|
A Tour of GeoClock's Basic Features GeoClock Tour - Main Windows 1. This screen shot shows the main features of GeoClock. The main window shows a map of the Earth (many maps are available) with the current sun and moon positions. The moon phase is illustrated, and the map is highlighted to show the sunlight (bright) and twilight (half-toned) and dark areas. In addition, various cities are marked, and their current local times are indicated (this later feature is only available on registered versions of GeoClock). The up and down arrows (see Tokyo, for example) indicate that the day in that city is ahead or behind the reference city. At the bottom is a legend. The top line of the full legend shows current moon position, phase (in percent illumination, with the arrow indicating waxing or waning), azimuth and elevation from a user selected city, and moon rise and set times. The middle line names the selected city, and gives the current sun rise and set times, and sun azimuth and elevation from the selected city. The bottom line gives the sun position (the coordinates of the point where the sun appears directly overhead) and the current date and time in that city. GeoClock Tour - Seasons 2. In these screenshots, GeoClock shows the current actual sunlight and twilight curves. As the seasons change, it highlights some unexpected characteristics. In the summer and winter, the curve shows increased sunlight in one hemisphere, and decreased sunlight in the other. Also, the twilight area has a similar shape but is displaced to the south or north. However, during the spring and fall equinoxes, when the sun is very near the equator, note that both the north and the south poles are in sunlight. This is because the sun appears to just break the horizon when in fact the center is almost one degree BELOW then horizon. The non-zero diameter of the sun, and the refraction of sunlight by the atmosphere, are responsible for this effect. GeoClock takes great care to model these effects accurately. GeoClock Tour - Time Control 3. With GeoClock's time menu, can you set the virtual time and date to any value between 100 AD and 9999 AD (although there will have to be another calendar reform around 5000). You can also change the rate at which time passes, and control the update interval (freeing up computer resources and allowing to view a slowly changing display). GeoClock Tour - View-From-Space Map 4. GeoClock has a wide variety of map types. Shown here is a map of the earth as seen from space (orthographic projection), centered on London. GeoClock Tour - Mid Scale Map 5. Here is a much closer map of London, showing the Southeast of England. This map is in the equirectangular projection. GeoClock Tour - City Map 6. Here is the most detailed map showing London and it surroundings, including the three major airports. GeoClock Tour - Gazetteer 7. GeoClock includes a Gazetteer with over 5000 city around the world. You can search for a city by typing part of the same, or sort by city name or country name. The current local time and date are listed for the city selected (along with the name of the time zone). You can instantly go to the best map GeoClock has covering the city, or generate a View-From-Space map centered on that city. GeoClock Tour - Clock Window 8. GeoClock can display a text window with the current local times for a list of cities you select. These clocks are maintained in real time, and you can run the clocks independent of GeoClock. Many people include the clocks with the startup of their systems. The add or change the city list, you can click on the clock window and a box will pop-up to help you make the changes desired. GeoClock Tour - Ham Package 9. An add-in package to GeoClock Pro is available to provide special functions for HAM radio operators. It provides graphical display of remote station location, propagation path, and D and F layer illumination, together with key location, pointing, distance, and time data. The package includes a custom Azimuthal-Equidistant map centered on your HAM station, a call sign data base, and utility programs.
GeoClock Tour - GeoGlobe Spinning Globe 10. The GeoGlobe spinning globe program shows a smoothly rotating view of the Earth from space with the sunlight curve. It can revolved the Earth around a simulated Sun, showing how the seasons are determined by the inclination of the earth. The Earth can also "bounce" (like Pong). The spinning Globe can be used as a screen saver on most systems. GeoGlobe is only available with (and is included with) GeoClock-Pro. GeoClock Tour - Map List 11. There are many ways to select maps in GeoClock. You can choose a map for the list of all available maps. While displaying a map, you can "zoom down" (selected the next most detailed map containing the clicked point) or "zoom up" (select the next less detailed map containing the clicked point) or create a view-from-space or world map centered on the clicked point. GeoClock Tour - VCR Controls 12. The VCR controls make the most frequent time control functions easily available. For this control panel, you can freeze frame, single step, and fast forward/reverse simulated time. You can control the time step size. The more general time control panel is just one click away, if more specific functions are required (like setting a specific date and time). |
