Visible Solar System Bug?

[BBQedIguana]

Hi guys,

I recently bought the VIC-1930 cartridge - The Visible Solar System. Seems to work excellently, except when in "P" mode (for Planets), I can only seem to toggle through Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn using the "P" key. The instructions clearly indicate I should also be able to view Mercury and Venus, but alas they do not come up.

I tried it also in VICE using a download of the .prg from Zimmers, and it does the same thing - so I'm guessing it's either a bug in the software, or I missed something in the instructions.

Has anyone else run into this? Just curious if old age is catching up on me, or if there actually is a problem.

Thanks!

Rick

[orion70]

Hi Rick,

I'm guessing it's either a bug in the software, or I missed something in the instructions.

I think you missed something in the instructions (page 7):

The VISIBLE SOLAR SYSTEM contains detailed models of the planets Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are outside the viewing range of your starship.

"outside the viewing range of your starship" = "outside the RAM capabilities of your VIC-20".

[Mike]

So it's about time to reprise Visible Solar System, with all planets - and their data ...?

[orion70]

Absolutely.

[Schema]

Now there's a fun idea. Visible Solar System 2009 Edition!

And Pluto isn't a planet anymore, so there's one less to do

[BBQedIguana]

I think you missed something in the instructions (page 7):

The VISIBLE SOLAR SYSTEM contains detailed models of the planets Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are outside the viewing range of your starship.

"outside the viewing range of your starship" = "outside the RAM capabilities of your VIC-20".

Ah! That would be it! Thanks for pointing that out. I appreciate it. (Must be getting old and low on RAM myself...)

[carlsson]

How about an extended version that loads data about all known bodies in space, including stars and galaxies far, far away? While Commodore were limited to 8-16K of space, a modern version could easily use 166K of a floppy disk or even multiple disks if required.

[orion70]

It would be great. Something like a scaled-down version of Stellarium or Dance of the Planets...

[carlsson]

Give it until Thursday, and I'm sure Mike has whipped up at least a working prototype using Mini-Grafik.

[orion70]

Mike, are you reading this thread? All amateur astronomers here are waiting for your suggestions...

[Mike]

Yes, I'm reading it.

Some quick research about the amount of data: I envision the program should at least display stars up to 4th magnitude, that'll be ~700 stars with their rectascension and declination, name, magnitude, and class.

Then Sun, Moon (with phase), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus (although that one already is 5th mag) - for Neptune you already need a small telescope.

The Sun, and the planets already require your position on earth to be taken into account, so positions of some big cities will have to be included as well. And the date calculation.

Only some rough thoughts at the moment, and preferably I'd like to do that not as a one-man project. Any volunteers?

... using Mini-Grafik.

Of course.

Greetings,

Michael

[orion70]

I could collect positional data from tables in the internet, and provide physical data about stars and extra-galactic objects, along with their Messier catalog number.

Let's give us some day to think about the program structure, and let people join the project, then we will be able to open another thread: the Very Integrated Cosmology (VIC) program.

[carlsson]

I've already begun on a very crude adaption of Uranus by Holst.

[orion70]

Excellent- even if it's unusual to begin with the soundtrack .
Uranus is also a great name for the program itself:

[carlsson]

Well, I made that music a year ago or more so no new developments. And I'll freely admit the working title in my music program is "your anus".