Objects' raise/set time changes during night

[mabatko]

Expected Behaviour

Raise/culminate/set times are consistent during night

Actual Behaviour

Raise/culminate/set times change during night

Steps to reproduce

• pick star on the east
• notice its set time
• speed up time
• notice set time when star is on the west
• there is a ~4 minutes difference

System

• Stellarium version: stellarium-0.90.0.16394-win64.exe
• Operating system: Windows 7
• Graphics Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family

Logfile

log.txt

[alex-w]

On the first screenshot I see RTS times for 22 November, on the second screenshot RTS times on 23 November. Yes, the difference is ~4 minutes per day and this is correct.

[mabatko]

Times change during night gradually. There is not 4 minute jump on midnight.

[dkechag]

@mabatko Is correct. The rise/set/transit times for objects vary throughout the day. Start going hour by hour an the values change without going to the next day.

[mabatko]

@alex-w , interestingly enough, the Observability Analysis plugin shows times correctly (consistently).

I tried version 0.18.1 in which was this feature added and it is broken there as well.

Screenshots from 0.18.3:

[axd1967]

indeed, Obs plugin (in version 0.20.1) does not suffer for this problem (and also correctly shows the transit time)

[axd1967]

it also looks like

• set time is correct until just before the actual setting, and is recomputed after rise
• rise time is correct once past rise time and is recomputed at set time
• the plugin probably does not take diameter into account
• the plugin does take refraction into account
• the plugin behaves badly below the horizon

at first sight, the plugin gives more correct data that Stellarium.

[h2ologg]

Hi folks, I'm running 6 astrophysics classes using Stellarium to plan and view the lunar eclipse 5/26/2021 from Manhattan Beach California. Very difficult to plan moonrise and set times if the times change based on what class is studying the program. Any fixes? It makes one feel that Stellarium is not to be trusted if rising/setting times change throughout the day.

[axd1967]

Hi folks, I'm running 6 astrophysics classes using Stellarium to plan and view the lunar eclipse 5/26/2021 from Manhattan Beach California. Very difficult to plan moonrise and set times if the times change based on what class is studying the program. Any fixes? It makes one feel that Stellarium is not to be trusted if rising/setting times change throughout the day.

As a workaround, consider using the Observability plugin instead (see https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/issues/554#issuecomment-617078153) ? Remember to review the plugin's parameters; and the plugin behaves strangely below the horizon (at least for the Moon).

[gzotti]

We will not fix it before May 26. But it is an open issue. When other issues which we consider more important will have been solved, this is on the list of issues which will at some point in time be fixed. However, this is still a voluntary/weekend project. The Zero in the version number has a reason.

The best thing to "plan" some eclipse moonrise or other event is to actually simulate it. Place the moon on the horizon and read the time.

[h2ologg]

Got it and thanks. I’ll rewrite my instructions to the students.

Best, Dan

On May 25, 2021, at 12:49 PM, Georg Zotti @.***> wrote:

 We will not fix it before May 26. But it is an open issue. When other issues which we consider more important will have been solved, this is on the list of issues which will at some point in time be fixed. However, this is still a voluntary/weekend project. The Zero in the version number has a reason.

The best thing to "plan" some eclipse moonrise or other event is to actually simulate it. Place the moon on the horizon and read the time.

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[alex-w]

Please check the latest stable version of Stellarium: https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/releases/latest