Real Mode Options dialog box (View | Real Mode Options)

Use these options to specify settings for photographs and special effects when displaying the real mode options Virtual Sky.

Constellation Drawings

Mark this option to display the detailed constellation drawings.

Horizon Image

Mark this option to display a photographic horizon.

How do I make a panoramic horizon of my location?

Horizon Glow

Mark this option to show or hide the atmospheric glow near the local horizon. When you look at the sky near the horizon, you’re looking through a greater portion of the Earth’s atmosphere. Plus smog and light pollution cause a distinct dimming effect “down in the muck.” The Horizon Glow attempts to mimic these effects.

Milky Way Picture

This option displays or hides the color photograph of our Milky Way galaxy.

Moon Halo

The bright Moon at night obscures the visibility of surrounding objects. The Moon Halo simulates this phenomenon. Note that the halo is only displayed during night time hours, and at 10 degree fields of view and greater.

Sky Background

TheSky6 automatically controls the color of the sky background, such as at sunrise and sunset. This option overrides the automatic sky background color.

Sun Halo

The bright Sun obscures the visibility of surrounding objects. The Sun Halo option simulates this phenomenon during daytime hours.

Advanced

Mark this option to display additional settings for the horizon photograph.

Selection Group

This group contains advanced settings for each real mode options.

Real Mode Option	Advanced Settings
Constellation Drawings	There are no advanced settings for this option.
Horizon Image	Azimuth offset (degrees) Enter the azimuth offset for the "right edge" of the photograph. This allows you to align the horizon picture with the actual location. Alt Ascend (degs) Enter the height (or altitude ascension) for the horizon photograph. This is the degrees above the local horizon that the photograph is displayed. Alt Descend (degs) Enter the degrees below the local horizon that the photograph is displayed. Shape Static Horizon Mark this option to use the selected photograph as a fixed horizon. This means that the horizon photograph remains the same regardless of where you're looking. Apply and Save Click this button to update the Virtual Sky using the selected photograph and save these settings. Browse Click this button to select a photograph to display for your horizon. TheSky comes with several different horizons. These are saved in the Data\Pictures\Horizons folder. The default extension for TheSky's horizon files is .horizon.
Horizon Glow	Alt Ascend (degs) Enter the height (or altitude ascension) for the horizon glow. This is the degrees above the local horizon that the horizon glow is displayed. Alt Descend (degs) Enter the degrees below the local horizon that the horizon glow is displayed. Apply and Save Click this button to update the Virtual Sky and save the current horizon glow settings.
Milky Way Picture	There are no advanced settings for this option.
Moon Halo	Halo Size (Degs) Enter the diameter of the Moon's halo, in degrees. Note that the Moon's halo is only displayed during night time hours (after astronomical twilight) in TheSky6.
Sky Background	There are no advanced settings for this option.
Sun Halo	Halo Size (Degs) Enter the diameter of the Sun's halo, in degrees.

Color Adjustment group

This group contains options for changing the brightness and intensity for the selected photograph.

Manual

Click this option to allow manual adjustment of colors.

Intensity

Clear this option to allow each color slider (Red, Green, and Blue) to be adjusted individually.

Changing the intensity of the Horizon Image will not change the photograph. The intensity (or brightness) of the horizon image is automatically adjusted according to the time of day.

R, G, B

Use these sliders to adjust the saturation of the red, green and blue channels in the selected image.

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