Author Topic: Night sky  (Read 3617 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Marco2001

  • Mission Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 353
Night sky
« on: September 06, 2010, 08:48:04 PM »
As an astro-amateur with a telescope I couldn't help to notice that the night sky in MCO was very simplified.
There was no stars, consetelations, planets or Nebulae I could have recognized.
The night sky looks like this:

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8095/skybox5.png

The only thing you could notice is the Phobos Moon:
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7932/phobosf.png

And that's basically it.

I did some Night sky simulations seen from Mars with Stellarium program and this is more likely how it would look like:
(click the link below the picture for a bigger one)

http://img816.imageshack.us/img816/562/stellarium000.png
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5604/stellarium000b.png

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/3324/stellarium001.png
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3324/stellarium001.png

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5208/stellarium002.png
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/5208/stellarium002.png

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9786/stellarium003.png
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/9786/stellarium003.png

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1487/stellarium004n.png
http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/6593/stellarium004.png


Basically, what's the difference?
Earth night sky is a little blue becouse of the atmosphere.
Mars atmosphere is thiner, that's why it looks so dark.
That is also why there are so many stars.
Morover - There is no light polution (which I set in the program as low as possible).
I also tried to add the fog of dust on Mars, but it seems that it's only visible when it's day or dawn.
I think that's accurate since dust can only be seen when it's blocking the sunlight.

On Earth night sky, there is (in my oppinion) about 5 deep-space objects seen on the night sky with bare eyes.
With Mars super sky conditions they would be perfectly visible. Player would (out of curiosity) use the binacullars (zoom option) to better see them.
One of them is: Plaiades

http://www.anjodeluz.net/telepatia/the-pleiades-2.jpg

As you can see from this basic photographs, the pleiades look like a bright cloud, and draws the viewer attention:
http://home.comcast.net/~edwelda//pwpimages/.__400_271_Joson-Aguirre_Pleiades.jpg
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/phys/luzader/cac/constellations/pleiades.jpg
http://www.mikesalway.com.au/wp-content/uploads//2010/05/observatory-venus-moon-m45-2-6511-600px.jpg

The other vissible object is the Andromeda Galaxy:


http://www.lesbeninger.com/astronomy_images/m31jyb20080710.jpg

I think that in order to make such a beutiful and realistic sky all there needs to be done is to make a skydome/skybox with such texture.

About the Moons. Mars has 2 Moons: Phobos and Deimos.
We only see Phobos in MCO. It would be nice to have 2 moons :-)
Phobos is a static feature in MCO. Normally it cycles on the sky about 3-4 times a day.
It would be nice to have a realistic Martian Moon cycles (or Sky rotation for that matter) in MCO.
Makeing rotating night-sphere or cycling moons seems easy to program. Even I did it in one game (and I don't program). It's just a matter of ordering the skybox/shydome rotate around the "camera".
On the other hand....I do realize that the gameplay in MCO is so speeded-up that player could actually see the rotation of the sky.

Adding super-realistic astounding night sky, that would have detailed objects and that rotates just like in symulators would not be unnoticed! Every player would be able to gaze upon the beutiful night sky, MCO could advertise this, and game critics would add many points to the graphical aspect of the game.  ;)


EDIT: i changed some pictures into links.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2010, 08:02:02 AM by Marco2001 »

Poland here. My time: GMT + 1h
Writing a book about Mars. Any ideas? Type to me.
I'am an Astrobiology/Biology student.

Hyper

  • Administrator
  • Mission Commander
  • *****
  • Posts: 1247
Re: Night sky
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2010, 08:53:35 PM »
It was just a generic sky, when I have time I can make some changes there. Please dont post so many pictures, the database is getting huge, post links when you can..

profit004

  • MCCS Test
  • Mission Commander
  • ******
  • Posts: 418
Re: Night sky
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2010, 10:00:57 PM »
just want to point out, with the super thin atmosphere of mars, the Hubble images of the stars should be about spot on.

Eldruin

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 50
Re: Night sky
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2010, 07:15:11 AM »
i gotta say, i simply love that bottom picture  :)