Re: Bug fixes, etc.

cspratt@islandnet.com Jul 8, 2001

Where is new EXE file for Guide7 located? The main web page shows June
5th, 2001 as latest version.

Chris. Spratt

--- In guide-user@y..., "Bill J. Gray" <pluto@p...> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Catching up on a few things here, so this will be a longer mail
than
> usual:
>
> I've just posted an update (so far, only to the 32-bit Windows
> software) that fixes assorted problems reported over the last few
days.
> I think I've gotten everything except the troubles DE Green
reported;
> still haven't figured out what's going on there.
>
> The only actual "improvement", as opposed to a bug fix, is in
the
> Extras menu. I moved assorted RealSky/DSS functions into a dialog
box
> of their own. This box also shows up if you right-click on the
corner of
> an image, then select "more info". It provides access to all the
image
> functions that were previously in the Extras menu, plus the ability
to
> set the range of fields of view at which images are shown.
>
> Philippe Mollet wrote:
>
> "..(1) I wanted to know what part of the moon would have been
captured
> with my scope and webcam, but it seems that Guide draws the
CCD-frame
> first, and then puts the Moon on top of it (so the frame becomes
> invisible)."
>
> And the moon (and RealSky/DSS images) also overwrote aperture
circles
> and the border. All switched now, to draw in the proper order.
>
> "...(2) Here are the specs for the Philips Vesta-webcam..." Ah,
a good
> thought... I have added this to CCDS.NAM.
>
> Off-topic question: if anyone has succeeded in getting images of
> stars, covering a field of at least a few degrees with a cheap Web
cam,
> please contact me via private e-mail. I've not abandoned my hopes
of
> using such a camera to make digital setting circles almost obsolete,
as
> discussed at
>
> http://www.projectpluto.com/webcam.htm
>
> though my own experiments with a Connectix gray-scale camera have
been
> less than encouraging.
>
> Claude Serquet wrote:
>
> "...(1) Time on trails is UT. Is it a way to change to local time
?"
>
> Also fixed: the new version shows such times in the currently
selected
> time zone.
>
> "Where can I find a description of the .tle file format ?"
>
> http://users2.ev1.net/~mmccants/molcdesc.html
>
> "...I played a little with the new possibility to set location on
> probes and satellites...I encountered a problem when animating
backward
> to go back to earth, guide crashes when the date become before
starting
> date of the probe."
>
> Also when you go past the "end date" of the elements (most of the
probes
> have the elements marked as expiring past a certain date.) I have
no
> really good way to handle this, but I've revised Guide to extend
the
> first and last elements available into the past and future. That
is,
> when displaying Pioneer 10 for dates before 1973, Guide will use
the
> elements for the first leg of that mission (an ellipse that
basically
> has a perihelion at Earth's orbit, and an aphelion at Jupiter's...
> a "minimum-fuel" orbit). For dates after 2000, it just extends the
> current hyperbolic elements.
>
> "...I would appreciate to see the distance to the targeted object
if
> not too much work for you." For this, I'd either click on the
targeted
> object and then use 'more info', or use "Animation... Make
Ephemeris."
>
> Additional bug fixes: John Greaves pointed out (off-list) that
some
> user-added datasets that span multiple files, such as UCAC-1 and
AC2000,
> were broken; and that the Barnard dark nebula outlines were
sometimes
> resulting in extraneous lines zinging across the screen. All fixed
now.
>
> Possibly interesting factoid about that asteroid (5587) 1990 SB:
> this looks as if it might conceivably be a member of the Alinda
group.
> These are objects that end up in a 3:1 resonance with Jupiter,
meaning
> an orbital period of about four years. The result is that Jupiter
slowly
> hikes up their eccentricity, until eventually, they cross the path
of
> a planet and get booted into some new orbit. (4179) Toutatis is
probably
> the best known example; its orbital period is almost exactly four
years,
> and it's made close passes by us in late 1992, 1996, and 2000
(right
> around the dates of US presidential elections).
>
> If (5587) is indeed an Alinda (and it may not be; its elements
are
> borderline), Jupiter may continue to boost its eccentricity until
it
> becomes an Earth-crosser, and a possible subject of concern to our
> descendants in a few thousand years.
>
> About Pat's suggestion of attempting to track objects at
non-sidereal
> rates: I have indeed considered this. It would be especially nifty
with
> artificial satellites, most of which travel well below the 8 degree
a
> second slew rate of an LX-200.
>
> Main problem is that Guide would have to send a stream of
coordinates
> to the LX-200, so the scope would sort of jerk along to follow the
object,
> rather than smoothly following it. (Of course, for something as
slow as
> an asteroid, this is less of a problem!)
>
> At one time, I think Mel Bartels was contemplating satellite
tracking
> as part of his AltAz system, possibly doing so by taking a
closely-spaced
> ephemeris from Guide and interpolating it. Dunno if that ever
happened,
> though...
>
> -- Bill