ANN: BOTEC 0.2 -- An astrophysical and orbital mechanics calculator

[Erik Max Francis]

Summary

    BOTEC is a simple astrophysical and orbital mechanics calculator,
    including a database of all named Solar System objects.


Overview

    BOTEC is intended as a simple but useful calculator to assist with
    making astrophysical, orbital mechanics, and space navigation
    calculations.  As the origin of the acronym applies, BOTEC is more
    of a "back-of-the-envelope calculator" rather than an
    industrial-strength calculator, although this may change in the
    future.

    BOTEC is primarily intended for people familiar with physics and
    Python, and as such is unlikely to be useful to the average
    enduser.  BOTEC really consists of two parts: The BOTEC software,
    which knows what to do with the data, and the Solar System data
    itself, which is represented in a large data file (a Python
    pickle, actually).  This is deliberately modularized so that the
    Solar System data BOTEC uses can be updated independently of thet
    software, and also that alternative data files (*e.g.*,
    hypothetical stellar systems for fictional purposes) can be
    supported.

    All values are strictly in SI units.


Getting the software

    The current version of botec is 0.2.

    The latest version of the software is available in a tarball here:
    http://www.alcyone.com/software/botec/botec-latest.tar.gz.

    The official URL for this Web site is
    http://www.alcyone.com/software/botec/.


Requirements

    BOTEC requires Python 2.3.

    In its present state, BOTEC will also not be of much use to
    endusers not familiar with Python, or people without some basic
    working knowledge of physics, astrophysics, orbital mechanics, and
    space navigation.


License

    This code is released under the GPL.

	...

Author

    This module was written by "Erik Max Francis",
    http://www.alcyone.com/max/.  If you use this software, have
    suggestions for future releases, or bug reports, I'd love to hear 
    about it.


Version

    Version 0.2 $Date: 2004/09/18 $ $Author: max $

-- 
 __ Erik Max Francis && max at alcyone.com && http://www.alcyone.com/max/
/  \ San Jose, CA, USA && 37 20 N 121 53 W && AIM erikmaxfrancis
\__/ Let he who does not know what war is go to war.
    -- (a Spanish proverb)