Provided by: xplanet_1.3.0-1_amd64 bug

NAME

       xplanet - render an image of a planet into an X window or file

SYNOPSIS

       xplanet [options]

DESCRIPTION

       Xplanet  is  similar  to Xearth, where an image of the earth is rendered into an X window.
       All of the major planets and most satellites can be drawn.   A  number  of  different  map
       projections  are  also  supported, including azimuthal, Mercator, Mollweide, orthographic,
       and    rectangular.     The    latest    version    can     always     be     found     at
       http://xplanet.sourceforge.net.

OPTIONS

       Options need only be specified with enough characters to be unambiguous.  Valid options to
       Xplanet are:

       -arc_file
              Specify an arc file to be plotted against the background stars.  Each line  in  the
              file must have the following syntax:

              dec1 ra1 dec2 ra2

              where  declination  is in degrees and right ascension is in hours.  This option has
              no effect if -projection is specified.

       -arc_spacing spacing
              When drawing an arc, draw line  segments  that  are  spacing  degrees  apart.   The
              default is 0.1 degrees.  Line segments shorter than spacing will not be drawn.

       -arc_thickness thickness
              Specify  the  thickness  of  arcs.  The default is 1 pixel.  When drawing arcs on a
              planet using the arc_file option in the configuration file, use  the  arc_thickness
              option there too.

       -background background_file
              Use  background_file  as  the  background image, with the planet to be superimposed
              upon it.  A color may also be supplied (e.g. -background "navy blue" or -background
              0xff00ff).

       -base_magnitude magnitude
              A  star  of the specified magnitude will have a pixel brightness of 1.  The default
              value is 10.  Stars will be drawn more brightly if this number is larger.

       -body body
              Render an image of the specified planet or satellite.  Valid values  for  body  are
              sun,  mercury,  venus,  earth,  moon,  mars,  phobos,  deimos, jupiter, io, europa,
              ganymede, callisto, saturn, mimas, enceladus, tethys, dione, rhea, titan, hyperion,
              iapetus, phoebe, uranus, miranda, ariel, umbriel, titania, oberon, neptune, triton,
              nereid, pluto, charon, random, and major.

              The field of view can also be centered on a  satellite  location  using  "naif"  or
              "norad", along with the satellite id.  For example, "-body naif-82" will center the
              field of view on NAIF ID -82, which  is  the  Cassini  orbiter.   Xplanet  must  be
              compiled  with  SPICE  support  and  the required kernels must be present.  See the
              README in the spice subdirectory for more details.  Using "-body  norad20580"  will
              center  the  field  of view on NORAD ID 20580, which is the Hubble Space Telescope.
              The appropriate TLE files must be present in this case.   See  the  README  in  the
              satellites subdirectory for more information.

              Using  "path"  will  center  the  field  of  view on the direction of motion of the
              origin.  This direction is  relative  to  the  direction  of  motion  of  the  body
              specified by -path_relative_to.

              Earth is the default body.  This option is the same as -target.

       -center +x+y
              Place  the center of the rendered body at pixel coordinates (x, y).  The upper left
              corner of the screen is at (0,0). Either x or y may be negative.  The default value
              is the center of the screen.

       -color color
              Set  the color for the label.  The default is "red".  Any color in the rgb.txt file
              may be used.  Colors may also be specified by RGB hex values;  for  example  -color
              0xff and -color blue mean the same thing, as do -color 0xff0000 and -color red.

       -config config_file
              Use  the configuration file config_file.  The format of config_file is described in
              README.config.  See the description of -searchdir to see  where  xplanet  looks  in
              order to find the configuration file.

       -create_scattering_tables scattering_file
              Create  lookup  tables  for  Rayleigh scattering.  See the README in the scattering
              directory for more information.

       -date YYYYMMDD.HHMMSS
              Use the date specified instead of the current local time.  The date is  assumed  to
              be GMT.

       -date_format string
              Specify  the  format  for  the  date/time  label.   This format string is passed to
              strftime(3).  The default is "%c %Z", which shows the date, time, and time zone  in
              the locale's appropriate date and time representation.

       -dynamic_origin file
              Specify  an observer location.  The location is relative to the body specified with
              -origin (by default, this is the Sun).  The last line of the file must  be  of  the
              form

              YYYYMMDD.HHMMSS range lat lon localtime

              For example,

              19951207.120000     10.328   -3.018   97.709    9.595

              The  specified  time  is  ignored  and  the  current time is used.  The range is in
              planetary radii, and lat and lon are in degrees.  Localtime (in hours) is optional,
              but  if  present, it will be used in place of the longitude.  Only the last line of
              the file is used.  This file may be  updated  between  renderings  using  a  script
              executed with the -prev_command or -post_command options.

       -ephemeris_file filename
              Specify  a JPL digital ephemeris file (DE200, DE405, or DE406) to use for computing
              planetary      positions.       Xplanet      uses      Bill       Gray's       code
              (http://www.projectpluto.com/jpl_eph.htm),  which  reads both big and little endian
              binary       files.        The        ephemeris        files        found        at
              ftp://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/eph/export/unix  are  big  endian  files, but you do not
              need to do any additional byte-swapping  to  use  them.   See  the  description  of
              -searchdir to see where xplanet looks in order to find the ephemeris file.

       -font fontname
              Set  the  font  for  the  label.  Only TrueType fonts are supported.  If the -pango
              option is used, fontname is taken to be the font family name (e.g. "Arial").

       -fontsize size
              Specify the point size.  The default is 12.

       -fork  Detach from the controlling terminal.  This is useful on MS Windows to run  xplanet
              from  a batch file without having to keep a DOS window open.  Be careful when using
              this option; it's easy to have multiple processes running at the same time  without
              knowing  it - check the Task Manager.  On unix systems this is pretty much the same
              as running xplanet in the background.

       -fov   Specify the field of view, in degrees.  This option  and  the  -radius  option  are
              mutually exclusive.  This option has no effect if the -projection option is used.

       -geometry string
              Specify   the   image  geometry  using  the  standard  X  window  geometry  syntax,
              [<width>{xX}<height>][{+-}<xoffset>{+-}<yoffset>] (e.g. 256x256-10+10 puts a window
              256x256  pixels  in size 10 pixels away from the right side and 10 pixels below the
              top of the root window).  The root window outside of the image will be black.  This
              option may be used with -window or -output.

       -glare radius
              Draw  a  glare around the sun with with a radius of the specified value larger than
              the sun.  The default value is 28.

       -gmtlabel
              Same as the -label option, but show GMT instead of local time.

       -grs_longitude lon
              The longitude of Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS).  A typical value  is  94  degrees.
              If  this option is specified, longitudes on Jupiter will be calculated in System II
              coordinates.  By default, longitudes are  calculated  in  System  III  coordinates.
              When using this option, use an image map for Jupiter where the center of the GRS is
              at the pixel 0 column, or the left side of the image.

       -hibernate seconds
              After the screen has been idle for the specified number of  seconds,  xplanet  will
              sleep.   This  option requires xplanet to have been compiled with the X Screensaver
              extension.

       -idlewait seconds
              Don't run Xplanet unless the screen has been  idle  for  the  specified  number  of
              seconds.  This option requires xplanet to have been compiled with the X Screensaver
              extension.

       -interpolate_origin_file
              This option is only useful in  conjunction  with  -origin_file.   It  computes  the
              observer  position at the current time by interpolating between values specified in
              the origin file.  This is useful if you have spacecraft positions tabulated  in  an
              origin file, but want a real time view.

       -jdate Julian date
              Use the specified Julian date instead of the current local time.

       -label Display a label in the upper right corner.

       -labelpos
              Specify the location of the label using the standard X window geometry syntax.  The
              default position is "-15+15", or 15 pixels to the left  and  below  the  top  right
              corner of the display.  This option implies -label.

       -label_body body
              Use  the  specified body to calculate the sub-observer, sub-solar, and illumination
              values in the label.  This is useful with the -separation option.

       -label_string
              Specify the text of the first line of the label.  By  default,  it  says  something
              like  "Looking at Earth".  Any instances of %t will be replaced by the target name,
              and any instances of %o will be replaced by the origin name.

       -latitude latitude
              Render the target body as seen from above the specified latitude (in degrees).  The
              default value is 0.

       -light_time
              Account  for  the  time  it  takes  for light to travel from the target body to the
              observer.  The default is to ignore the effects of light time.

       -localtime localtime
              Place the observer above the longitude where the local time is the specified value.
              0 is midnight and 12 is noon.

       -log_magstep step
              Increase  the  brightness  of  a  star  by  10^step  for  each  integer decrease in
              magnitude.  The default value is 0.4.  This means that a star  of  magnitude  2  is
              10^0.4  (about  2.5)  times  brighter  than a star of magnitude 3.  A larger number
              makes stars brighter.

       -longitude longitude
              Place the observer above  the  specified  longitude  (in  degrees).   Longitude  is
              positive  going  east, negative going west (for the earth and moon), so for example
              Los Angeles is at -118 or 242.  The default value is 0.

       -make_cloud_maps
              If there is an entry in the config file for cloud_map, xplanet will  output  a  day
              and  night image with clouds overlaid and then exit.  The images will be created in
              the directory specified by -tmpdir, or in the current directory if -tmpdir  is  not
              used.    The   names   of   the   output   images  default  to  day_clouds.jpg  and
              night_clouds.jpg,  but  may  be  changed  by  the  -output  option.   If   "-output
              filename.extension"    is    specified,   the   output   images   will   be   named
              "day_filename.extension" and "night_filename.extension".   The  dimensions  of  the
              output images are the same as the day image.

       -marker_file
              Specify  a  file  containing  user  defined  marker  data  to  display  against the
              background  stars.  The  format  of  each  line  is  generally  declination,  right
              ascension, string, as in the example below:

              -16.7161 6.7525 "Sirius"

              For  additional  options  which  may  be  specified,  see  the marker_file entry in
              README.config.  This option has no effect if -projection is specified.  This option
              is  not  meant  for  city  markers;  for  that  use  the  marker_file option in the
              configuration file.

       -markerbounds filename
              Write coordinates of the bounding box for each marker to filename.  This  might  be
              useful  if  you're  using xplanet to make imagemaps for web pages.  Each line looks
              like:

              204,312 277,324 Los Angeles

              where the coordinates are for the upper left and lower right corners  of  the  box.
              This file gets rewritten every time xplanet renders its image.

       -north north_type
              This  option  rotates the image so that the top points to north_type.  Valid values
              for north_type are:

              body:        body's north pole
              galactic:    galactic north pole
              orbit:       body's orbital north pole (perpendicular to the orbit plane)
              path:        origin's velocity vector  (also see -path_relative_to option)
              separation:  perpendicular to the line of sight and the
                        target-separation target line (see -separation option)

              The default value is "body".

       -num_times num_times
              Run num_times before exiting.  The default is to run indefinitely.

       -origin body
              Place the observer at the center of the specified body.  Valid values are the  same
              as  for  -target.   In  addition,  "above",  "below", or "system" may be specified.
              Using "above" or "below" centers the view on the body's primary and  the  field  of
              view  is large enough to show the body's orbit.  Using "system" places the observer
              at the center of a random body in the same system as the target body.   Two  bodies
              are in the same system if one of the following is true:

               1) target and origin have same primary
               2) target is origin's primary
               3) origin is target's primary

              If the body name is preceded by a dash, the observer is placed on the opposite side
              of the target from the specified body at a distance equal to the  distance  between
              the target and body.  For example, -target earth -origin sun places the observer at
              the center of the sun.  If -target earth -origin -sun  is  used,  the  observer  is
              placed  on a line connecting the centers of the earth and sun at a distance of 1 AU
              farther from the sun than the earth.

       -origin_file origin_file
              Specify a list of observer positions in origin_file.  The positions are relative to
              the body specified with -origin (by default, this is the Sun).  Each line should be
              of the form

              YYYYMMDD.HHMMSS range lat lon localtime

              For example,

              19951207.120000     10.328   -3.018   97.709    9.595

              Range is in planetary radii, and lat and lon are in degrees.  The date is the  only
              required  value.  If the localtime (in hours) is supplied, it will be used in place
              of the longitude.  For each line in the origin file, the observer is placed at  the
              specified  position,  relative  to the body specified with -origin.  This option is
              useful for showing spacecraft flybys or orbiting around a planet.  Any line with  a
              # in the first column is ignored.

       -output filename
              Output  to  a file instead of rendering to a window.  The file format is taken from
              the extension. Currently .gif, .jpg, .ppm, .png, and .tiff images can  be  created,
              if  xplanet  has  been  compiled  with  the  appropriate libraries.  The image size
              defaults to 512 by 512 pixels but this may be changed by  the  -geometry  flag.  If
              used with the -num_times option, each output file will be numbered sequentially.

       -output_map filename
              Output the intermediate rectangular map that is created in the process of rendering
              the final image.  It will have the same dimensions as the default day map.

       -output_start_index index
              Start numbering output files at index.  The default is 0.

       -pango Use the Pango (http://www.pango.org) library for rendering internationalized  text.
              Pango  uses  Unicode for all of its encoding, and will eventually support output in
              all the worlds major languages.  If xplanet has not been compiled with this library
              this option will be ignored.  There appear to be memory leaks in the pango library,
              so I don't recommend letting xplanet run indefinitely with this option.

       -path_relative_to body
              Only used with -north path or  -target  path.   The  origin's  velocity  vector  is
              calculated relative to the specified body.  By default, this is the Sun.

       -post_command command

       -prev_command command
              Run  command  either  before  or  after  each time xplanet renders an image.  On MS
              Windows, you may need to use unix-style paths.  For example:

              xplanet.exe -prev_command ./prev.bat

       -print_ephemeris
              Print the heliocentric rectangular equatorial coordinates  (J2000)  for  each  body
              xplanet knows about, and then exit.

       -projection projection_type
              The  projection type may be one of ancient, azimuthal, bonne, equal_area, gnomonic,
              hemisphere,  lambert,  mercator,  mollweide,   orthographic,   peters,   polyconic,
              rectangular,  or  tsc.   The default is no projection.  Multiple bodies will not be
              shown if this option is specified, although shadows will still be drawn.

       -proj_param value
              Pass additional parameters for some projections.  The  only  projections  that  use
              this  option  at  present  are  the Bonne, Gnomonic, and Mercator projections.  The
              Bonne projection is conformal at the specified latitude.  Higher values lead  to  a
              thinner  heart  shape.   The  default  is  50  degrees.   The Gnomonic and Mercator
              projections use the specified latitude as the boundaries of  the  projection.   The
              defaults  are  45  and 80 degrees, respectively.  This option may be used more than
              once for future projections that require additional  parameters.   Only  the  first
              value is used at present.

       -quality quality
              This  option  is only used when creating JPEG images.  The quality can range from 0
              to 100.  The default value is 80.

       -radius radius
              Specify the radius of the globe as a percent of the  screen  height.   The  default
              value  is  45% of the screen height.  When drawing Saturn, the radius value applies
              to the radius of the outer ring.

       -random
              Place the observer above a random latitude and longitude.

       -range range
              Render the globe as seen from a distance of range  from  the  planet's  center,  in
              units  of  the  planetary radius.  The default value is 1000.  Note that if you use
              very close ranges the field of view of the screen can be greater than 180  degrees!
              If you want an "up close" image use the -radius option.

       -rotate angle
              Rotate the globe by angle degrees counterclockwise so that north (as defined by the
              -north argument) isn't at the top.  The default value is  0.   My  friends  in  the
              Southern Hemisphere can use -rotate 180 to make the earth look like it should!  For
              non-orthographic projections, the globe is rotated  and  then  projected,  if  that
              helps you visualize what to expect.

       -save_desktop_file
              On Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, xplanet creates an intermediate image file which
              is used to set the desktop.  This file will be created in  the  -tmpdir  directory.
              By  default, this image is removed after the desktop has been set.  Specifying this
              option will leave the file in place.

       -searchdir directory
              Any files used by xplanet should be placed in  one  of  the  following  directories
              depending on its type: "arcs", "config", "ephemeris", "fonts", "images", "markers",
              "origin", "satellites", or "stars".  By default, xplanet will look for  a  file  in
              the following order:

              The current directory
              searchdir
              subdirectories of searchdir
              subdirectories of xplanet (if it exists in the current directory)
              subdirectories of ${HOME}/.xplanet on X11
              subdirectories of ${HOME}/Library/Xplanet on Mac OS X
              subdirectories of DATADIR/xplanet

              DATADIR is set at compile time and defaults to /usr/local/share.

       -separation body:dist
              Place  the observer at a location where the target body and the separation body are
              dist degrees apart.  For example "-target earth -separation  moon:-3"  means  place
              the  observer  at  a  location  where the moon appears 3 degrees to the left of the
              earth.

       -spice_ephemeris index
              Use SPICE kernels to compute the position of the named body.  The index is the naif
              ID  code (e.g. 599 for Jupiter).  The -spice_file option must be used to supply the
              names of the kernel files.  This option may be used more than  once  for  different
              bodies.

       -spice_file spice_file
              Specify  a  file containing a list of objects to display.  A file containing a list
              of SPICE kernels to read named spice_file.krn must  exist  along  with  spice_file.
              See the README in the "spice" subdirectory for more information.

       -starfreq frequency
              Fraction  of  background  pixels  that will be colored white.  The default value is
              0.001.  This option is only meaningful with the azimuthal, mollweide, orthographic,
              and peters projections.

       -starmap starmap
              Use  starmap  to  draw the background stars.  This file should be a text file where
              each line has the following format:

              Declination, Right Ascension, Magnitude

              where Declination is in decimal degrees and Right Ascension is  in  decimal  hours.
              For example, the entry for Sirius is

              -16.7161  6.7525 -1.46

              See  the  description of -searchdir to see where xplanet looks in order to find the
              star map.

       -target target
              Same as -body.

       -tt    Use terrestrial time instead of universal time.  The two differ slightly due to the
              non-uniform rotation of the earth.  The default is to use universal time.

       -timewarp
              As  in  xearth,  scale  the  apparent rate at which time progresses by factor.  The
              default is 1.

       -tmpdir tmpdir
              Specify  a  directory  that  xplanet  will  use  to  place  images  created   using
              -make_cloud_maps.   On  Microsoft  Windows, xplanet will write a bitmap file called
              xplanet.bmp to  the  specified  directory.   The  default  is  the  result  of  the
              GetWindowsDirectory call (C:WINDOWS on Win95).  On Mac OS X, xplanet will create an
              intermediate PNG file in order to set the background.  The default value  is  /tmp.
              On  Windows  and  Mac  OS  X,  the  intermediate  file  will  be removed unless the
              -save_desktop_file option is specified.

       -transparency
              Update the background pixmap for transparent Eterms and aterms.  This  option  only
              works under X11.

       -transpng filename
              Same  as  the  -output  option,  except  set  the background to be transparent when
              writing a PNG file.

       -utclabel
              Same as -gmtlabel.

       -verbosity level

              level      output
              < 0        only fatal error messages
              0          non-fatal warning messages
              1          basic information
              2          basic diagnostics
              3          more detailed diagnostics
              4          very detailed diagnostics

              The default value is 0.

       -version
              Display current version information, along with a list of compile-time options that
              xplanet supports.

       -vroot Render  the  image  to  the  virtual root window.  Some window managers use one big
              window  that  sits  over  the  real  root  window  as  their   background   window.
              Xscreensaver uses a virtual root window to cover the screen as well.

       -wait wait
              Update every wait seconds.

       -window
              Render  the  image to its own X window.  The size defaults to 512 by 512 pixels but
              this may be set by the -geometry flag.

       -window-id ID
              When using the X11 windowing system, draw to the window with the specified ID.

       -window_title title
              Set the window's title to title.  This option implies -window.

       -XID ID
              Same as -window-id.

       -xscreensaver
              Same as -vroot.

                                                                                       XPLANET(1)