Aurora borealis

[Dave Morgan 68]

Hi.I've been busy putting together a fuel profile for a new plane Flight1's C441, flying north Atlantic (plenty of space) at midnight (easy timekeeping). I didn't think much about where I was until last night when I saw this swirling across the sky and just sat watching, with my jaw on the floor. I had what I thought was foresight in saving the flight, and making a few cockpit recordings. You know what? The aurora doesn't always show up in the saved flights, nor in the recordings; about once in ten replays at a guess. It would be nice to know what randomising algorithm MS used to determine how and when it does appear. Oddly, when the video's finished replaying & I click OK I seem to have been transported into the video from whatever flight I had running before. Strange, but convenient as with a little patience I can always see the lights.I'd seen it mentioned in senrygd2.zip a scenery and easter egg list by Anthony Lynch from the library here but never really expected to encounter it. Knowing there's stuff like this around makes FS9 much more fun.Anyone seen any shooting stars?Regards,D

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

Hi.I've been busy putting together a fuel profile for a new plane Flight1's C441, flying north Atlantic (plenty of space) at midnight (easy timekeeping). I didn't think much about where I was until last night when I saw this swirling across the sky and just sat watching, with my jaw on the floor. I had what I thought was foresight in saving the flight, and making a few cockpit recordings. You know what? The aurora doesn't always show up in the saved flights, nor in the recordings; about once in ten replays at a guess. It would be nice to know what randomising algorithm MS used to determine how and when it does appear. Oddly, when the video's finished replaying & I click OK I seem to have been transported into the video from whatever flight I had running before. Strange, but convenient as with a little patience I can always see the lights.I'd seen it mentioned in senrygd2.zip a scenery and easter egg list by Anthony Lynch from the library here but never really expected to encounter it. Knowing there's stuff like this around makes FS9 much more fun.Anyone seen any shooting stars?Regards,D

Should be a lot of Aurorae at the moment thanks to a huge solar flare.Never seen the mythic shooting stars (in fs9)Andy

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

"Microsoft, I take back what I said"What did you say?A

[Dave Morgan 68]

What did you say?

The last time my OS froze, nothing I'm comfortable repeating in polite company! :(

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

say no more!

[Benjamin J 751]

Yes, I actually saw it ona flight from KJFK to EHAM. I was pleasantly surprised to see it in the sim

[Opa 6]

Never seen the mythic shooting stars (in fs9)Andy

One thing you can do to increase the chances of seeing the shootings (I have no idea what triggers them) is to edit two files in your effects folder.Namely - fx_shootstar1.fx and fx_shootstar2.fxBack them up first and then open them using Notepad.You will see that by default these effects are only visible when in Tower or Spot views.Edit the file to add the other viewing options - per the following example:[Properties]//Spot=1//Tower=1Cockpit=1VirtualCockpit=1Spot=1Tower=1That will at least allow you to see the shooting stars (if and when they appear) when you are in other than the Tower or Spot views.One can also create their own bgl to display the shooting star effect at coordinates you select by using the xml method to call the two effects. I have done that but have not figured out how to make it display more than once. Probably should bone up of the Special effects SDK.Have fun!

[drycos1 0]

One thing you can do to increase the chances of seeing the shootings (I have no idea what triggers them) is to edit two files in your effects folder.Namely - fx_shootstar1.fx and fx_shootstar2.fxBack them up first and then open them using Notepad.You will see that by default these effects are only visible when in Tower or Spot views.Edit the file to add the other viewing options - per the following example:[Properties]//Spot=1//Tower=1Cockpit=1VirtualCockpit=1Spot=1Tower=1That will at least allow you to see the shooting stars (if and when they appear) when you are in other than the Tower or Spot views.One can also create their own bgl to display the shooting star effect at coordinates you select by using the xml method to call the two effects. I have done that but have not figured out how to make it display more than once. Probably should bone up of the Special effects SDK.Have fun!

Thanks for this bit of info Opa!

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Hi.I've been busy putting together a fuel profile for a new plane Flight1's C441, flying north Atlantic (plenty of space) at midnight (easy timekeeping). I didn't think much about where I was until last night when I saw this swirling across the sky and just sat watching, with my jaw on the floor. I had what I thought was foresight in saving the flight, and making a few cockpit recordings. You know what? The aurora doesn't always show up in the saved flights, nor in the recordings; about once in ten replays at a guess. It would be nice to know what randomising algorithm MS used to determine how and when it does appear. Oddly, when the video's finished replaying & I click OK I seem to have been transported into the video from whatever flight I had running before. Strange, but convenient as with a little patience I can always see the lights.I'd seen it mentioned in senrygd2.zip a scenery and easter egg list by Anthony Lynch from the library here but never really expected to encounter it. Knowing there's stuff like this around makes FS9 much more fun.Anyone seen any shooting stars?Regards,D

I have seen the Aurora when flying in winter over Norway and like you I was impressed with how realistic it was. (I was using the Cloud9 ENBR Bergen scenery)... And I think I've seen the "shooting stars" over LLET Eilat in Israel, though it might also have been a UFO! If it was a "shooting star" it was not very realistic - moved way too slowly and the trajectory was too long... I just thought it was something rather odd....

[Dave Morgan 68]

Thanks Opa.I can see some Israeli night-flights being planned for my weekend...D

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

One thing you can do to increase the chances of seeing the shootings (I have no idea what triggers them) is to edit two files in your effects folder.Namely - fx_shootstar1.fx and fx_shootstar2.fxBack them up first and then open them using Notepad.You will see that by default these effects are only visible when in Tower or Spot views.Edit the file to add the other viewing options - per the following example:[Properties]//Spot=1//Tower=1Cockpit=1VirtualCockpit=1Spot=1Tower=1That will at least allow you to see the shooting stars (if and when they appear) when you are in other than the Tower or Spot views.One can also create their own bgl to display the shooting star effect at coordinates you select by using the xml method to call the two effects. I have done that but have not figured out how to make it display more than once. Probably should bone up of the Special effects SDK.Have fun!

Thanks DavidI think its rather good that SSs are a rarity ,I will probably leave things as they are and if I see them well Ho har! and if not then Har Ho!.I wonder if they have been set to appear at the time of real world showers I.E. Geminids ,Perseids etc. By the way although the SSs are quite reluctant to reveal themselves ,I think the aurorae is a little overdone.(IMHO)Probably helps to do a lot of night flying (which I don't) to spot the SSs though.cheers Andy

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Thanks DavidI think its rather good that SSs are a rarity ,I will probably leave things as they are and if I see them well Ho har! and if not then Har Ho!.I wonder if they have been set to appear at the time of real world showers I.E. Geminids ,Perseids etc. By the way although the SSs are quite reluctant to reveal themselves ,I think the aurorae is a little overdone.(IMHO)Probably helps to do a lot of night flying (which I don't) to spot the SSs though.cheers Andy

Hi AndyIf you've ever had the luck to see a full display of the Northern Lights (or the Southern Lights - I've seen both of them) it's pretty hard to "overdo" them as they are breathtakingly spectacular. I remember lying on my back in a canoe out on a wilderness lake in the Adirondak Mountains being absolutely awed by what I was seeing... Obviously it's a matter of perception, but if anything, the real thing is even more "over the top" IMHO :( Cheers mateIan

[Lifeguard911 9]

Thanks for the Shooting Stars mod to the effects. I made the changes today in FSX and they worked fine. I flew a J-3 from an airport in Nunavut, Canada and after about ten minutes of looking up throught the windows in the cockpit ceiling, I saw three SS's go from West to East.Thanks, Opa!

[HoratioWondersocks 4]

Hi AndyIf you've ever had the luck to see a full display of the Northern Lights (or the Southern Lights - I've seen both of them) it's pretty hard to "overdo" them as they are breathtakingly spectacular. I remember lying on my back in a canoe out on a wilderness lake in the Adirondak Mountains being absolutely awed by what I was seeing... Obviously it's a matter of perception, but if anything, the real thing is even more "over the top" IMHO :( Cheers mateIan

IanYou misunderstand. I am not questioning the beauty of the Aurorae ,I am just talking about the amount of it and range in FS.(Have seen it of the coast of Northern Ireland (in FS) ) And yes there are occasions when it will display in these latitudes but its a rare event . Just about any winter flt in FS at high Northern latitudes will produce the Aurorae ,that's all I meant in my remarks.The fact that the SSs are quite a rarity(In FS) and indeed I may never see them ,will make it much more gratifying if and when I do.PS I have never been lucky enough to witness the REAL Aurorae.Cheers Andy

[kiwiflyer45 123]

IanYou misunderstand. I am not questioning the beauty of the Aurorae ,I am just talking about the amount of it and range in FS.(Have seen it of the coast of Northern Ireland (in FS) ) And yes there are occasions when it will display in these latitudes but its a rare event . Just about any winter flt in FS at high Northern latitudes will produce the Aurorae ,that's all I meant in my remarks.The fact that the SSs are quite a rarity(In FS) and indeed I may never see them ,will make it much more gratifying if and when I do.PS I have never been lucky enough to witness the REAL Aurorae.Cheers Andy

Hi AndyI get you. I hope you do get to see it in the real world some day - it truly is a magical experience. I have been lucky enough to see it in the north (Adirondak Mountains in New Hampshire" and in the south (Stewart Island, New Zealand). As for the SS, if it's what I saw flying over Eilat, it is rather underwhelming so don't get your hopes up too high! :( Then again, maybe what I saw really was a UFO! :( CheersIan