Stars Control
Based on a theme by Jeremiah Hughes
Download Stars.ocx Visual Studio Control

This control resizes based on the Width Property.

This ActiveX control plots a star database on a view of 180 degrees horizontally, and 90 degrees vertically. Please send bug reports to me at desertphile @ hotmail .com

The control includes two plots: one on a X,Y grid (called "Euclidian" here in the control) and the other on a X,Y,X grid ("Cartesian"). These two words are not accuratly used, but I have used them for lack of a better pair of words. See below for the difference between the two.

The control also has three different settings for which stars to show based upon the stars' magnitudes (brightness).

This image shows the control in the "Euclidian" plot, all stars included, and looking at the sky at the compass direction of 113 degrees. Orion is shown here rising, with Sirius below.

The "Euclidian" plot gives the more accurate view of the two plots, but it is still not what one actually sees in the sky: the real sky is shaped like a dome, with high altitudes curving up and behind the observer--- where as this ActiveX control must perforce plot on a flat computer screen.

This image shows some of the stars have been omitted via the Magnitude Property set to "Medium."

This image shows the compass bar at the bottom of the control, the top in "Cartesian" mode and the bottom in "Euclidian" mode. Note that both are looking in the direction of 253 degrees (via the Compass Property), yet the "Cartesian" plot is clumped together in the center of the screen and spread out towards the ends. This is because the "Cartesian" plot attemps to mimic the dome shape of the night sky, and then flattens it out (as if with a big hammer).

Thus with the "Cartesian" plot you will find stars' azimuths curve inward from the top center of the control, and spread wider while going downward, in an arc.

Days may be greater than 31, hours may be greater than 24, minutes may be greater than 59, and seconds may be greater than 59---- this allows the programmer to add increments to the control's timing properties without having to program the math.

Latitude and Longitude must be entered in decimal format: South latitude is negative, and West longitude is negative.

Events:

DblClick [When Plot Swap is disabled]
StarsError(ErrorNumber, ErrorDescription)

Methods:

RightNow

Properties:

Compass
Magnitude
Latitude
Longitude
TimeZone
TimeZone
TheMonth
TheDay
TheHour
TheMinute
TheSecond
DateTime
SwapPlotsOnDoubleClick
PlotType

Error Codes

0 - No Current Error
1 - Compass direction must be from 0 to 360 degrees.
2 - Latitude must be from -90 to 90 degrees.
3 - Longitude must be from -180 to 180 degrees.
4 - Time Zone must be from -12 to 12 hours.
5 - Year must be from 1950 to 2100.
6 - Month must be from 1 to 12.
7 - Day must be 1 or greater.
NMEA Sage Home Page

The Banded Compass Control
The Compass Control
The North Biased Compass Control
The Goto Control
Course and Speed (Ground)
The Position Control
Engine RPM Control
The Rudder Control
The GPS Satellite Health Control
The GPS Satellite Elevation Control
Set and Drift control
The NMEA Talker Control
Depth and Water Temperature Control
The Wind Control
The Cross Track Alarm Control
The Pilot Control
Waypoint Plotter Control
Radar Control
Goto Simple Control
Stars Control