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Almanac and celestial navigation calculator beta v0.3.4 for Microsoft Excel.
Updated Oct. 24, 2022
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 2030
· Custom delta-T value fields for dates outside the above range
· Only 3.7MB
· * 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.
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