SOLUN' - THE POCKET PLANETARIUM
BETA TEST VERSION
(C) Copyright 2001, 2003 David Rushall
"Is that a galaxy in your
pocket
or are you just pleased to see me?"
Contents
- Introduction
- License, Disclaimer, Conditions of Use
- Installation
- A Quick Tour
- Troubleshooting
- Contacts
Solun'
(so'lun prime)
is a small planetarium application designed
for use on many platforms that have a Java runtime
environment, including PersonalJava devices.
Paying particular attention to the needs of smaller
devices, this is my attempt to combine the best features
of the popular Solun for Symbian OS (EPOC) and the
unfinished Solun for RISC OS with more accurate
astronomical calculations.
Solun' is copyright software, released under a
"Charityware" license. It is free to use but if you
like it you may wish to make a donation to an
environmental or humanitarian charity of your choice.
See below for details.
Visit the Solun' home-page, at
http://www.piecafe.demon.co.uk/ ,
for latest news and screen shots.
- Solun', also known as jSolun, is copyright software.
It is NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN.
This test version MAY NOT BE CARRIED ON OTHER WEB SITES,
OR REDISTRIBUTED BY ANY OTHER MEANS, without first
obtaining the permission of the author.
- WARNING THIS SOFTWARE IS A TEST PROTOTYPE.
Users who install this application do
so at their own risk. As a stand alone application,
Solun' can access the filing system and other resources
of your machine. IN INSTALLING THIS APPLICATION, YOU
ARE ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY BE
CAUSED.
- This application is for entertainment use only and may
display inaccurate results. This application should
never be used for navigation or situations where
life or property is at risk.
By installing this software, you accept all
responsibility for any direct or indirect loss or
damage arising from the use or misuse of the
software. This software is supplied "as-is". The
author does not warrant that this software has no
defects or will not have adverse effects.
You are advised to take precautions to
protect your device from viruses and data loss.
- Solun' is copyright software, released under a
"Charityware" license. You are granted permission
to use this software provided you do not do so for
profit, do not alter it in any way and accept the
other conditions of use. The rights to this package
remain the property of the author. The right to
withdraw this license at any time is reserved.
- Solun' is free to use but if you like it you may
wish to make a donation to an environmental or
humanitarian charity of your choice.
Note: The following terms used in this
document are trademarks of others:
EPOC,
Java,
Jeode,
Nokia,
PersonalJava,
Psion,
Sharp,
Sony Ericsson,
Symbian,
Symbian OS,
Zaurus.
The following sections outline how to install and use
this version of Solun'. Please follow the
instructions appropriate for your platform.
The distribution ZIP file contains the following files:
- These installation instructions:
readme.txt and readme.htm
- The main application package SIS file:
jSolunP800.sis
3.1.1 Install
- Before installing software, it is recommended that
you close all applications and back up your machine.
- If you have already installed a previous version
of Solun', please consider the following.
- If you are upgrading from an early test version of
Solun' that was not packaged in a SIS file,
remove the contents of the jSolun directory that you
previously created manually.
- If you are upgrading from a version that was
packaged in a SIS file and wish to use the new default
settings (e.g. city database and comet and asteroid
database) uninstall the old Solun' before installing the
new version.
Disregard this step if this is the first time you have
installed Solun' or are upgrading from a previous
jSolunP800.sis package and wish to keep your current
settings.
- Install the main application, jSolunP800.sis ,
in the normal manner.
You will be warned that Solun' is not digitally
signed. If you do not wish to installed unsigned software
cancel the installation at this point.
Note: Please read all messages carefully.
- Look in the "Unfiled" folder of the application
launcher for the new Solun' icon.
Please consult your device manuals for more details of
these operations.
3.1.2 Uninstall
- Make sure that the Solun' application is not running.
- Using "Uninstall" on the application launcher menu,
remove the Solun' application.
The distribution ZIP file contains the following files:
- These installation instructions:
readme.txt and readme.htm
- The main application package SIS file:
jSolunER5.sis
3.2.1 Install
- Before installing software, it is recommended that
you close all applications and back up your machine.
- Ensure that the standard EPOC Java
runtime is installed, from the CD that was supplied with
your machine.
- If you have already installed a previous version
of Solun', please consider the following.
- If you are upgrading from an early test version of
Solun' that was not packaged in a SIS file,
remove the contents of the jSolun directory that you
previously created manually.
- If you are upgrading from a version that was
packaged in a SIS file and wish to use the new default
settings (e.g. city database and comet and asteroid
database) uninstall the old Solun' before installing
the new version.
Disregard this step if this is the first time you have
installed Solun' or are upgrading from a previous
SIS package and wish to keep your current
settings.
- Using PsiWin2 or the "Add/Remove" icon on the EPOC Control
Panel (if you have it), install the main application,
jSolunER5.sis .
Note: Please read all messages carefully.
- During the installation, you will be asked whether your
machine has a colour display. Select "Yes" for full-colour
support, for the Series 7 or netBook. Select "No" for the
high-contrast mode on a Series 5mx.
- Look in "Extras" on the machine for the new
Solun' icon.
Read the Special Notes below for this platform before
you start the application.
Please consult your device manuals for more details of
these operations.
3.2.2 Uninstall
- Make sure that the Solun' application is not running.
- Using the "Add/Remove" icon on the EPOC Control Panel,
remove the Solun' application.
3.2.3 Special notes
- Press the Menu key to access the application menu.
- Although Solun' uses a relatively small amount of
space when not in use, up to 3MB memory is needed
to run this Java application.
- When starting Solun' or if insufficient memory is
available to the Java environment, you may experience
an "AWT" error message and the application may close.
This appears to be due to a limitation in the Java
runtime on this platform.
- Due to a limitation in the Java runtime on this
platform, do not attempt to run two Java applications
simultaneously. If you do, both programs may fail
immediately.
- To bring Solun' to the foreground when it already
running, use the "Open programs" dialog (hold Ctrl and
click the System icon). Do not reuse the Solun' icon
in "Extras" as this will attempt to start another
instance of Solun'. This appears to be due to an error
in the Java runtime on this platform.
- This platform has a limited number of time
zones available. In particular, British users
will have to use GMT all year around. See
time and date section in the Quick Tour (below)
for more information.
The distribution ZIP file contains the following files:
- These installation instructions:
readme.txt and readme.htm
- The main application package SIS file:
jSolunER6.sis
3.3.1 Install
- Before installing software, it is recommended that
you close all applications and back up your machine.
- Ensure that the standard Symbian OS Java
runtime is installed from the CD that was supplied with
your machine.
- If you have already installed a previous version
of Solun', please consider the following.
- If you are upgrading from an early test version of
Solun' that was not packaged in a SIS file,
remove the contents of the jSolun directory that you
previously created manually.
- If you are upgrading from a version that was
packaged in a SIS file and wish to use the new default
settings (e.g. city database and comet and asteroid
database) uninstall the old Solun' before installing the new
version.
Disregard this step if this is the first time you have
installed Solun' or are upgrading from a previous
SIS package and wish to keep your current
settings.
- Install the main application, jSolunER6.sis ,
in the normal manner.
You will be warned that Solun' is not electronically
signed. If you do not wish to installed unsigned software
cancel the installation at this point.
Note: Please read all messages carefully.
- Look in the "Extras" group on the machine for the new
Solun' icon.
Read the Special Notes below for this platform before
you start the application.
Please consult your device manuals for more details of
these operations.
3.3.2 Uninstall
- Make sure that the Solun' application is not running.
- Using "Install/Remove" on the device control panel,
remove the Solun' application.
3.3.3 Special notes
- Solun' is written in Java designed primarily for
devices with a pen or pointer input. As these are not
available on the Nokia 9210, special considerations
must be made:
- Press the Menu key to access the application menu.
- To operate a dialog button, tab to it and press
Enter or Space. You can also use Esc to cancel any dialog.
- It is not possible to use the application's button
bar without a pen, but all the functions are available
on the menu.
- To resize or move a window, press Ctrl and Menu
to access the window menu.
- Although Solun' uses a relatively small amount of
space when not in use, up to 3MB memory is needed
to run this Java application.
The distribution archive contains the following files:
- These installation instructions:
readme.txt and readme.htm
- The main application package file:
jsolun_0.51a_arm.ipk
3.4.1 Install
- Before installing software, it is recommended that
you close all applications and back up your machine.
- If you have already installed a previous version
of Solun', please consider the following.
- If you are upgrading from an early test version of
Solun' that was not packaged in a IPK file,
remove the files and directories that you
previously created manually.
- If you are upgrading from a version that was
packaged in a IPK file and wish to use the new default
settings (e.g. city database and comet and asteroid
database) uninstall the old Solun' before installing the new
version.
Disregard this step if this is the first time you have
installed Solun' or are upgrading from a previous IPK
package and wish to keep your current settings.
- Install the main application package in the normal
manner. Solun' can be installed either into RAM or on to a
CF/SD card.
- Look in the "Jeode" tab on the machine for the
new Solun' icon.
Read the Special Notes below for this platform
before you start the application.
Please consult your device manuals for more details of
these operations.
3.4.2 Special notes
- Due to a suspected bug in the implementation of time
zones in the Jeode runtime, the GMT time reported to
Solun' may be incorrect.
Even though the General information dialog may show the
correct civil time, the Julian date may be incorrect by
several hours hours out and consequently the calculations
and displays may be incorrect.
At the time of writing, there does not appear to be a
fix, but it may be worth consulting the web site containing
notes on the problem.
A workaround is to configure your Zaurus to use a
city that is supported by the Jeode runtime. You can
then configure Solun' to use the city and time zone of
your choice. Cities that are apparently supported correctly
are:
Africa/Casablanca, Europe/Paris, Africa/Cairo, Asia/Riyadh,
Asia/Tehran, Asia/Yerevan, Asia/Karachi, Asia/Calcutta,
Asia/Dacca, Asia/Bangkok, Asia/Shanghai, Asia/Tokyo,
Australia/Darwin, Australia/Sydney, Pacific/Guadalcanal,
Pacific/Fiji, Pacific/Apia, Pacific/Honolulu,
America/Anchorage, America/Los_Angeles, America/Denver,
America/Chicago, America/New_York, America/Caracas,
America/St_Johns, America/Buenos_Aires, America/Sao_Paulo,
Atlantic/Cape_Verde, America/Costa_Rica, Asia/Beirut,
Africa/Johannesburg, Asia/Jerusalem, Europe/Moscow,
Asia/Vladivostok, Australia/Hobart.
- Although Solun' uses a relatively small amount of
space when not in use, up to 5MB memory is needed
to run this Java application.
Once you have installed the Solun' application, you are
ready to take a quick tour. The following instructions
should get you started.
Find the "Solun'" icon in your device's application
launcher (e.g. "Extras") and launch it in the normal manner.
Depending on the speed of your machine, it may take a few
seconds for the initial display to appear.
If this is the first time you have used Solun', you will
first see the "About Solun'" information panel. Read the
contents carefully and select "Continue". The main
application window will now appear, with the world map
display.
The main application window displays various pieces of
information and provides the application menus through
which you control Solun'. It may have a number of elements.
However, the presence and content of these elements depends
on the type of device you are using, the size of the window
and your preferences settings.
- Main display area
- This is the area in which the graphical views are
displayed. The contents of this area are controlled by
the "View" menu card, but more on this later.
- Window title bar
- If applicable to your device, this area shows the
name of the current view, and the location for which
the view is drawn. It also shows the information
normally displayed in the status area if that is
disabled.
- Status area
- When enabled, this area appears beneath the main display
area and shows the date and time for the display, and
possibly other information.
- Time toolbar
- If present, the Time toolbar appears underneath
or to the right of the main area. The buttons
can be used to control whether the display is
updated in real time, or is animated (more on
this later). If the bar is not available, the
animation status is reflected in the status area.
- View toolbar
- If present, the View toolbar appears above
or to the left of the main area. These buttons
contain controls specific to the current view
and change when a different view is selected.
Depending on the type of device you are using, you may be
able to re-size the main window, and the display will
automatically re-size to suit. The main "Solun'" menu card
may also offer you a "Window" sub-menu with the ability to
select which elements will appear on the application window
and open multiple application windows to show different
displays.
To begin using Solun', it is important to select your
location. This is done using the "Set location" item of
the "Solun'" menu. You can select from one of the defined cities,
or create one of your own, using "New".
If you need to enter a new location, you will need to
provide:
- The location or city name
- The longitude and latitude of the location.
- The altitude of the location above sea level.
(Enter 0 if you do not know otherwise.)
- The average height of the horizon at your location.
(This value is currently ignored,
enter 0 if you do not know otherwise.)
When you have selected your city, press the "Done"
button. The current display will automatically update to
reflect your new location.
Your location is shown on the World map view, as a
red blob. If the World map view is not visible, select
it from the "Other views" sub-menu of the "View" menu.
The world map shows the current position of the sun
and moon.
It can also represent the area of the world in daylight
and moonlight and the cities defined in the "Set location"
dialog.
The "View preferences" item in the "View" menu
allows some elements of the current view to be
configured. Select "View preferences" when the
world map is displayed to control the elements
that appear on the map.
The world map can also be used to select a location,
on devices with a pen or pointer input. Tap the map at
a location and the co-ordinates will automatically become
the current longitude and latitude, and the display
will be updated.
This feature is only active it "Pointer sets location"
is selected in the preferences dialog.
There are three summary star chart views available
on the "View" menu. These show the same elements
from differt orientations.
- Horizon chart
- Depicts the sky from the current location,
focusing along the horizon.
The horizon is drawn near the bottom of the display
and marked with the four main points of the compass.
- Zenith chart
- Represents the sky around the point directly above
the current location.
- Ecliptic chart
- Shows the position of the sun, moon and planets
against the static constellations.
Select the "Horizon chart" now.
The summary star charts show the position of the sun
and moon, using the same symbols as the world map view.
Notice that the moon symbol changes to reflect the
current phase.
However, it is not rotated so the
phase is correctly aligned against the background.
The positions of the planets are represented by
symbols within a circle. The meaning of these and other
symbols can be found using the "Symbols" item on the
"Information" menu.
The charts can also represent the constellations by
abbreviated name (see "Symbols" for meanings), an outline
of their shape or their brightest stars. The summary
charts do not display all stars visible to the naked
eye.
The "View preferences" for these views are split into
different dialog panels. The first panel contains the
controls for the specific view, such as the direction
and scale.
For the Horizon and Ecliptic chart, you can set
the direction at the centre of the chart (azimuth
angle for the Horizon chart, and right ascension
for the Ecliptic chart). Alternatively, you can
track the current position of an object or
constellation to set the direction automatically.
The horizontal field of view controls the scale by
selecting how much of the sky is visible; reduce
this value to zoom in.
The Zenith chart is controlled by the field of
view and controls to rotate or mirror image the
display.
The second panel, contains the settings
that effect all three summary chart views, such as the
items to display on the chart.
This panel is accessed by pressing the "More"
button on the first panel.
In addition to choosing a location for a chart, you
may also wish to display a chart for a different time
or date. Each time you start Solun', it will display the
current time and date, according to your device.
In order to conserve battery life, the display time
and date is not normally updated automatically.
If Solun' left running the display will become out
of date as time passes.
This paused mode is represented on the button
bar by the Pause button (two vertical bars) being
depressed.
You can update the display for the current time by
pressing the Space key, or selecting "Use current time"
from the "Solun'" menu. Alternatively, you can use
the Now button (single arrow and vertical bar) on
the button bar.
4.6.1 Real time update and animation
If you wish Solun' to automatically update the
display to keep track of the current time, press the
Play button (single arrow), or select the "Real time"
item on the "Animate" sub-menu, of the "Solun'" menu.
The Play button is shown depressed in this mode.
The animation feature also allows the time and date
to be run faster then real time, or even backwards.
To start the animation, press the Fast Forward button
(two arrows) or select "Start" from the "Animate"
sub-menu. The Fast Forward button is shown depressed
in this mode.
The speed of the animation is configured by the
"Settings" item of the "Animate" menu. You can select
the unit and increment of each animation frame, and
the rate of frame display. If the increment value
is positive,
time will advance forwards. Enter a negative increment
value to run time backwards.
You can also single-step the animation, frame by
frame. Use the "Step forwards" or "Step backwards"
items on the "Animate" sub-menu, or press either of the
Skip buttons (two arrows and a vertical bar). After
you single step the animation, the Pause state is
automatically selected.
Important: Using the automatic update or
real time displays may shorten the battery life of your
device. Always stop these functions when you no longer
need them, by pressing the Pause button, or selecting
either "Use current time" or "Stop" (from the "Animate"
sub-menu).
4.6.2 Selecting an event
Finally, it is possible to enter a specific date
and time, using the "Set date" item of the "Solun'"
menu. If you have a device with a pointer or pen input,
note that numerical fields, such as the day
of the month, can either be entered directly, or
modified using the on-screen "+" and "-" controls.
The "Events" button on the "Set date" panel allows
you to store and select from specific dates and times.
This operates in a similar manner to the location
selection dialog.
Note: Take care to check the time zone when
entering or reading a date. Solun' lists and
uses the standard time zones available on the
device. On some platforms, the names of the
available time zones can be a little
misleading, especially to British users. For
example "BST" does not indicate
British Summer Time. British users may
have to use "GMT" (which does not honour
summer time) all year around.
4.7.1 Other views
The following list summarises the remaining views you
will find on the "Other views" sub-menu of the "View"
menu.
- Moon phase
- Represents the phase of the moon and can be
configured for conventional (northern) orientation
or inverted for the southern hemisphere.
The moon phase display also shows eclipses, at
appropriate times. A solar eclipse is represented
as the sun being covered by the moon. A lunar eclipse
is represented by the position of the moon within the
Earth's shadow.
- Orrery
- An orrery represents the positions of the planets
in their orbit around the sun. The orbit of each
planet is represented as an ellipse, and the position of
the planet by its symbol. The orrery view is drawn in 3D.
This is best appreciated by
dragging the pointer or pen left and right anywhere within
the orrery display to change the scale, or drag up and down
to adjust the inclination.
You can also adjusting the scale, inclination and orientation,
using "View preferences".
- Jupiter's moons
- This display shows the positions of the four main
"Galilean" moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede and
Callisto. The display has two parts.
The horizontal line at the top represents the view from
Earth, with the moons appearing each side of the disk of
Jupiter.
Underneath this, the orbit of the moons around Jupiter is
shown, from above the northern pole.
If the display is large enough, vertical lines appear
and the disk of Jupiter is drawn to scale relative to
the positions of the moons (although the moons
themselves are not drawn at their true size).
- Saturn's rings
- The apparent angle of the rings of Saturn as
viewed from the Earth, orientated with the northern
pole uppermost.
4.7.2 Time plots
The views in the "Time plots" sub-menu of the
"View" menu show how an aspect changes over a
period, from days to years. Time is shown on the
horizontal axis, with the vertical axis being drawn
at the selected time and date.
The lines are labelled using the normal symbols
for the sun, moon and planets. Note that these do not
represent the current position, which is given
where the line crosses the vertical axis.
If enabled, in "View preferences", you can set the
current time and date by tapping on the display with
the pen or pointer.
- Right ascension plot
- Shows the movement of the objects around the
sky as seen from the Earth. When the lines cross,
the objects will appear close together in the sky.
In addition to the sun and planets, the line marked
with a black circle represents the "midnight"
position, directly opposite the sun.
- Declination plot
- Shows vertical movement of the objects as seen from
the Earth.
- Heliocentric plot
- Shows the movement of the objects as seen from
the sun. When the lines cross, the objects will be
in line with the sun.
- Magnitude plot
- Shows the changing apparent magnitude (brightness)
of the brightest planets as seen from the Earth.
- Lunar event plot
- The lunar event plot shows the position of the
sun, midnight (the point directly opposite the sun),
the moon and the moon's ascending and descending
nodes. When the moon crosses the sun or midnight
line near one of its node lines, there may be an
eclipse. These possible eclipses are marked and
dated.
- Day length plot
- Shows the changing sunrise and sunset times at the
current location. The inner lines represent the moment
on sunrise and sunset, with the space between them
representing the length of the day. The further lines
represent the stages of twilight; civil, nautical
and astronomical.
- Jupiter's moons plot
- The movements of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter
over a period of a few days; Io, Europa, Ganymede and
Callisto.
- Day chart
- The Day chart represents the height of various
objects in the sky over a 24 hour period. The vertical
axis represents the selected time and the horizontal
axis the horizon. The height of the sun, moon and
planets over the day is traced as a series of curves.
The point at which the curve crosses the horizontal
scale gives the approximate time of rise or set.
In addition to the graphical displays, Solun' has
a number of panels that display numerical information.
These include details of the sun, moon and planets,
including rise and set times. On most platforms,
they may also show a small graphical display.
The items available on the "Information" menu
include:
- General
- Current date, time and observer location.
Includes times of sunrise and sunset and twilight
for current day (as defined by current time zone).
A small world map display may be included.
- Sun
- Statistics relating to the position of the sun.
Includes the details of next sunrise and sunset
(i.e. the first sunrise and sunset after the current
time, not necessarily the sunrise and sunset of the
current day).
A small day chart display showing just the sun
may be included.
- Moon
- Statistics relating to the position and phase
of the moon.
Includes the details of next time the moon rises
and set after the current time.
A small moon phase display may be included.
- Moon phases
- Displays the dates and times of the moments
of New Moon and Full Moon over a period of months.
If there is likely to be an eclipse at this time,
an "Eclipse" button is included. When this is
pressed, a second panel is displayed to display the
details of the eclipse from your location.
- Planets
- This sub-menu contains items that display
statistics relating to each of the planets.
In addition to the position and phase of the
planet, there is a listing of its satellites.
Includes the details of next time the planet rises
and set after the current time.
A small day chart display showing just the sun
and selected planet may be included.
Note: When reading a time or date from an
information panel, remember to take note of the
time zone.
If you have followed this Quick Tour you will have
been introduced to the main features of Solun' and know
how to operate them. If you explore a little
you'll find more features which operate in a
similar manner. Have fun and above all...
Good Stargazing!
If you are experiencing problems when using Solun' then
there are a few things you can do.
- Memory is often in short supply on PDA devices so
if the application exits unexpectedly, then try closing
other applications before trying again. It may also be
a good idea to avoid using the "New window" function
within the Solun' application.
- If the displays appear to be incorrect by a few
hours, ensure that your machine's local time zone is
configured correctly, so applications such as Solun'
can read the current GMT time. Sharp Zaurus users
should also be aware of the time zone problem outlined
in the Zaurus installation section, above.
- Please check the platform specific platform
installation sections above for other common
problems.
If you still have a problem, you can always
try sending me an email. To help me understand the
problem, please try to include the following information.
- The Solun' version number.
- Details of the device you are running on.
- A clear description of what you were attempting to do
when the problem occurred.
- Accurate details of any error messages that were
produced.
- An image of the screen would be helpful, if you have
any display or layout problems.
- If possible, please include the application INI file.
This is normally called "jSolun.ini" or ".jsolun", but its
location will depend on the device.
For Symbian OS (EPOC) devices:
"C:\System\Apps\jSolun\jSolun.ini"
For Sharp Zaurus devices:
"/opt/QtPalmtop/java/jsolun/jSolun.ini"
If you have any comments or suggestions about this application
then I can be contacted at the following locations:
- World Wide Web:
- http://www.piecafe.demon.co.uk/
- Email:
- solun@piecafe.demon.co.uk
For the latest information about Solun', please visit my
home-page on the
World Wide Web.
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