Creating a Virtual Space Globe Using the Hipparcos Catalog

Abstract

Star charts and a planetarium can be used to identify objects in the sky. However, these are surfaces viewed from Earth, and we cannot understand the relative distances between celestial objects in three dimensions. Therefore, in this study, we developed a system to determine such distances by placing the stars in a virtual space. The system allows users to move freely in a large scale of space using a game engine and the Hipparcos catalog. We can intuitively perceive the relative distances of stars by understanding the three-dimensional configuration of the stars and constellations as seen from Earth.