Sunday, June 15, 2008

surprising good

Finally got a chance to test the custom landscape of my backyard I made for Stellarium. You know, it is remarkably close...

I took a powerful loaner laptop outside with Stellarium 0.9.1 loaded. My network was acting wobbly (with this laptop) so I had to copy the custom landscape folder via sneaker network (i.e. USB key drive).

Then I headed outside. Needed something to sit it on, something high: I used the Big DOC chair, set to the highest setting. Put the laptop on the chair top.

First impression, looking at the Moon, Spica, and points west: the landscape is too high. I'll try bringing it down a smidge. Looking north confirmed this.

Second impression: particularly to the north-east, the trees are fuller now. Blocked more of the sky. They block Cepheus.

Could see the 3 bright stars in the head of the dragon, but not ν (nu), at magnitude 4.85.

And, lastly, there's something way wrong with the image of the top floor of the house. The custom landscape says I should be able to see part of Aquila and the top of Ophiuchus. Ah... no. The roof goes almost up to Hercules.

So that's really the only major problem.

There: I did something useful tonight.

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