transit_of_venus.ssc

//
// Name: Transit of Venus
// License: Public Domain
// Author: Peter Hickey
// With thanks to Barrykgerdes and daggerstab for their contributions
// Description: Transit of Venus as seen from Sydney Australia, 6th June 2012.
//
//

// The following two functions were copied from a script by Schdefon

function blockText(textArray)
{
	var fontSize = 30;
	var lineSep = fontSize * 1.5;
	y = 250 + (lineSep*textArray.length);
	ids = new Array();
	for(i=0; i<textArray.length; i++)
	{
		ids[i] = LabelMgr.labelScreen(textArray[i], 30, y, false, fontSize, "#ff0000");
		y = y - lineSep;
	}

	for(i=0; i<ids.length; i++)
	{
		LabelMgr.setLabelShow(ids[i], true);
		core.wait(0.15);
	}
	return ids;
}

function clearLabels(ids)
{
	for(i=0; i<ids.length; i++)
	{
		LabelMgr.setLabelShow(ids[i], false);
		core.wait(0.15);
	}
	core.wait(1);
	for(i=0; i<ids.length; i++)
	{
		LabelMgr.deleteLabel(ids[i]);
	}
}

// Save the current location, if it's from the default list 
location = core.getObserverLocation();

// Set up the display and the location to Sydney, Australia 
core.moveToAltAzi(10, 90, 3);

StelMovementMgr.zoomTo(180, 5);

core.setDate("2012:06:05T21:06:50","utc");
core.setObserverLocation("Sydney, Australia");

ids = blockText(Array("NEVER look directly at the Sun!"));
core.wait(5);
clearLabels(ids);

core.clear("natural");
core.selectObjectByName("Sun", false);

ids = blockText(Array("Sydney Australia",
                      "2012-06-06", "Sunrise"));
core.wait(5);

//Advance an hour
core.setDate("2012:06:05T22:08:00","utc");

// Select Venus and  Zoom to a suitable size to display and track

core.selectObjectByName("Venus", true);
StelMovementMgr.setFlagTracking(true);
StelMovementMgr.zoomTo(1.04, 5);
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("just below the Sun.",
                      "The planet Venus"));
core.wait(5);

//Turn off Landscape, Atmosphere and Fog
LandscapeMgr.setFlagLandscape(false);
LandscapeMgr.setFlagAtmosphere(false);
LandscapeMgr.setFlagFog(false);
clearLabels(ids);

ids = blockText(Array("Dobsonian Telescope","as seen through a","Sydney Australia",
                      "2012-06-06", "Transit of Venus"));
// Set display to a suitable size for viewing the Sun
StelMovementMgr.zoomTo(0.875, 5);
core.selectObjectByName("Sun", false);
StelMovementMgr.setFlagTracking(true);
core.wait(5);

// Quicken up the display 60 times
core.setTimeRate(60);
core.waitFor("2012:06:05T22:10:00", "utc");
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("First Contact approx 8:12 a.m."));
core.wait(15);
core.waitFor("2012:06:05T22:30:00", "utc");
clearLabels(ids);

ids = blockText(Array("Second Contact approx 8:30 a.m."));
core.wait(15);

//Speed up for remainder of Transit until third contact
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("for approximately 6 hours.",
	"across the face of the Sun","Venus continues to transit"));
core.setTimeRate(800);
core.wait(25);
core.setTimeRate(60);

//Prepare for third contact
core.waitFor("2012:06:06T4:24:00","utc");
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("Third Contact approx 2:20 p.m."));
core.wait(10);
core.waitFor("2012:06:06T4:44:00", "utc");

clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("Fourth Contact approx 2:39 p.m."));
core.wait(5);
clearLabels(ids);

ids = blockText(Array("than a century away. ",
		"The next Transit of Venus is more "));
core.wait(5);
clearLabels(ids);

// View Transit in Equatorial Mode 
core.setDate("2012:06:05T21:06:50","utc");
core.setObserverLocation("Sydney, Australia");
core.setMountMode("equatorial");
ids = blockText(Array("NEVER look directly at the Sun!"));
core.wait(5);

clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("just above the Sun.",
                      "The planet Venus"));
core.wait(5);
clearLabels(ids);

ids = blockText(Array("Equatorial Telescope","as seen through an","Sydney Australia",
                      "2012-06-06", "Transit of Venus"));
core.selectObjectByName("Sun",false);
core.wait(5);
clearLabels(ids);

//Advance an hour
core.setDate("2012:06:05T22:08:00","utc");
core.setMountMode("equatorial");

// Set display to a suitable size for viewing the Sun
StelMovementMgr.zoomTo(0.875, 5);
core.selectObjectByName("Sun", false);
StelMovementMgr.setFlagTracking(true);
core.wait(3);

// Quicken up the display 60 times
core.setTimeRate(60);
core.waitFor("2012:06:05T22:10:00", "utc");
core.setMountMode("equatorial");
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("First Contact approx 8:12 a.m."));
core.wait(15);
core.waitFor("2012:06:05T22:30:00", "utc");
core.setMountMode("equatorial");
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("Second Contact approx 8:30 a.m."));
core.wait(15);

//Speed up for remainder of Transit until third contact
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("for approximately 6 hours.",
	"across the face of the Sun","Venus continues to transit"));
core.setTimeRate(800);
core.wait(25);
core.setTimeRate(60);

//Prepare for third contact
core.waitFor("2012:06:06T4:24:00","utc");
core.setMountMode("equatorial");
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("Third Contact approx 2:20 p.m."));
core.wait(15);
core.waitFor("2012:06:06T4:44:00", "utc");
core.setMountMode("equatorial");
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("Fourth Contact approx 2:39 p.m."));
core.wait(10);
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("than a century away. ",
		"The next Transit of Venus is more "));
core.wait(5);
clearLabels(ids);
ids = blockText(Array("Returning to current time and date."));
core.setTimeRate(1);
StelMovementMgr.setFlagTracking(false);
StelMovementMgr.zoomTo(180, 5);
core.moveToAltAzi(10, 180, 3);
core.wait(3);

//Restore the original location
core.setObserverLocation(location); 
core.setDate("now");
core.clear("natural");
LandscapeMgr.setFlagLandscape(true);
LandscapeMgr.setFlagAtmosphere(true);
clearLabels(ids);