In chapter 18 of Forever Jack, I wanted to use the Egyptian constellations as a way of noting the passing of time. Normally I would have just made it up, but really felt I didn't know enough about the Egyptian constellations and their formations to pull that off, if any reader of the novel was even slightly aware of how they really moved across the sky.
To solve this, I used a program called Celestia. Using this program I was able to put in a date, all the way back to the first century, and set the location of observation, and actually watch the constellations move. Being able to do this, was very cool, and I believe added a layer of depth to the story for the reader, as well as a level of enjoyment for myself.
Celestia Homepage: http://www.shatters.net/celestia/
To solve this, I used a program called Celestia. Using this program I was able to put in a date, all the way back to the first century, and set the location of observation, and actually watch the constellations move. Being able to do this, was very cool, and I believe added a layer of depth to the story for the reader, as well as a level of enjoyment for myself.
Celestia Homepage: http://www.shatters.net/celestia/
