Oh yeah, this is what I'm talkin' 'bout.

I've been working on my OS X version of StarGen for most of the last day or so and am finally getting results:


Jim Burrows' original version is a command line application that outputs its results in the form of HTML files that can be viewed in a browser. I've taken advantage of Apple's WebKit features to make my own little browser window as part of the app; not really a needed feature, but it gets rid of the need to switch back and forth between apps.

I'll have to tinker with the internal model because currently the parameters for Canopus result in systems with just a few massive planets. (I'll have to check the minimum mass requirements for brown dwarves, because some of the jovians are REALLY massive.) One interesting bit though is the frequency of outer-system water planets. Because of its size and luminosity, the habitable ecozone for Canopus is much farther out than Sol's. Unfortunately, the planets I've seen summaries for thus far have all had gravities in the range of 0.35 g. I haven't finished implementing output of the individual system files yet (only output of the summary & thumbnail index page is working at the moment) so I can tell anything about the geological make-up of the planets. (A large percentage of S0₂ is desirable for making sand, eh?)

I may eventually just take the route of generating something close with four or five planets and get rid of one of them (Harmonthep?!). A hot Jupiter or two closer in with Arrakis in the outer reaches? (It has to be the third planet, after all.)

Will keep y'all in the loop!