BEWARE! This software is under active development. Components contain bugs, unimplemented and partially-implemented features, diagnostic and debug code, and are subject to incompatible changes at any time. This repository is intended to serve as a backup and archive of my development repository, and while you're welcome to use any code you find here (subject to the terms of LICENSE.md), be aware that it may not have been adequately tested or, indeed, work at all. When the product is released to the Second Life Marketplace, this disclaimer will be removed.
Fourmilab Orbits is a model of three kinds of astronomical systems for the Second Life virtual world. The models include:
- Bodies in the solar system, including planets, major satellites, and minor planets (asteroids and comets) specified by their orbital elements in a variety of public databases. Models of planets and moons are included, allowing deployment of authentic scale models of the solar system.
- Arbitrary n-body systems of masses evolving in space according to Newtonian gravitation, computed through numerical integration. A model of the solar system based upon the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's state vector is included, demonstrating the stability of our solar system.
- Objects (infrared sources) orbiting the central black hole of the Milky Way Galaxy, based upon the most recent published data.
The motion of objects is shown in three-dimensional space, with optional tracing of the paths of motion, plotting of orbits and open (parabolic and hyperbolic) trajectories, and fitting of ellipses to orbits.
This repository contains all of the software and resources, including programs in Linden Scripting Language, textures, notecards, and development documentation, tools, and resources used the model and its development. The actual model is built within Second Life and these components are installed within it.
The complete package is available for free in the Second Life Marketplace. This repository contains everything in the model (except the prims, which are objects built within Second Life), plus additional resources for developers who may wish to extend or adapt the model as they wish. The model is delivered with "full permissions": those who obtain it are free to copy, modify, and transfer it to other users within Second Life.
All of this software is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. Please see LICENSE.md in this repository for details.
Please see the Fourmilab Orbits User Guide for details.