Mercury Retrograde Orbit

[Dave Delete]

When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012, forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

so looking at the solar sytem from above the Sun, Mercury is running clockwise and venus is running counterclockwise.

[Alexander Wolf (alexwolf)]

For Venus - please read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus#Orbit_and_rotation

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Thanks but Venus isn't the problem, Mercury is. Venus was mentioned for reference. Run an animation forward in daily increments. Watch what happens to Mercury's disk size once it stalls on the east side. I gets smaller meaning Stellarium has it going clockwise around the Sun.

> Date: Fri, 25 May 2012 17:40:43 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 1004587] Re: Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> For Venus - please read
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus#Orbit_and_rotation
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004587
>
> Title:
> Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Status in Stellarium:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012,
> forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get
> smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's
> moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun
> (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each
> other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with
> Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium/+bug/1004587/+subscriptions

[Alexander Wolf (alexwolf)]

Please show screenshot, because I don't understand whats problem with Mercury orbit and/or disk size.

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

The problem can't be recreated with a still shot. Do you not understand what I am saying ? Mercury is orbiting the wrong way. Run it yourself, just like I instructed. Alternatively, pass it along to someone else in your group.

> Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 04:51:41 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 1004587] Re: Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Please show screenshot, because I don't understand whats problem with
> Mercury orbit and/or disk size.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004587
>
> Title:
> Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Status in Stellarium:
> New
>
> Bug description:
> When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012,
> forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get
> smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's
> moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun
> (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each
> other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with
> Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium/+bug/1004587/+subscriptions

[Alexander Wolf (alexwolf)]

Mercury has correct orbiting way and I don't understand what you mean where say about bug. Can you publish log.txt from Stellarium and screenshot from described problem?

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

SCREEN SHOT DOES NOTHING TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROBLEM !! Run an animation or give the problem to someone else who's mother-tongue is English. I can't be any simpler or clearer in my emails.

> Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 13:43:09 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 1004587] Re: Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Mercury has correct orbiting way and I don't understand what you mean
> where say about bug. Can you publish log.txt from Stellarium and
> screenshot from described problem?
>
> ** Changed in: stellarium
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004587
>
> Title:
> Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Status in Stellarium:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012,
> forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get
> smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's
> moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun
> (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each
> other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with
> Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium/+bug/1004587/+subscriptions

[Worachate Boonplod (worachateb)]

Did you zoom-in to see the real disk of Mercury? Its apparent diameter is larger when moving towards the Sun as normal.

But If you watch in the wider sky, Mercury gets smaller because of dimming brightness, not because of shrinking apparent size.

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Well obviously if I zoom in on anything, it will appear bigger. This makes no sense for the disc to be reduced in diameter on the proximal orbit. It should be blacked out at that point, if that is what is to be illustrated. Why doesn't Venus fade to a speck on the same part of it's orbit ? Do things get larger as they approach us or smaller ? Run it continuously by holding the = key down. Does t appear to be moving clockwise or counter clock ?

> Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 02:00:54 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 1004587] Re: Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Did you zoom-in to see the real disk of Mercury? Its apparent diameter
> is larger when moving towards the Sun as normal.
>
> But If you watch in the wider sky, Mercury gets smaller because of
> dimming brightness, not because of shrinking apparent size.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004587
>
> Title:
> Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Status in Stellarium:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012,
> forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get
> smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's
> moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun
> (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each
> other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with
> Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium/+bug/1004587/+subscriptions

[Alexander Wolf (alexwolf)]

*facepalm* Charles, what operating system and version of Stellarium you use?

[Alexander Wolf (alexwolf)]

I captured video of Mercury where he move over their orbit - please look at distance, apparent diameter and phase on this video. What is wrong?

Video: http://astro.uni-altai.ru/~aw/stellarium/mercury.ogv

[T. Roll. Arium (r7g0a-spam)]

Indeed, the size of Mercury's dick seems to decrease as he is approaching the viewer. Interestingly, it's getting longer while getting closer to Venus.

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

0.11.0 Windows 7. My point is why was the program designed with Mercury getting bigger the further away it gets while Venus hardly changes. Its very confusing to watch as it orbits.

> Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 06:36:39 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 1004587] Re: Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> *facepalm* Charles, what operating system and version of Stellarium you
> use?
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004587
>
> Title:
> Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Status in Stellarium:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012,
> forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get
> smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's
> moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun
> (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each
> other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with
> Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium/+bug/1004587/+subscriptions

[Alexander Wolf (alexwolf)]

Version 0.11.0 having a bug in calculation of phase for Mercury. Please upgrade it on version 0.11.3.

[Dave Delete (deleteaccount-deactivatedaccount)]

Thank you.....resolved !!

> Date: Sun, 27 May 2012 16:15:13 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 1004587] Re: Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Version 0.11.0 having a bug in calculation of phase for Mercury. Please
> upgrade it on version 0.11.3.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1004587
>
> Title:
> Mercury Retrograde Orbit
>
> Status in Stellarium:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> When I run an animation of Mercury's orbit from about March 2012,
> forward, stepping in days, using the +/= key, I see Mercury's disk get
> smaller on the eastern edge of it's orbit. To me that means it's
> moving away from me. Venus moves from the east , past the sun
> (transit) on June 5. They appear to be moving countercyclical to each
> other. Am I having a Homer Simpson moment ? Is it something to do with
> Kepler's Laws. I can't figure this out.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium/+bug/1004587/+subscriptions