Planetary orbit time lapse gif with visible star spin

Just thought you guys might like this:

S0HEgnQ.gif


I'm in the process of compiling a slightly larger one, from further out (greater timespan, more visible star activity).

Incidentally, this was shot from regular space - evidently, it's possible to be out of sync with celestial bodies.

EDIT: Second one is done -

JLcy8Vi.gif


This one is at twice the speed - whole thing would have taken about 12 minutes.

EDIT: This is what happens when you're a writer nobody's heard of, and you start making gifs at 4am:

tDe1bVd.gif


LOOK AT IT BOUNCE! WOOOOO! Boing boing boing boing boing boing

EDIT3:

Here's one I made earlier. And by earlier I mean just now.
OSmMYis.gif
 
Last edited:
A 14-year old copy of "Animation Shop" that comes with paintshop pro >.<

EDIT: Oh, and Fraps, the screenshot thingy set to every 4 seconds.

EDIT EDIT: Which I guess means that gif represents about 6 minutes.
 
Last edited:
Dude that is awesome, what was duration of this capture? I'm saving this image, I may have just found a new live wallpaper for my phone.


+1 virtual rep since I guess I repped you already somewhere else.
 
Last edited:
Oh, and that planet is very close to the star. I don't have the patience to do a time lapse on anything further out :p

I'm also planning on doing a sort-of time lapse of my journey from a system called Aditi, to the Pleiades Nebula. But since it's harder to get the same orientation after each jump, even with a point of reference, it won't look so smooth.
 
Last edited:

vonvonbraun

Banned
This is amazing, i was actually asking myself if planet moves when in front of a big gas giant in normal space


thats quite a fast orbit there
 
It's a small star, and a very close planet - the only reason I even noticed it was moving was because it was so fast.

I'm still not sure what the range of orbital synchronicity is though. I'm tempted to find out if it's possible for a planet to just... run into you.
 
Very nice job, have some rep. Interesting to see that the planet is tidally locked. Try and get a planet with a moon for your next one, that would be fun to watch.
 
Yeah, good point.

I guess I have a new goal for my explorations. Until tonight, I had no idea it was even possible to grab this kind of shot... but it does require very tight orbits (or you'd have to be willing to record for hours)
 
Great stuff! Whenever I think the forums have become too negative something like this post comes along :) good job man! + rep.
 
Awesome. But now I'm even more disappointed with the always online requirement.

I loved sitting around on a planet in Frontier Elite, turn up the time compression and watch the heavens spin. Or to get in an elliptical orbit (never managed a round orbit) and become part of the star system at 1000x times time compression.

I wish there was a solo mode that did away with frame shift drive and had the option of boosting to the halfway point and braking the rest of the way with time compression. With a flight computer that can calculate slingshot maneuvers and shows you the optimal path to follow. It doesn't have to be complicated, yet more interactive than frame shift drive is now. Just that pesky always online requirement that forces all the bodies to stay in normal time :/
It would open plenty new gameplay options, fast routes vs economic routes with timed deliveries.
 
Good stuff. +1 Rep. I didn't even think the planets moved, aside from rotating. Entertaining and educational. And nice eclipse shot. You really put some effort into this :)
 
Back
Top Bottom