have better luck, see:-http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Download #Telescope_Servers

50. 3. Remote control s/w (‘vnc’) • Best for ‘observatory’ users • You ‘remote control’ the PC at the mount eg. http://sourceforge.net/projects/tigervnc/files/ http://www.teamviewer.com/en/index.aspx • Not limited to controlling Stellarium • The remote PC is totally controlled by local PC • You can control a camera, activate auto-guiding etc. • Same as ‘Remote Desktop’ / ‘Remote help’ • Supports higher data rates than Internet connection (actually, controling Stellarium isn’t practical ..)