Copyright: Copyright 1998 by UniNova Services Corporation


Introduction

Welcome to Explorer Weight/32!  This is the first 32-bit version of Explorer Weight, as well as the first Windows-ready version!  Obviously weve made a big jump from the DOS-based prior version!  Explorer Weight started out as a DOS, text-only program written in Modula-2.  (Back then, it was called Colony Gravity.)  It was later ported to C, using the Turbo C++ package from Borland.  Now, we have moved it once again, using the Visual C++ package from Microsoft to provide the current version.

So what is Explorer Weight?  Its a program for dreamers!  If your imagination takes you away to explorations of other planets in our solar system, Explorer Weight is just one way to support those dreams.  And maybe someday those dreams will come true?  If so, Explorer Weight is a way to get a sneak peek at what youll see there.  Unlike prior versions, this new version includes actual photos of each planet.  Plus, youll find other information here, such as the atmosphere you can expect, and - - most important of all, tracing its origins back to the original Colony Gravity program - - an estimate of your relative weight on the distant planet that you choose to visit.

Please, explore the program  and dream of exploring space!  If you find this program fun, useful, educational, or simply a good way to consume hard disk space, feel free to pass it along to friends, family, and so on.  There is no charge to use it, nor is there any charge to copy and distribute it.  However, the program remains the copyright property of UniNova Services Corporation.  (If you notice inaccuracies in the program, please contact the publisher promptly!)

We have provided additional information about the photos you see in Explorer Weight.  Simply click the planet name to read more about the photo of that planet.

Mercury

Venus

The Moon (yes, we know its not a planet, but it is up there!)

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

Explorer Weight (and Colony Gravity before it) is clearly meant as a fun program, but to keep it fun and not a legal liability, a legal statement is probably in order.


Mercury

Photo Information:

Mariner 10 mosaic of Mercury taken during the approach to the first encounter. This mosaic was made of 18 pictures taken at 42 second intervals 6 hours before closest approach. The lower two-thirds of the visible portion is the southern hemisphere of Mercury. The resolution is about 2 km. The flat-floored crater just below the center of the frame, containing two smaller craters at its bottom right and left, is the 160 km diameter Petrarch. The light-floored crater surrounded by darker material at the upper left is Lermontov, diameter 160 km.

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Venus

Photo Information:

Galileo colorized image of Venus taken from 2.7 million km about 5 days after closest approach on 15 February 1990. The exposure was taken through a violet filter and colored blue to enhance contrast. The westward moving sulfuric acid clouds at the equator and polar hoods are visible. Great detail (resolution of about 70 km) can be seen in the cloud structure, which is moving at speeds up to 100 m/s (230 miles/hr). Venus is 12,100 km in diameter, north is up, and the evening terminator is to the left. The bright spot at right is the sub-solar point (local noon). (Galileo, P-37218)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


The Moon

Photo Information:

Galileo violet-filter image of the north polar region of the Moon. The north pole is to the lower right of the frame. The large crater right of center is the 130 km diameter Pythagoras, centered at 64 N, 297 E. At upper left is Mare Imbrium. This image was taken from a distance of 121,000 km. (Galileo, P-41432)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Mars

Photo Information:

Global mosaic of 102 Viking 1 Orbiter images of Mars taken on orbit 1,334, 22 February 1980. The images are projected into point perspective, representing what a viewer would see from a spacecraft at an altitude of 2,500 km. At center is Valles Marineris, over 3000 km long and up to 8 km deep. Note the channels running up (north) from the central and eastern portions of Valles Marineris to the dark area, Acidalic Planitia, at upper right. At left are the three Tharsis volcanoes and to the south is ancient, heavily impacted terrain. (Viking 1 Orbiter, MG07S078-334SP)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Jupiter

Photo Information:

Voyager 1 image showing Jupiter with its satellite Io visible at lower left. Jupiter is 140,000 km in diameter and Io is 3600 km across. This image was taken with the narrow angle camera using the violet filter from a distance of 25 million km on 9 February 1979. North is at about 11:00 (Voyager 1, 15672.37)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Saturn

Photo Information:

Voyager 1 image of Saturn and three of its moons taken from a distance of 106 million km. North is at 1:30. Bands can be seen in the northern hemisphere and structure can be identified in the rings, including the Cassini Division, towards the outer edge of the rings. The satellites which can be seen in this image are Enceladus, near the left edge of the rings, Dione, below Saturn, and Tethys, at the right edge of the frame. Saturn is 120,000 km in diameter. (Voyager 1, P-22830)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Uranus

Photo Information:

Voyager 2 image of Uranus' southern hemisphere, which was facing the sun at the time of the flyby. The image is centered near 85 S latitude and was taken from 1.9 million km through the methane filter. Uranus is 51,000 km in diameter. (Voyager 2, 26804.30)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Neptune

Photo Information:

Voyager 2 image of Neptune taken just under 4 days before closest approach from a distance roughly 6 million km. This narrow-angle orange filter exposure shows many of the atmospheric features including the Great Dark Spot just left of center. Neptune is 49,500 km in diameter and north is at 12:30. (Voyager 2, 11275.27)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


Pluto

Photo Information:

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of Pluto and its satellite Charon. Pluto is 2320 km in diameter and Charon is 1270 km. The two bodies are so close in size they are often thought of as a double planet. At the time this image was taken the two bodies were at maximum elongation of 0.9 arc seconds. The bodies orbit 19,640 km apart. Pluto is the larger body to the lower left, Charon is at upper right. (HST, STScI-PR94-17)

Images and text courtesy of National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC/NASA).  Appearance of this data in Explorer Weight does not imply any endorsement by NSSDC regarding this software.  These images are in the public domain.


UniNova Services Corp.

Not all of UniNovas products are as frivolous as Explorer Weight.  UniNova publishes a variety of software tools, many of which are distributed as shareware and thus evaluation copies are available for free download from the Internet, BBSs, etc.  UniNova also provides a number of professional services, such as Web site development (from graphic design through interactive scripting).  For complete details on how UniNova can serve you, please visit the UniNova site on the Web, at:

http://www.uninova.com/


Legal Statement

Explorer Weight, Colony Gravity, and UniNova are trademarks of UniNova Services Corporation.  All other trademarks, service marks, and product names mentioned in this document and in other components of the software are the property of their respective owners and are hereby recognized en masse.  Appearance of trademarks in this document is not intended and shall not be construed to state or imply any endorsement or other relationship between UniNova Services Corporation and the trademark owner.

EXPLORER WEIGHT IS PROVIDED AS-IS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY.  UNINOVA SERVICES CORPORATION SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS LIABILITY FOR YOUR USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE THE EXPLORER WEIGHT SOFTWARE OR ANY COMPONENT THEREOF.  BY USING EXPLORER WEIGHT YOU AGREE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH USE, AND YOU AGREE TO PROTECT, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS UNINOVA SERVICES CORPORATION AGAINST ALL CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM SUCH USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO USE EXPLORER WEIGHT.

You are granted a free, non-exclusive license to use, copy, and distribute Explorer Weight provided that the software and its components are not modified in any manner.  This software is licensed and not sold or otherwise permanently transferred.  At no time does this license confer to you any ownership, patent, or other similar rights to the software.  Your rights regarding Explorer Weight are strictly limited to those explicitly granted herein.  Your license to use Explorer Weight may be revoked if it is in the best interests of the company to do so, such as in the event that you are violating the license granted to you.