You must be registered with this forum to download files. If
you are registered and getting this message,
then the Downloads section is experiencing heavy load volumes and has been
temporarily restricted to members
who are in the Subsim Navy (donors). Please try again later.
Almanac and celestial navigation calculator beta v0.3.6 for Microsoft Excel.
Updated Oct. 9, 2024
Current features:
· Perpetual almanac displays basic data necessary for celestial navigation
· Sky chart showing traditional navigation bodies above the horizon
· Option to display all 1,535 stars in the basic FK5 catalogue
· Option to display the celestial equator and/or ecliptic
· Printable list of celestial bodies above the horizon
· Data series calculator for comparison/analysis
· Rise, set, transit and nautical twilight calculator
· DR and sight reduction calculator
· Position log
· Great circle route calculator including internal database of 26,571 cities worldwide
· Internal delta-T values for dates between 500 BC and AD 2035
· Custom delta-T value fields for dates outside the above range
· Only 3.9MB
· * Verified to run on current versions of Microsoft Excel only *
· There was a bug causing some leap year dates to be calculated incorrectly. I fixed it ... I think.
· Updated the delta-T values and extended the table into the past just a little. o.O
· The notes on the Almanac tab did not reflect the changes. I polished them until they did.
v 0.2.3 - 2021, Jan 16
· Fixed the bug preventing the sight reduction cells from clearing correctly ... I think.
· Delta-T values are now interpolated for dates between table entries. This will have the most noticeable effect on really old dates which cannot be completely trusted anyway.
· Added a note about compatibility issues. We're just not right for each other. (LibreOffice, not you - you're cool.)
· Discovered the "Application.ScreenUpdating" VBA object. The spreadsheet generally runs more smoothly after a liberal application to the macros (as you do).
· Added a nifty sky chart showing the positions of all visible traditional navigational bodies for the currently selected time and location which isn't quite what I intended, but looks pretty cool nonetheless.
v 0.2.4 - 2021, Jan 23
· Fixed a long forgotten bug causing DRs to be calculated incorrectly when crossing the IDL.
· Fixed the bug causing the "Send to Log" button to overwrite manual entries.
· Added a "Data Series" tab which calculates data for a specified period and interval.
· Created a new bug by doing the above. (See "Instructions" tab.)
· Added a bar below the sky chart which indicates day/twilights/night.
· Added notes about stellar positions/magnitudes on the "Instructions" tab.
· Updated my contact email address. Please do not send mail to the previously listed one. Thank you.
v 0.2.5 - 2021, Jan 24
· Fixed a bug causing the data series tab to display incorrect distances to some stars.
· By request: Added Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva, Fr. Polynesia to the city database.
· Added unit indicators to the data series table headers.
· Clarified the note about stellar magnitudes.
· Added some credits to the "Instructions" tab.
v 0.2.6 - 2021, Feb 2
· Added printable bodies list
· Reformatted notes on "Precession and Stars" tab
v 0.2.7 - 2021, Feb 5
· Fixed a bug causing the intercept "away/toward" cell for sight #10 to remain empty
· Updated the cities database from ~15,500 cities to Pareto's current [free] offering: 26,570 cities (+ the two suggested cities)
v 0.2.8 - 2021, Feb 28
· Increased the number of decimals of azimuth included in the data series to a ridiculous precision.
· Fixed a bug causing the spreadsheet to display wildly inaccurate values for the equation of time under certain circumstances.
v 0.3.1 - 2021, Oct 31
· Added rise, set, transit and twilight calculator.
· Increased precision of azimuths on the printable list to 0.1°.
· Added button to Data Series calculator to get the date and time from the Almanac.
· Added ecliptic longitude of Sun, Moon and planets to the Data Series calculator to facilitate determination of the times of equinoxes, conjunctions, etc.
· Corrected a minor error in the calculation of Ha of the LL of the Moon and Sun at extremely low altitudes.
· Added PA correction to the Sun.
· Updated delta-T table.
· Extended visibility chart to -5°.
· Minor formatting changes.
v 0.3.2 - 2021, Nov 2
· Fixed a bug [again] causing the spreadsheet to display incorrect values for the equation of time under certain circumstances.
v 0.3.3 - 2021, Nov 7
· Added the option to the sky chart to display all 1,535 stars in the basic FK5 catalogue. (This increased the size of the spreadsheet from 2.5MB to 3.7MB.)
· Tip: You can hover your mouse over any star to see its calculated azimuth and altitude.
· Fixed a bug causing the almanac date and time to change when using the data series or rise/set calculators. (Almanac date and time will still change when using the sight reduction tab.)
· Improved map alignment. Waypoints and DR/Fix will now be plotted more accurately.
· Minor formatting changes.
v 0.3.4 - 2022, Oct 24
· Added day of the week calculation on Almanac tab.
· Added the option to display the celestial equator and ecliptic to the sky chart.
· Added the ability to increment time on the Almanac tab.
· Updated the delta-T values.
· Moved the "Auto-Fill" button for the date of celestial sights and added an arrow to hopefully clarify the button's purpose.
v 0.3.5 - 2023, September 10
· Fixed a very old bug causing the LMST/LAST to exceed 24h.
v 0.3.6 - 2024, October 9
· Updated Delta-T values and extended the predictions to 2035.
· Corrected an error in the Delta-T tables which caused all BC years to be off by one year. The error resulted in a very minor mis-calculation of the position of all celestial bodies, most notably: the Moon.
· Updated the text above the Almanac output fields and printable list to indicate whether the year is BC or AD. This text will now also show the Julian calendar year for BC years. (I.e. it will not display a year "zero".)
· Fixed a bug which caused the times of rise, set & transit of the Moon to be calculated incorrectly under certain circumstances.
You must be registered with this forum to download files. If
you are registered and getting this message,
then the Downloads section is experiencing heavy load volumes and has been
temporarily restricted to members
who are in the Subsim Navy (donors). Please try again later.
