True north
20 Apr 2007 7:12:53 UTC
Topic 192606
(moderation:
Would it be possible, in the next version of the application, to have Polaris, the North Star, as one of the white dots on the graphics? I have a terrible time getting the globe of stars to revolve around the exact top of the (visible) star globe, without it. Yes, I can see the Big Dipper, but I have a heck of a time locating where Polaris should be, without a marked star!
True north
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I got this answer from Eric Myers who helped develop the screen saver here:
Actually, the starsphere isn't rotating, you are. The viewpoint moves around the starsphere and without any other reference frame it appears that the sphere is moving.
In addition to rotating the viewpoint around the sphere, there is a "wobble" with a period of maybe 20 min, slow enough that you can't detect it unless you look carefully but with enough of a difference that you do not get just the same old view of the same old stars on each rotation.
RE: I got this answer from
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Actually, there is no starsphere. Nothing is rotating. There is a bunch of dots on a computer screen. The request was that this bunch of dots be referenced differently. A math operation. It can be done or it cannot. If it was up to me it cannot. But don't give me claptrap.
RE: I got this answer from
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Well, could the "star sphere" be oriented so that Polaris is at (or near) the top, and marked instead of about 10-20 degrees off top? (and not at or near [as far as I can tell] the axis of rotation!)