Stellar Sky Mod — Guide

Celestial Objects

Stellar Sky introduces several types of celestial bodies, each with unique rendering properties and movement patterns.

Stars and Constellations

The mod utilizes the Yale Bright Star Catalog to render approximately 9,000 real-life stars. Each star is rendered with its actual color (based on B-V index) and magnitude (brightness). As the world rotates, these stars move across the sky, forming recognizable constellations such as Orion, Ursa Major, and the Southern Cross.

Planets

Stellar Sky simulates the movement of the major planets in our solar system. Unlike stars, which remain fixed relative to each other, planets move along the ecliptic plane over time. The following planets are visible: * Mercury: Often close to the sun, visible during twilight. * Venus: The brightest planet, often appearing as the 'Morning Star' or 'Evening Star'. * Mars: Distinguishable by its reddish hue. * Jupiter: A bright, steady light in the night sky. * Saturn: Visible to the naked eye as a yellowish star-like object.

The Sun and Moon

The default Minecraft sun and moon are replaced with realistic versions. The sun's size and color change slightly based on its position in the sky (atmospheric scattering), while the moon features accurate phases and a realistic orbital period. The moon's size can be adjusted in the configuration to appear more cinematic or more realistic.

The Milky Way

A high-resolution texture of the Milky Way galaxy is rendered in the background, providing a faint, misty band of light that stretches across the celestial sphere. Its intensity can be adjusted to suit the player's preference for light pollution.

Mechanics

The mod introduces several deep mechanics that govern how the sky behaves and how it interacts with the Minecraft world.

Celestial Rotation

The sky rotates around a celestial pole, the position of which is determined by the world's Latitude. * At the Equator (0°), stars rise vertically and set vertically. * At the Poles (90° or -90°), stars move in horizontal circles around the zenith. * Intermediate latitudes result in the slanted paths typical of most real-world locations.

Time and Seasonal Cycles

Stellar Sky allows for the decoupling of the day/night cycle from the standard 20-minute Minecraft day.

As the year progresses, the sun's path shifts higher or lower in the sky, and the stars visible at night change, simulating the Earth's orbit around the sun.

Atmospheric Effects

The mod calculates atmospheric refraction and scattering. This means that objects near the horizon may appear slightly displaced, and the sky color transitions smoothly through various shades of blue, orange, and purple during sunrise and sunset.

HUD Overlay

Stellar Sky includes a customizable Head-Up Display (HUD) that provides astronomical data to the player. This is essential for players who wish to navigate using the stars or track the passage of time accurately.

HUD Elements: * Solar Time: Displays the time based on the sun's position (e.g., 12:00 PM is solar noon). * Tick Time: The current time in Minecraft ticks. * Date: The current day and year in the simulation. * Horizontal Coordinates: Displays the Azimuth (compass direction) and Elevation (height above horizon) of the object the player is looking at. * Equatorial Coordinates: Displays Right Ascension and Declination, used for locating specific stars.