Download Adding Planetary Bodies

Adding Planetary Bodies
Planetary bodies include planets, dwarf planets, moons, comets and asteroids. The orbits and physical characteristics of these bodies are
described in the .../data/ssystem.ini file.
The file format follows .ini file conventions. Each section in the file represents the data for one planetary body. Each section has values as
described in table. Items in red have been found in ssystem.ini files, but have yet to be verified in the official documentation.
Name
absolute_magnitude
albedo
ascending
atmosphere
Format
float
float
float
float?
big_halo_size
float
color
r,g,b
coord_func
string
halo
hidden
landscape
lighting
minor_planet_number
name
oblateness
orbit_ArgOf Pericenter
orbit_AscendingNode
orbit_Eccentricity
orbit_Epoch
boolean
boolean
string
boolean
float
string
float
float
float
float
float
Description
Jupiter
Specify the albedo of the body
Orbital element used in ell_orbit calculations
0.51
1
The angular size of the big halo texture. Typical values range
between 10 and 200.
Colour of object (when rendered as a point). Each of r,g,b is a
floating point number between 0 and 1.
Select the method of calculating the orbit. Possible values are:
ell_orbit, comet_orbit, <planet>_special (specific calculations
for major bodies).
If true, the body will have a halo displayed round it when it is
bright enough
Display planet as seen from other bodies, or not
1.0,0.97,0.89
jupiter_special
true
Turn on or off lighting effects
true
English name of body, case-sensitive
??
Object parameter used in comet_orbit calculations
Keplarian orbital element
Keplarian orbital element
Jupiter
orbit_Inclination
orbit_LongOfPericenter
orbit_MeanAnomaly
orbit_MeanLongitude
orbit_MeanMotion
orbit_PericenterDistance
orbit_Period
orbit_SemiMajorAxis
orbit_TimeAtPericenter
orbit_visualization_period
float
float
float
float
float
float
float
float
float
float?
parent
PrecessionRate
radius
rings
rings_outer_size
rings_inner_size
rot_epoch
rot_equator_ascending_node
string
float
float
boolean
float
float
float
float
rot_obliquity
rot_periode
RotationPeriod
rot_pole_de
rot_pole_ra
rot_precession_rate
rot_rotation_offset
sidereal_period
slope_parameter
float
float
float
float?
float?
float
float?
float
float
tex_big_halo
string
Keplarian orbital element
Orbital element used in ell_orbit calculations
Object parameter used in comet_orbit calculations
Orbital element used in ell_orbit calculations
Object parameter used in comet_orbit calculations
Time for one full orbit in days
Keplarian orbital element
Object parameter used in comet_orbit calculations
4331.87
English name of parent body (the body which this body orbits,
e.g. in the case of our Moon, the parent body is Earth)
Sun
Radius of body in kilometers
71492
Rotational parameter
Angle between rotational axis and perpendicular to orbital
plane in degrees
Specify the rotational period of the body in hours
9.927953
64.49
268.05
degrees/j.century
250
Rotational period in days
File name of a PNG or JPEG texture file to be used as the "big
halo" image
tex_halo
string
tex_map
tex_ring
type
string
string
string
File name of a PNG or JPEG texture file to be used as the
halo image if the halo option is set to true
File name of a PNG or JPEG texture file to be applied to the
object. Texture file is searched for in the .../textures directory
star16x16.png
jupiter.png
The official wiki states “Orbital calculations for the major planets is handled by sophisticated custom algorithms, and are accurate for a
comparatively long time. For asteroids and comets the calculations are not as accurate, and the data in ssystem.ini for these bodies should be
updated periodically (every year or two).”
At present this must be done manually by editing the ssystem.ini file. NO!
We tend to take the standard file that comes with each Stellarium release – just in case changes have been made at source - and paste in the
sections for extra objects that we want at the end of the file.
An example entry might look like this:
[ceres]
name = Ceres
parent = Sun
radius = 470
oblateness = 0.0
albedo = 0.113
halo = true
color = 1.0,1.0,1.0
tex_halo = star16x16.png
coord_func = comet_orbit
#orbit_TimeAtPericenter = 2453194.01564059
#orbit_PericenterDistance = 2.54413510097202
orbit_Epoch = 2453800.5
orbit_MeanAnomaly = 129.98342
orbit_SemiMajorAxis = 2.7653949
orbit_Eccentricity = 0.0800102
orbit_ArgOfPericenter = 73.23162
orbit_AscendingNode = 80.40970
orbit_Inclination = 10.58687
lighting = true
sidereal_period = 1680.15
There is other data available via the Stellarium Web site / Wiki. We will attempt to document data we have used.