Stellarium View of Jupiter are timing correct for GSB

[lifeonmars]

Hello everyone ,just zoomed into jupiter on stellerium and compared the transit times of gsb across the meridian of the planet with this website www.projectpluto.com/jeve_grs.htm the timing for tonights transit is 21.14 gmt.When I fast forward Stellarium its vanished from view by that time.

Two questions is Stellarium reliable in this respect of timing transits and if so how to correct stellarium to read the same hope I am making sense.Thanks for your help!

[Steve Ward]

I find that it's pretty accurate regarding moon positions and transits but way off regarding the Great Red Spot.

Been that way for the last three versions I've used , not sure whether there's a fix for it . . ?

Steve.

[lifeonmars]

Thanks for that info Steve think I will stick to the tables,just seems a shame,good to know it not to bad for transits of the moons etc

[Stu]

Have a search on the forum, there is a parameter which you can set in one of the setup files for Stellarium which corrects the position. Because it is not a fixed object, it drifts over the years so you need to change it every now and then

Stu

[Mondlicht13]

There is a freeware application called WinJupos which you should try. www.grischa-hahn.homepage.t-online.de/astro/winjupos

After dialling in your co-ordinates this will provide accurate timings for Jupiter's features. It also provides detailed information for the Sun, Moon and other planets.

Hope this helps

Mike

[Steve Ward]

Thanks Stu ,

I shall rely on another source for the info , if I was to start messing with things I dread to think what I'd end up with . . . .

Steve.

[lifeonmars]

Thanks for all the above information everyone will have a good look at all the resources mentioned above thanks everyone!

[astromerlin]

Hi, This info is for XP but the files should be the same for all win platforms you will need to do a search for it.

Locate "C:\Program Files\Stellarium\data\ssystem.ini"

Open the file with Wordpad

Scroll down the settings until you find [Jupiter]

Find the setting: rot_rotation_offset = 93 #just some value good for GRS #old:151

As you can see I've reset my value to 93. This provides a near approxamation to the current position for the GRS

When you save and close the file, make a short cut for the desktop as the setting will change over time.

Hope this helps

[lifeonmars]

Blimey John I would never have worked that one out ! Thanks for that will give it a try although i`m no computer expert I think I can work that out from your instructions thanks

[astromerlin]

Your welcome, Not my discovery though, I have been imaging the GRS recently and noticed the position error in Stellarium and after a bit of net searching found the info.

It certainly makes life easier to pop up Stellarium now and check for the GRS position, all we need now is cloud positions preferably not where i'm imaging.

[Stargazer_00]

have you accounted for the light speed issue with stellarium? The version as it comes cleanly installed shows without the light speed lag it takes for the movements of jupiter to actually appear at your eyeball on earth. I had an similar issue last winter when Stellarium told me Io was going to be appearing from behind Jupiter and I looked and looked and looked and saw nothing. I did some research and found that a setting in the Stellarium config file wasnt set to allow for light speed, facepalm moment. Wondering why it wasnt set as a default option I corrected it and then sure enough Io transited exactly at the expected time.