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http://en.spaceengine.org/index/faq/0-29
Q: Will there be a version for Mac and Linux?
A: Yes, this is planned for in the near future.
The interface can be a little finicky, so be patient with it.
"Settings - View" allows you to turn on/off the procedurally generated galaxies, stars, clusters, nebulae, and planets. I prefer to have most of these off, except for planets. It will be fun to watch the datasets get updated over the next few years, allowing us to have actual depictions of real planets.
Click on objects to select them and get stats like diameter, mass, and distance away from your current position. Selecting an object displays crosshairs on it or an arrow pointing in its angular direction that allow you to find it more easily.
WASD for basic movement. Left click and drag to shift your viewing angle.
Use a scrollwheel to control your velocity. If you collide with a star, planet, asteroid, etc. your velocity gets reset to a low number. As you get closer to objects, you tend to zip past them unless you lower your velocity at the same time as you adjust your angle to approach it head on.
Right click and drag allows you to rotate around the object you're following. Right click on an object to get a menu that allows you to go to the object or follow it.
Magnifying glass icon is the Find Object/"Go to" menu. If you have procedural planets on, try going to "Kraz 7.4" (no quotes). Then right click Kraz 7.4 and select the Parent option.
Try going to:
- Saturn
- Pluto
- Ceres
- Dysnomia
- Psyche
- Pleiades
- HIP 13484 3.D3
- Alnitak
- WOH G64
- HIP 28285 5.S47
(Score: 2) by CoolHand on Thursday January 19 2017, @12:39PM
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday January 19 2017, @12:44PM
I have not used Celestia. I have used Stellarium [stellarium.org], which is more down-to-Earth, so to speak... useful for naked eye or hobbyist telescope amateur astronomers.
I have also used Google Earth's astronomical imagery feature. That program allows you to toggle a layer of community-added notes marking interesting features.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by CoolHand on Thursday January 19 2017, @02:58PM
Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job-Douglas Adams
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday January 19 2017, @03:49PM
These videos show off a little bit of the capabilities of Space Engine:
Flying to the Andromeda supermassive black hole (11:59): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS1lTFVMlsc [youtube.com]
Moons of Saturn (11:03): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8wByCuUuZI [youtube.com]
The YouTuber also uses a program called Universe Sandbox² [wikipedia.org] that I hadn't heard of.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]