Zentraedi

I have a few cool programs that show the orbits of the most comon asteriods out there, this might help making the public aware of their solar system and its asteriods, well the one i'll list doesn't have too many but its still fun to look at. Its called Celestia and its free, I think well done for a free program. Does any one know where I can get into a game that looks and has a feel like this program? It makes me want to conquer for some reason.

http://celestia.sourceforge.net/

Beware the download you probably want is the second one on the list, the first is for the mac if you are one who likes to assume PC software comes first on the list of downloads!(like me, although I quickly noticed my error after a few seconds of clicking the link to the ftp)

Zentraedi

Funny, I was just looking at the Celestia website and they display this fact on the main page.


Asteroid 2002 MN was detected on June 17, after it came within 120,000 kilometers of the Earth (less than one third of the distance to the Moon) on June 14. The object is estimated to be about 100 meters in diameter. To get a better idea of just how close 120,000 kilometers is, download the new neo.ssc file and install it in Celestia's extras directory. Start Celestia, go to 2002 MN, set the time back to June 14, 2002, and check out the great view of Earth . . .

fando

For the unix buffs (Mac OS X, BSD, Linux, etc.), there's Xephem: http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/xephem/

You can download object databases from observatories and institutes. I haven't tried the windows version.

Zentraedi

actually this Celestia program has a file you can easily add that case all of the asteroids known, I just loaded them in, and I'm in shock, there look to be thoasands of them, if you can't find the file on the Celestia site than let me know at zentraedi75@hotmail.com
there are two files one called asteroid_imps.scc and another called
asteroid_imps50km.scc

http://bruckner.homelinux.net/files/..._IMPS_50km.zip

http://bruckner.homelinux.net/files/asteroid_IMPS.zip

I have to say I'm checking out this program right now and I'm in amazement at how versitile it is. You can pretty much manipulate anything in it. I hope I'm not talknig to myself lol, as this is like the bottom of a thread in no mans land, maybe I'll make a topic about it hehe.

Giorgia

I'm sorry, JJ -- what does this have to do with animal welfare? (and I believe it's "ALF")

LordSnooty

Didn't you read the article? They're planning to deflect an asteroid by firing baby seals at it.

Paul

Corwin

Most people haven't. Robert Heinlein once wrote that the first people to establish a permanent presence on the moon would effectively control the earth.... and he was right.

Sure.... you can have all the atomic weapons you want, but they don't have the range to be able to hit the moon, and they're expensive, and kinda crotchety.... like any advanced weapon system they have to be babied by specifically trained techs.

Rocks are cheap.

Mad Kally

Just so they don't start firing lobsters at it...