Solar_system_simulation_CcpC

Solar System Simulation 3D:

Features:

• fast and accurate representation of all of the planets and bigger moons using Keplerian elements in 3D (including tilt, spin and tidal locking of applicable moons e.g. Earth’s moon)
• ‘real time’ data on velocity and position of the selected planet
• possibility to add your own celestial bodies and change the parameters of existing ones (by editing dictionaries in files planets.py and moons.py)

Controls:

Simulation controls

• click on the celestial body to center your screen on it - the camera is going to follow
• zoom in by dragging your mouse holding down ALT key
• rotate by dragging your mouse holding down CTRL key
• change the speed of the simulation by pressing Q (speed up) or A (slow down)
• press L to turn on/off the label when in planet/spaceship view (on by default)
• to pause press P
• to exit close the window or press ESC key

Spaceship controls:

• press S to enter spaceship mode

  Thrusters: (to accelerate faster * just hold the button)

  • press ARROW UP to accelerate in the direction of motion
  • press ARROW DOWN to decelerate in the direction of motion
  • press ARROW RIGHT to accelerate towards the Sun
  • press ARROW LEFT to accelerate from the Sun
  • press D to accelerate upwards (when in clockwise orbit)
  • press C to accelerate downwards (when in clockwise orbit)
  • press 0 to shut down all thrusters

  Pre-programmed scenarios: (use them if spaceship goes out of control)

  • press 1 to choose Lagrange point 3 (L3 ‘counter-Earth’)
  • press 2 to choose polar orbit around the Sun
  • press 3 to choose orbit of the probe Helios 2
  • press 4 to choose the orbit of Halley’s comet

Requirements:

• simulation requires following Python packages: vPython, NumPy, SciPy

Environment setup process:

*Create a Conda Environment: “ conda create –name simulation_env python=3.10 “

• Activate the Environment: “ conda activate simulation_env “
• Install Required Packages: “ conda install -c conda-forge vpython numpy scipy “

Directory Structures

Ensure your directory structure is like this: simulation/ ├── textures/ │ └── (all texture files including neptune.tga) ├── README.md ├── graphics.py ├── inceptor.py ├── info.py ├── key_control.py ├── main.py ├── moons.py ├── parameters.py ├── planets.py ├── raphson.py ├── screenshots.jpg ├── spaceship.py ├── update.py └── uvf.py

Running Your Script

Ensure all the necessary modules (planets.py, moons.py, graphics.py, etc.) are in the same directory as your main script (main_script.py). Your texture files should be inside the textures directory.

Run the script:

Make sure you are in the directory where main_script.py is located and your Conda environment is activated. Then, run the script: “ python main_script.py “

Future improvements:

• some shadows are missing (not supported by vPython module)
• axial precession of planets is not included
• Sun is stationary (not orbiting barycenter)
• gravity of the planets is not accounted for in the spaceship simulation (issues with scale factor for the planets radii)
• moons are not labeled
• due to float precision moons are not perfectly tidally locked