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Tracking The Mercury Fly-bywith Celestia

halkunhalkun Registered User regular
edited October 2008 in Social Entropy++
clipboard01nt9.png

In about two hours the Messenger spacecraft will be flying past Mercury. Do you want a front row seat?

First, you need to download Celestia. You can find the program here and it's completely free.

The second step is to get the Messenger data and copy that into Celestia's data folder. It's just two files and very easy to do. You can get the Messenger data here

To track the probe, you run Celestia. Then you select Navagation -> Select Object and type in "Messenger". Then you press "g" to go to the probe. Then press "1" and "c" to center Mercury.

The flyby will go ~200 miles from the surface. That's pretty close. Have a fun trip :)

halkun on
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Posts

  • NogsNogs Crap, crap, mega crap. Crap, crap, mega crap.Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I'll just catch the highlights on the 10 o'clock news.

    Nogs on
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  • FaricazyFaricazy Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    oh hey a mac client

    Faricazy on
  • Threadbare SockThreadbare Sock regular
    edited October 2008
    THIS IS NOW A SPACE THREAD

    Threadbare Sock on
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  • FaricazyFaricazy Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    i dont think i copied the data file correctly

    Faricazy on
  • potatoepotatoe Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    halkun now has your credit card numbers

    potatoe on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    There should be a readme with the zip file

    halkun on
  • Threadbare SockThreadbare Sock regular
    edited October 2008
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bjhDN5b5J4

    wooo hubble woo

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF_6iZIlYrE
    this is the never used russian space shuttle
    no its not our shuttle
    yes it looks just like it
    oh russia

    Threadbare Sock on
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  • Threadbare SockThreadbare Sock regular
    edited October 2008
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM_bQ4Ir-Zo

    oh god young Sagan
    i just a little hotnbothered

    Threadbare Sock on
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  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Faircrazy, did you get Celestia to work?

    halkun on
  • BearcatBearcat Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    I can't find the "Navagation" tab.

    Bearcat on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    You have to be windowed, it's along the top menu bar (see my screenshot above) Second one over.

    halkun on
  • the wookthe wook Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    In about 3 weeks the messenger spacecraft will fly-by my outer balls

    the wook on
  • BearcatBearcat Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    halkun wrote: »
    You have to be windowed, it's along the top menu bar (see my screenshot above) Second one over.

    Actually, I can't even unzip the Messenger data. It says it's "missing".

    Bearcat on
  • Mister LongbaughMister Longbaugh Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    downloading now.

    Mister Longbaugh on
  • The Otaku SuppositoryThe Otaku Suppository Bawstan New EnglandRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Remember when people were Launched into Space instead of being jailed?

    That was the best thing.

    The Otaku Suppository on
  • iusehappymodiusehappymod Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    the wook wrote: »
    In about 3 weeks the messenger spacecraft will fly-by my outer balls

    Which is a shame really, because its the inner balls that are truly breath taking.

    iusehappymod on

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  • RykeRyke Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Bleh, I can't seem to get this to work and I unzipped all the data files to the directory. Humph!

    Ryke on
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  • grandmastervadergrandmastervader Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Which are the two files that need to be copied?? Messenger data has a couple of folders.

    grandmastervader on
  • LardalishLardalish Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Man, I gatta get up early tomorrow, someone record this.

    Lardalish on
    holyfuckgodzillatextmultisig.jpglardgagsigsize.pnglarddragonitetlv9sigsize.pngKillItWithNuclearFire.gif
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  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Sorry... Here are the instructions. They've updated the dataset.. The new install instructions are here
    To install this add-on, copy the SSC file to your Celestia\extras folder, the model to your Celestia\models folder, the XYZ file to your Celestia\data folder, and the textures to your Celestia\textures\medres folder.

    halkun on
  • BearcatBearcat Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Alright, got it.
    Messenger is GOOOOOO!!!!!11


    140,000 km out.

    ...

    139,950 km

    Faster dammit.

    Bearcat on
  • grandmastervadergrandmastervader Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    How did you get the camera to face mercury? I have messenger on my screen but the camera isn't facing the planet.

    grandmastervader on
  • BearcatBearcat Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    grandmastervader wrote: »
    How did you get the camera to face mercury? I have messenger on my screen but the camera isn't facing the planet.

    Right click and drag about till you find it.

    Playing melancholy classical music while watching this gives me acute space dementia.

    Bearcat on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    If you want to catch the highlight, you can fast-forward the simulation with the "L" key. You can slow the simulation with "K" and you can go backwards with "J". To reset back to normal time for to Time -> Set Time and push the button that says "Set to current time"

    halkun on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    grandmastervader wrote: »
    How did you get the camera to face mercury? I have messenger on my screen but the camera isn't facing the planet.

    you press the "1" key and then press the "C" key.

    halkun on
  • BearcatBearcat Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    halkun wrote: »
    If you want to catch the highlight, you can fast-forward the simulation with the "L" key. You can slow the simulation with "K" and you can go backwards with "J". To reset back to normal time for to Time -> Set Time and push the button that says "Set to current time"

    No, I'm waiting this shit out, hardcore.

    I just turned stars from "fuzzy points" to "points".
    God damn.

    Bearcat on
  • Mister LongbaughMister Longbaugh Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    i tried to download some nicer textures but them shits don't work.

    Mister Longbaugh on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Now, dpepending on how much you want to abuse your gaphics card, you can go to The Motherlode and download ships, new texture maps and all kinds of goodies. The Mercury surface texture that is being applied is not real, because half the planet hasn't been mapped yet. The current fly-by is to gather more data.

    The is a map of what is currently know about the surface. When the High-res data is updated, armature cartographers will update the "real" textures. If you want to turn on only the known data you can, but Mercury will ook like a half-grey ball.

    th_55487_Screenshot-Celestia5_122_228lo.jpg

    halkun on
  • halkunhalkun Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    fictional_Spaceman_Spiff_1__lukr.jpg

    halkun on
  • IskanderIskander Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    A Mercury fly-by thread and this has not been posted yet? Inconceivable!

    http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKq1qfdmWk

    Iskander on
  • Mister LongbaughMister Longbaugh Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    i loved that movie so much.

    Mister Longbaugh on
  • Threadbare SockThreadbare Sock regular
    edited October 2008
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Mercury_in_color_-_Prockter07_centered.jpg


    oh god look at that fucker

    http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/281521main_flyby2_20081007_226.jpg

    this is what we used to think she looked like

    http://www.schneiderism.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/mercury_tour.jpg
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Mercury_Mariner10.jpg

    that wierd flat band is actually where they didnt have any photos so they left the area blank

    but now we have some awesome new shit

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Mercury_in_color_c1000_700_430.png


    check here for more stuff
    http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/multimedia/index.html

    (all planets are female fuck you even mars)

    Threadbare Sock on
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  • The Black HunterThe Black Hunter The key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple, unimpeachable reason to existRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Mercury is just grey it seems

    not very exciting

    the sparkly bits look nice though, kinda pearly

    The Black Hunter on
  • IskanderIskander Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    that sure is a round grey planet, right there

    Iskander on
  • Threadbare SockThreadbare Sock regular
    edited October 2008
    ffffff you guys are why nasa has no moneeyy~

    Threadbare Sock on
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  • The Black HunterThe Black Hunter The key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple, unimpeachable reason to existRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    The planets not being cooler looking and not having dinosaurs and cool looking plants is why NASA has no money

    The Black Hunter on
  • IskanderIskander Registered User regular
    edited October 2008
    at least mars is red or something

    Iskander on
  • The Black HunterThe Black Hunter The key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple, unimpeachable reason to existRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    mercury is like a big moon

    but if you walk on it you burn to death

    kinda gay

    The Black Hunter on
  • Threadbare SockThreadbare Sock regular
    edited October 2008
    on the dark part of mercury that is rotating into the sunlight, you would freeze to death :D



    then your corpse would be cremated as the sun came up

    Threadbare Sock on
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  • The Black HunterThe Black Hunter The key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple, unimpeachable reason to existRegistered User regular
    edited October 2008
    Mercury is a total dick

    The Black Hunter on
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