Unzipped into your extras directory, this file creates a directory called Mathilde, which contains the model, texture and ssc files necessary to place the asteroid Mathilde in Celestia. A locations file is also provided, which labels the named surface features on the mapped hemisphere of Mathilde.
With the official release of 1.3.2, I've produced this updated version of the Mathilde add-on using a cmod model, which eliminates the unsightly seam present in the 3ds model.
Because Mathilde rotates very slowly, only one hemisphere was seen during the NEAR-Shoemaker encounter; and because the asteroid is heavily cratered, many parts of the daylight side were in shadow. For this reason, only a partial shape model is available, and the photomosaic surface map covers only about a third of the surface.
The shape model used is by Peter Thomas, and it is available from the Small Body Node at http://pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/SBNast/holdings/EAR-A-5-DDR-SHAPE-MODELS-V2.1.html
Missing shape data were filled in with a smoothed interpolated surface by "Jestr", to whom many thanks.
The photomosaic is by Phil Stooke, and is available in higher resolution at http://www.psi.edu/pds/maps.html (but the image needs to be shifted in longitude by 180 degrees before use in Celestia).
The rotation axis of Mathilde is undetermined. This version rotates around the axis of the original model, which was simply chosen to align with the celestial north and south poles.
Grant Hutchison, February 2004
Unzipped into your extras directory, this file adds a sample orbit for NEAR-Shoemaker for the 48 hours between 26 June 1997 12:00 UTC and 28 June 1997 12:00 UTC, during which time the spacecraft made its flyby of asteroid Mathilde (closest approach in Celestia at 12:57 on 27 June.) This allows you to follow the spacecraft and observe the flyby.
The zip adds two files to your pre-existing Mathilde directory: NEAR.xyz, which contains the sample orbit; and NEAR.ssc, which contains the spacecraft definition. As supplied, the spacecraft definition uses the Galileo model distributed with Celestia as a substitute for NEAR- Shoemaker. However, you can download a NEAR-Shoemaker model from Jack Higgins' Celestia Add-Ons site at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~jackcelestia/.
Once you have the NEAR-Shoemaker model installed in your models directory, just change the Mesh name in NEAR.ssc from "galileo.3ds" to "near.3ds".
The Zip includes a small after-thought revision to the ssc file, only of use to those who install Jack's model - it orientates NEAR-Shoemaker so that its solar panels and parabolic dish point back towards the Sun, and it makes it about the right size - if the base is 1.7 metres square, I reckon the full span of the solar panels must be around 6m.
Grant Hutchison, February 2004
This Web page is maintained by Selden Ball
at Wilson Lab.
Please send any comments or corrections to
seb@lepp.cornell.edu