Title :
The Solar System Modeler
Author :
Stytz, Martin R. ; Vanderburgh, John ; Banks, Sheila B.
Author_Institution :
Air Force Inst. of Technol., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA
Abstract :
The authors undertook the Solar System Modeler project to improve comprehension and appreciation of the size, complexity, and splendor of the solar system. To do so, the Solar System Modeler must (1) accurately portray the orbital behavior of satellites, planets, comets, and other celestial bodies, and (2) function in a distributed virtual environment. Additionally, the system needs to: provide a flexible, 3D graphical user interface for immersive operation; assist the user in comprehending the state of the virtual environment; accurately portray the stars and their locations; graphically model all bodies throughout the solar system in 3D and to the same scale; and maintain an interactive frame rate. They describe how they met these requirements
Keywords :
astronomy computing; data visualisation; digital simulation; distributed processing; graphical user interfaces; solar system; virtual reality; Solar System Modeler; celestial bodies; comets; distributed virtual environment; flexible 3D graphical user interface; graphical model; immersive operation; interactive frame rate; orbital behavior; planet; satellites; star locations; stars; Earth; Graphical user interfaces; Information analysis; Mathematical model; Moon; Planetary orbits; Planets; Satellites; Solar system; Virtual environment;
Journal_Title :
Computer Graphics and Applications, IEEE
