Georg Zotti - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Georg Zotti

Research paper thumbnail of <title>An interactive perception-based model for characterization of display devices</title>

Color Imaging IX: Processing, Hardcopy, and Applications, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of History and Archaeology in Discourse on the Dernberg–Reconstructing the Historical Landscape of a Medieval Motte-and-Bailey Castle and Deserted Village

Heritage, 2022

Investigating deserted medieval castles and villages in remote rural areas paired with a scarcity... more Investigating deserted medieval castles and villages in remote rural areas paired with a scarcity of meaningful written sources is a challenging task that can be significantly enhanced by the use of non-invasive archaeological prospection methods. Furthermore, the interpolation of stratigraphic relationships among maps by analysing paths and field boundaries, as performed by Klaus Schwarz in the 1980s, can also contribute significantly. Thus, in order to resolve numerous unanswered questions, a multidisciplinary approach is required. In this paper we present preliminary archaeological prospection data using magnetics and airborne laser scanning (ALS) as well as methodological considerations on the systematic analysis of historical maps on the site of Dernberg, a medieval motte-and-bailey castle with an adjoining deserted village. The magnetic data and corresponding aerial images, although not providing decisive information on internal structures, show several historical roads that allow for the localisation of the village at the foot of the castle hill, as well as other pathways and defensive structures. Data derived from laser scanning surveys carried out by uncrewed aerial vehicles, respectively, drone flights allow for a significant gain in information compared to publicly available ALS data. In a methodological discussion on the systematic analysis of historical maps, the site of Dernberg is used to illustrate not only how such an analysis can determine chronological sequences with respect to the pattern of former agricultural field systems and road networks, but that these assumptions can be confirmed in part by geophysical surveys.

Research paper thumbnail of “Harmony and Symmetry”. European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 26, Graz 27th August–1st September 2018

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

“Harmony and Symmetry”. European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 26, Graz 27th August–1st... more “Harmony and Symmetry”. European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 26, Graz 27th August–1st September 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium version 0.18.0

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

Research paper thumbnail of Software Notes: Stellarium V0.15.1

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

Research paper thumbnail of Archaeoastronomical experiments supported by Virtual simulation environments: Celestial alignments in the Antinoeion at Hadrian's Villa (Tivoli, Italy)

Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Approximating Real-World Luminaires with OpenGL Lights

Wscg, 2005

Dynamic illumination in real-time applications using OpenGL is still usually done with the classi... more Dynamic illumination in real-time applications using OpenGL is still usually done with the classical light forms of point lights, directional lights and spot lights. For applications simulating real-world scenes, e.g. architectural planning, nding parameter sets for these simple lights to match real-world luminaires is required for realistic work. This paper describes a simple approach to process a luminaire data le in IESNA IES-LM63-95 format to create an approximation using at most 2 OpenGL lights to represent one luminaire.

Research paper thumbnail of An analytical model for skylight polarisation

Proceedings of the Fifteenth Eurographics Conference on Rendering Techniques, Jun 21, 2004

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring light pollution with a calibrated high dynamic range all-sky image acquisition system

Abstract Combining series of exposures with different exposure times made with a digital SLR came... more Abstract Combining series of exposures with different exposure times made with a digital SLR camera and a fish-eye lens allow to create highresolution images that contain the full dynamic range of daylight, including the Sun, usable as scene background and for ...

Research paper thumbnail of Virtual Reconstructions in a Desktop Planetarium for Demonstrations in Cultural Astronomy

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2012

Many cultures throughout history have erected sacred and profane buildings orientated according t... more Many cultures throughout history have erected sacred and profane buildings orientated according to astronomical principles. A new plugin for the open-source desktop planetarium Stellarium allows the demonstration and interactive exploration of such buildings.

Research paper thumbnail of Medieval Stars in Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey, a marvel of European high baroque architecture, is one of the most frequently visited... more Melk Abbey, a marvel of European high baroque architecture, is one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Austria, attracting 450 000 visitors each year. The monastery's museum presents selected aspects of Benedictine life in Melk since the monastery's foundation in 1089. After the church, the library is the second-most important room in a Benedictine monastery. Due to the wide scientific interests and contacts of the medieval monks, these libraries also contain manuscripts on mathematics, physics and astronomy. In 2009, the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009), the annual library exhibition was fully dedicated to astronomical manuscripts and early prints from the past 1000 years. Following earlier research work on astronomical manuscripts in Melk's library, we were invited to organise the exhibition. In addition, we also presented a lecture series and provided more background in an accompanying book. Because of positive feedback from the visitors, th...

Research paper thumbnail of Neolithic Circular Ditch Systems (“Rondels”) in Central Europe

Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy, 2014

ABSTRACT The most discussed structures of the Middle and Late Neolithic period in Central Europe ... more ABSTRACT The most discussed structures of the Middle and Late Neolithic period in Central Europe are the rondels or Kreisgrabenanlagen (in German). In the Lengyel culture of the Carpathian Basin, these earthworks seem to follow a common set of architectural rules. The often empty space inside the enclosures is generally surrounded by one or more circular ditches, which are interrupted by two, three, or most often four causeways. The near symmetrically arranged causeways more or less face the main cardinal points. Through the investigation of more than 50 rondels belonging to the Central European Late Neolithic Lengyel culture, it is argued that the sun could be a good candidate to interpret the layout of most structures.

Research paper thumbnail of Visualization Tools and Techniques

Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Human Observation Based Generalized Gamma Functions

This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display de... more This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display devices without using a measurement device. It is an improvement of an existing technique based on human observation, solving its problem of numerical ...

Research paper thumbnail of Human Observation Based Generalized Gamma Functions

This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display de... more This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display devices without using a measurement device. It is an improvement of an existing technique based on human observation, solving its problem of numerical ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Simulated Sky: Stellarium for Cultural Astronomy Research

Journal for Skyscape Archaeology, 2021

For centuries, the rich nocturnal environment of the starry sky could be modelled only by analogu... more For centuries, the rich nocturnal environment of the starry sky could be modelled only by analogue tools such as paper planispheres, atlases, globes and numerical tables. The immer-sive sky simulator of the twentieth century, the optomechanical planetarium, provided new ways for representing and teaching about the sky, but the high construction and running costs meant that they have not become common. However, in recent decades, "desktop planetarium programs" running on personal computers have gained wide attention. Modern incarnations are immensely versatile tools, mostly targeted towards the community of amateur astronomers and for knowledge transfer in transdisciplinary research. Cultural astronomers also value the possibilities they give of simulating the skies of past times or other cultures. With this paper, we provide

Research paper thumbnail of Serious Gaming for Virtual Archaeoastronomy

Studies in Digital Heritage, 2020

Many cultures worldwide have left traces of sacred architecture and monuments which often show co... more Many cultures worldwide have left traces of sacred architecture and monuments which often show correlation to astronomical events like solstitial sunrises. Virtual archaeology can be used to explore such orientation patterns using digital reconstructions and positions of celestial objects computed from modern astronomical models. Most 3D editing systems used to build virtual reconstructions of such monuments however fail to provide astronomically accurate solar illumination models which can recreate the slightly different solar positions of antiquity or even prehistory, and even worse, any usable representation of the night sky. In recent years, two systems created independently by the authors of this study have been utilized for investigations into the orientation of architecture with respect to celestial processes. Both had their advantages and shortcomings compared to each other. One extended a dedicated open-source desktop astronomy program with a 3D rendering engine where such monuments can be investigated in the first-person perspective with an interactive walkthrough. The other system uses a game engine and external online resources which provides only solar or planetary positions, but no star data. This study presents ways of connecting both systems in an attempt to take advantage of the best of both approaches.

Research paper thumbnail of The Skyscape Planetarium

Culture and Cosmos, 2017

Communicating scientific topics in state of the art exhibitions frequently involves the creation ... more Communicating scientific topics in state of the art exhibitions frequently involves the creation of impressive visual installations. In the exhibition
‘STONEHENGE. A Hidden Landscape.’ in the MAMUZ museum for prehistory in Mistelbach, Lower Austria, LBI ArchPro presents recent research results from the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project. A central element of the exhibition which extends over two floors connected with open staircases is an assembly of original-sized replica of several stones of the central trilithon horseshoe which is seen from both floors. In the upper floor, visitors are at eye level with the lintels,
and on a huge curved projection screen which extends along the long wall of the hall they can experience the view out over the Sarsen circle into the surrounding landscape. This paper describes the planning and creation of this part of the exhibition, and some first impressions after opening.

Research paper thumbnail of TOWARDS SERIOUS GAMING FOR ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL SIMULATION

In the last years an ever-increasing number of virtual models has been developed for research and... more In the last years an ever-increasing number of virtual models has been developed for research and communication of archaeological knowledge and hypotheses about cultural heritage monuments. Nowadays whole archaeological landscapes with temples and other buildings can be digitally reconstructed in virtual space. A virtual walk through such a landscape provides a proper view of the past as good as it can be derived from archaeological knowledge. Together with advances in character animation this allows the creation of increasingly popular lively and eye-catching installations for public education in museum installations. There are many archaeological remains which have also been interpreted in an astronomical context. Accurate virtual models combined with a correctly modeled sky allow an immediate archaeoastronomical investigation and interpretation, and can then also be used to display the potential finds to a wider audience. However, there is a gap between good sky simulations and good architectural simulations, in that the first are usually not able to render three-dimensional architecture, and the latter usually only allow very simple or at best present-day sky simulations. This paper discusses the use of the popular Unity game engine for the presentation of the archaeological landscape around the two Neolithic circular ditch systems near today's Pranhartsberg (Lower Austria), where one shows a very accurate solstitial entrance orientation .

Research paper thumbnail of OPEN-SOURCE VIRTUAL ARCHAEOASTRONOMY

A large fraction of archaeoastronomical surveys is concerned with the evaluation of azimuth orien... more A large fraction of archaeoastronomical surveys is concerned with the evaluation of azimuth orientations of artificial, or sometimes natural, structures to find a correlation with potential astronomical targets, like sunrise/sunset, or the interplay of light and shadow at particular dates like the solstices. Given the difficulties of observing such a structure during months or even years, it seems very desirable to record or reconstruct the structure in question and bring a virtual 3D model into a computer system capable of accurately rendering the sky, the model, and light and shadow effects depending on proper astronomical simulation, also including the situation at other times. Applications for such a system can be manifold. Horizon panoramas in various desktop planetarium programs have already previously allowed assessment of single-viewpoint observations with proper horizon altitudes. But the ability to load a properly georeferenced and accurate 3D model into virtual space and identify and observe sight lines combined with a recreation of past skies, or to observe light and shadow effects that would change over weeks and months within just minutes of simulation, should allow much better understanding of the potential use of such structures, and can clearly illustrate and demonstrate these phenomena also for a wider audience. Likewise, an archaeologically sound virtual reconstruction beyond today's often deteriorated state can be used to recreate the likely appearance of the site in past times. A few such installations can be seen in museums, but none of them are widely available. The author has initiated development of a plugin for the popular open-source desktop planetarium Stellarium to allow research on 3D virtual reconstructions which has recently been greatly refurbished and integrated into the regular distribution of Stellarium. The paper also describes other contributions made by the author towards application of Stellarium for research and communication of cultural astronomy.

Research paper thumbnail of <title>An interactive perception-based model for characterization of display devices</title>

Color Imaging IX: Processing, Hardcopy, and Applications, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of History and Archaeology in Discourse on the Dernberg–Reconstructing the Historical Landscape of a Medieval Motte-and-Bailey Castle and Deserted Village

Heritage, 2022

Investigating deserted medieval castles and villages in remote rural areas paired with a scarcity... more Investigating deserted medieval castles and villages in remote rural areas paired with a scarcity of meaningful written sources is a challenging task that can be significantly enhanced by the use of non-invasive archaeological prospection methods. Furthermore, the interpolation of stratigraphic relationships among maps by analysing paths and field boundaries, as performed by Klaus Schwarz in the 1980s, can also contribute significantly. Thus, in order to resolve numerous unanswered questions, a multidisciplinary approach is required. In this paper we present preliminary archaeological prospection data using magnetics and airborne laser scanning (ALS) as well as methodological considerations on the systematic analysis of historical maps on the site of Dernberg, a medieval motte-and-bailey castle with an adjoining deserted village. The magnetic data and corresponding aerial images, although not providing decisive information on internal structures, show several historical roads that allow for the localisation of the village at the foot of the castle hill, as well as other pathways and defensive structures. Data derived from laser scanning surveys carried out by uncrewed aerial vehicles, respectively, drone flights allow for a significant gain in information compared to publicly available ALS data. In a methodological discussion on the systematic analysis of historical maps, the site of Dernberg is used to illustrate not only how such an analysis can determine chronological sequences with respect to the pattern of former agricultural field systems and road networks, but that these assumptions can be confirmed in part by geophysical surveys.

Research paper thumbnail of “Harmony and Symmetry”. European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 26, Graz 27th August–1st September 2018

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

“Harmony and Symmetry”. European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 26, Graz 27th August–1st... more “Harmony and Symmetry”. European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) 26, Graz 27th August–1st September 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium version 0.18.0

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

Research paper thumbnail of Software Notes: Stellarium V0.15.1

Journal of Skyscape Archaeology

Research paper thumbnail of Archaeoastronomical experiments supported by Virtual simulation environments: Celestial alignments in the Antinoeion at Hadrian's Villa (Tivoli, Italy)

Digital Applications in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Approximating Real-World Luminaires with OpenGL Lights

Wscg, 2005

Dynamic illumination in real-time applications using OpenGL is still usually done with the classi... more Dynamic illumination in real-time applications using OpenGL is still usually done with the classical light forms of point lights, directional lights and spot lights. For applications simulating real-world scenes, e.g. architectural planning, nding parameter sets for these simple lights to match real-world luminaires is required for realistic work. This paper describes a simple approach to process a luminaire data le in IESNA IES-LM63-95 format to create an approximation using at most 2 OpenGL lights to represent one luminaire.

Research paper thumbnail of An analytical model for skylight polarisation

Proceedings of the Fifteenth Eurographics Conference on Rendering Techniques, Jun 21, 2004

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring light pollution with a calibrated high dynamic range all-sky image acquisition system

Abstract Combining series of exposures with different exposure times made with a digital SLR came... more Abstract Combining series of exposures with different exposure times made with a digital SLR camera and a fish-eye lens allow to create highresolution images that contain the full dynamic range of daylight, including the Sun, usable as scene background and for ...

Research paper thumbnail of Virtual Reconstructions in a Desktop Planetarium for Demonstrations in Cultural Astronomy

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2012

Many cultures throughout history have erected sacred and profane buildings orientated according t... more Many cultures throughout history have erected sacred and profane buildings orientated according to astronomical principles. A new plugin for the open-source desktop planetarium Stellarium allows the demonstration and interactive exploration of such buildings.

Research paper thumbnail of Medieval Stars in Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey, a marvel of European high baroque architecture, is one of the most frequently visited... more Melk Abbey, a marvel of European high baroque architecture, is one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Austria, attracting 450 000 visitors each year. The monastery's museum presents selected aspects of Benedictine life in Melk since the monastery's foundation in 1089. After the church, the library is the second-most important room in a Benedictine monastery. Due to the wide scientific interests and contacts of the medieval monks, these libraries also contain manuscripts on mathematics, physics and astronomy. In 2009, the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009), the annual library exhibition was fully dedicated to astronomical manuscripts and early prints from the past 1000 years. Following earlier research work on astronomical manuscripts in Melk's library, we were invited to organise the exhibition. In addition, we also presented a lecture series and provided more background in an accompanying book. Because of positive feedback from the visitors, th...

Research paper thumbnail of Neolithic Circular Ditch Systems (“Rondels”) in Central Europe

Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy, 2014

ABSTRACT The most discussed structures of the Middle and Late Neolithic period in Central Europe ... more ABSTRACT The most discussed structures of the Middle and Late Neolithic period in Central Europe are the rondels or Kreisgrabenanlagen (in German). In the Lengyel culture of the Carpathian Basin, these earthworks seem to follow a common set of architectural rules. The often empty space inside the enclosures is generally surrounded by one or more circular ditches, which are interrupted by two, three, or most often four causeways. The near symmetrically arranged causeways more or less face the main cardinal points. Through the investigation of more than 50 rondels belonging to the Central European Late Neolithic Lengyel culture, it is argued that the sun could be a good candidate to interpret the layout of most structures.

Research paper thumbnail of Visualization Tools and Techniques

Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Human Observation Based Generalized Gamma Functions

This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display de... more This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display devices without using a measurement device. It is an improvement of an existing technique based on human observation, solving its problem of numerical ...

Research paper thumbnail of Human Observation Based Generalized Gamma Functions

This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display de... more This paper describes an accurate method to obtain the Tone Reproduction Curve (TRC) of display devices without using a measurement device. It is an improvement of an existing technique based on human observation, solving its problem of numerical ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Simulated Sky: Stellarium for Cultural Astronomy Research

Journal for Skyscape Archaeology, 2021

For centuries, the rich nocturnal environment of the starry sky could be modelled only by analogu... more For centuries, the rich nocturnal environment of the starry sky could be modelled only by analogue tools such as paper planispheres, atlases, globes and numerical tables. The immer-sive sky simulator of the twentieth century, the optomechanical planetarium, provided new ways for representing and teaching about the sky, but the high construction and running costs meant that they have not become common. However, in recent decades, "desktop planetarium programs" running on personal computers have gained wide attention. Modern incarnations are immensely versatile tools, mostly targeted towards the community of amateur astronomers and for knowledge transfer in transdisciplinary research. Cultural astronomers also value the possibilities they give of simulating the skies of past times or other cultures. With this paper, we provide

Research paper thumbnail of Serious Gaming for Virtual Archaeoastronomy

Studies in Digital Heritage, 2020

Many cultures worldwide have left traces of sacred architecture and monuments which often show co... more Many cultures worldwide have left traces of sacred architecture and monuments which often show correlation to astronomical events like solstitial sunrises. Virtual archaeology can be used to explore such orientation patterns using digital reconstructions and positions of celestial objects computed from modern astronomical models. Most 3D editing systems used to build virtual reconstructions of such monuments however fail to provide astronomically accurate solar illumination models which can recreate the slightly different solar positions of antiquity or even prehistory, and even worse, any usable representation of the night sky. In recent years, two systems created independently by the authors of this study have been utilized for investigations into the orientation of architecture with respect to celestial processes. Both had their advantages and shortcomings compared to each other. One extended a dedicated open-source desktop astronomy program with a 3D rendering engine where such monuments can be investigated in the first-person perspective with an interactive walkthrough. The other system uses a game engine and external online resources which provides only solar or planetary positions, but no star data. This study presents ways of connecting both systems in an attempt to take advantage of the best of both approaches.

Research paper thumbnail of The Skyscape Planetarium

Culture and Cosmos, 2017

Communicating scientific topics in state of the art exhibitions frequently involves the creation ... more Communicating scientific topics in state of the art exhibitions frequently involves the creation of impressive visual installations. In the exhibition
‘STONEHENGE. A Hidden Landscape.’ in the MAMUZ museum for prehistory in Mistelbach, Lower Austria, LBI ArchPro presents recent research results from the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project. A central element of the exhibition which extends over two floors connected with open staircases is an assembly of original-sized replica of several stones of the central trilithon horseshoe which is seen from both floors. In the upper floor, visitors are at eye level with the lintels,
and on a huge curved projection screen which extends along the long wall of the hall they can experience the view out over the Sarsen circle into the surrounding landscape. This paper describes the planning and creation of this part of the exhibition, and some first impressions after opening.

Research paper thumbnail of TOWARDS SERIOUS GAMING FOR ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL SIMULATION

In the last years an ever-increasing number of virtual models has been developed for research and... more In the last years an ever-increasing number of virtual models has been developed for research and communication of archaeological knowledge and hypotheses about cultural heritage monuments. Nowadays whole archaeological landscapes with temples and other buildings can be digitally reconstructed in virtual space. A virtual walk through such a landscape provides a proper view of the past as good as it can be derived from archaeological knowledge. Together with advances in character animation this allows the creation of increasingly popular lively and eye-catching installations for public education in museum installations. There are many archaeological remains which have also been interpreted in an astronomical context. Accurate virtual models combined with a correctly modeled sky allow an immediate archaeoastronomical investigation and interpretation, and can then also be used to display the potential finds to a wider audience. However, there is a gap between good sky simulations and good architectural simulations, in that the first are usually not able to render three-dimensional architecture, and the latter usually only allow very simple or at best present-day sky simulations. This paper discusses the use of the popular Unity game engine for the presentation of the archaeological landscape around the two Neolithic circular ditch systems near today's Pranhartsberg (Lower Austria), where one shows a very accurate solstitial entrance orientation .

Research paper thumbnail of OPEN-SOURCE VIRTUAL ARCHAEOASTRONOMY

A large fraction of archaeoastronomical surveys is concerned with the evaluation of azimuth orien... more A large fraction of archaeoastronomical surveys is concerned with the evaluation of azimuth orientations of artificial, or sometimes natural, structures to find a correlation with potential astronomical targets, like sunrise/sunset, or the interplay of light and shadow at particular dates like the solstices. Given the difficulties of observing such a structure during months or even years, it seems very desirable to record or reconstruct the structure in question and bring a virtual 3D model into a computer system capable of accurately rendering the sky, the model, and light and shadow effects depending on proper astronomical simulation, also including the situation at other times. Applications for such a system can be manifold. Horizon panoramas in various desktop planetarium programs have already previously allowed assessment of single-viewpoint observations with proper horizon altitudes. But the ability to load a properly georeferenced and accurate 3D model into virtual space and identify and observe sight lines combined with a recreation of past skies, or to observe light and shadow effects that would change over weeks and months within just minutes of simulation, should allow much better understanding of the potential use of such structures, and can clearly illustrate and demonstrate these phenomena also for a wider audience. Likewise, an archaeologically sound virtual reconstruction beyond today's often deteriorated state can be used to recreate the likely appearance of the site in past times. A few such installations can be seen in museums, but none of them are widely available. The author has initiated development of a plugin for the popular open-source desktop planetarium Stellarium to allow research on 3D virtual reconstructions which has recently been greatly refurbished and integrated into the regular distribution of Stellarium. The paper also describes other contributions made by the author towards application of Stellarium for research and communication of cultural astronomy.

Research paper thumbnail of Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich 2024

Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion von Mitgliedern mehrerer Amateur-Astronomievereine, bietet ... more Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion von Mitgliedern mehrerer Amateur-Astronomievereine, bietet seit 2020 auf Österreich abgestimmte astronomische Vorausberechnungen (Ephemeriden) der Positionen für Sonne, Mond und Planeten in Tabellenform sowie in Übersichts-Jahresgraphiken. Auch Mondlibration, Jupitermonde, veränderliche Sterne, Finsternisse und Meteorströme werden besprochen. Sternkarten mit Planetenständen für jeden Samstagabend laden zur regelmäßigen Beobachtung ein.

Research paper thumbnail of Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich 2022

Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion aus mehreren österreichischen Amateur-Astronomievereinen, b... more Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion aus mehreren österreichischen Amateur-Astronomievereinen, bietet seit 2020 auf Österreich abgestimmte astronomische Vorausberechnungen (Ephemeriden) der Positionen für Sonne, Mond und Planeten in Tabellenform sowie in Übersichts-Jahresgraphiken. Auch Mondlibration, Jupitermonde, veränderliche Sterne und Finsternisse werden besprochen. Ein Kapitel erläutert auch quantitativ mit Graphiken die Auswirkung mehrerer Grade von Lichtverschmutzung auf die horizontale Beleuchtungsstärke. Sternkarten mit Planetenständen für jeden Samstagabend laden zur regelmäßigen Beobachtung ein.

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.21.1 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.21.0 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.20.4 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich 2021

Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion mehrerer Amateur-Astronomievereine, bietet seit 2020 auf Ös... more Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion mehrerer Amateur-Astronomievereine, bietet seit 2020 auf Österreich abgestimmte astronomische Vorausberechnungen (Ephemeriden) der Positionen für Sonne, Mond und Planeten in Tabellenform sowie in Übersichts-Jahresgraphiken. Auch Mondlibration, Jupitermonde, veränderliche Sterne und Finsternisse werden besprochen. Ein Kapitel erläutert auch quantitativ mit Graphiken die Auswirkung mehrerer Grade von Lichtverschmutzung auf die horizontale Beleuchtungsstärke. Sternkarten mit Planetenständen für jeden Samstagabend laden zur regelmäßigen Beobachtung ein.

Research paper thumbnail of Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich 2021

Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich, 2020

Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion mehrerer Amateur-Astronomievereine, bietet seit 2020 auf Ös... more Der AAÖ, eine Gemeinschaftsproduktion mehrerer Amateur-Astronomievereine, bietet seit 2020 auf Österreich abgestimmte astronomische Vorausberechnungen (Ephemeriden) der Positionen für Sonne, Mond und Planeten in Tabellenform sowie in Übersichts-Jahresgraphiken. Auch Mondlibration, Jupitermonde, veränderliche Sterne und Finsternisse werden besprochen. Ein Kapitel erläutert auch quantitativ mit Graphiken die Auswirkung mehrerer Grade von Lichtverschmutzung auf die horizontale Beleuchtungsstärke. Sternkarten mit Planetenständen für jeden Samstagabend laden zur regelmäßigen Beobachtung ein.

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.20.3 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.20.2 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.20.1 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.20.0 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich 2020

Astronomischer Almanach für Österreich 2020, 2019

The Astronomical Almanach for Austria provides astronomical ephemerides and graphical overviews f... more The Astronomical Almanach for Austria provides astronomical ephemerides and graphical overviews for 2020.

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.19.2 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.19.1 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.19.0 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.18.1 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.18.2 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.18.0 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.17.0 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Stellarium 0.16.1 User Guide

Research paper thumbnail of Virtual Reconstructions in a Desktop Planetarium for Demonstrations in Cultural Astronomy

Progress in Cultural Heritage Preservation. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference, EuroMed 2012, 2012

Many cultures throughout history have erected sacred and profane buildings orientated according t... more Many cultures throughout history have erected sacred and profane buildings orientated according to astronomical principles. A new plugin for the open-source desktop planetarium Stellarium allows the demonstration and interactive exploration of such buildings.

Research paper thumbnail of Improving the GIS-based 3D mapping of archeological features in GPR data

Research paper thumbnail of GIS, Landschaft, 3D-Modelle und Himmelssimulation

Maß und Mythos, Zahl und Zauber: Die Vermessung von Himmel und Erde (Tagung der Gesellschaft für Archäoastronomie in Dortmund 2018), 2020

Dieses Kapitel behandelt, aufbauend auf früheren Ausführungen [Zotti 2018], die Frage, unter welc... more Dieses Kapitel behandelt, aufbauend auf früheren Ausführungen [Zotti 2018], die Frage, unter welchen Rahmenbedingungen 3D-Modelle zur archäoastronomischen Untersuchung von Kulturdenkmälern und der sie umgebenden Landschaft mittels des Computerplanetariums [Stellarium (2019)] oder auch durch Simulation in einer Game Engine besser geeignet sind als die klassischen Horizontpanoramen. Auch die Sichtweite zum Horizont wird mit der sog. Horizontformel eingehend diskutiert.

Research paper thumbnail of Computerbasierte Methoden zur kulturastronomischen Landschaftsanalyse

Baudenkm¨ aler des Himmels – Astronomie in gebautem Raum und gestalteter Landschaft (Tagungen der Gesellschaft für Archäoastronomie 2013-16), 2018

Dieses Kapitel gibt einen Überblick über einige Computerwerkzeuge für die kulturastronomische For... more Dieses Kapitel gibt einen Überblick über einige Computerwerkzeuge für die kulturastronomische Forschung mit dem Schwerpunkt auf 3D-Simulation mit dem Computerplanetarium „Stellarium“. Nach einem Überblick über die gängigen Orientierungsschemata und einer Vorstellung von Stellarium werden die Möglichkeiten der Horizontdarstellung erläutert, und nach einführenden Bemerkungen zu Geographischen Informationssystemen folgt eine Darstellung der grundlegenden Schritte, ein virtuelles 3D-Modell zu gestalten, das für die Simulation unter dem Himmel ferner Zeiten von Stellarium geeignet ist.

Research paper thumbnail of 3D und mehr: Zeitlich veränderliche 3D-Landschaften in Stellarium

Orientierung, Navigation und Zeitbestimmung – Wie der Himmel den Lebensraum des Menschen prägt (Tagung der Gesellschaft für Archäoastronomie in Hamburg 2017), 2019

Seit einiger Zeit lassen sich 3D-Landschaften im Computerplanetarium Stellarium darstellen. Unser... more Seit einiger Zeit lassen sich 3D-Landschaften im Computerplanetarium Stellarium darstellen. Unsere neueste Entwicklung erweitert nun die Funktion, so daß auch die zeitliche Entwicklung einer archäologischen Landschaft mit den darauf befindlichen Bauwerken dargestellt werden kann.

Research paper thumbnail of Das Astrolabium: das astronomische Rechengerät des Mittelalters

Orientierung, Navigation und Zeitbestimmung – Wie der Himmel den Lebensraum des Menschen prägt (Tagung der Gesellschaft für Archäoastronomie in Hamburg 2017), 2019

Das Planisphärische Astrolabium war das bekannte und universellste Beobachtungs- und Rechengerät ... more Das Planisphärische Astrolabium war das bekannte und universellste Beobachtungs- und Rechengerät der Gelehrten des Mittelalters. Die spätantike Erfindung wurde von frühislamischen Mathematikern und Astronomen weiterentwickelt und kam um 1000 n. Chr. über das maurische Spanien nach Europa, wo es bis zur Erfindung der Fernrohre
ebenfalls das typische Instrument der Astronomen war. Dieser Beitrag stellt Geometrie und Verwendung anhand selbstentwickelter Graphiken und lasergeschnittener Holzinstrumente vor.

Research paper thumbnail of Virtual Archaeoastronomy: Stellarium for Research and Outreach

Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World, 2019

In the last few years, the open-source desktop planetarium program Stellarium has become ever mor... more In the last few years, the open-source desktop planetarium program Stellarium has become ever more popular for research and dissemination of results in Cultural Astronomy.

In this time we (LBI ArchPro and TU Wien) have added significant capabilities for applications in Cultural Astronomy to the program, in particular a way to allow virtual 3D exploration of architecture from any period. The major part of this chapter describes our recent accomplishments for allowing its use in a multi-screen installation running both completely automated and manually controlled setups in an exhibition about Stonehenge. During the development time, also the accuracy of astronomical simulation has been greatly improved. The final part of this chapter (authored by B. Frischer) presents the latest application examples, in particular of these 3D capabilities, for Cultural Astronomy research in the Roman world.

Research paper thumbnail of Drehscheibe des Sternenhimmels? Die Kreisgrabenanlage Immendorf

Zeitreise Heldenberg. Geheimnisvolle Kreisgräben. Niederösterreichische Landesausstellung 2005, 2005

Research paper thumbnail of Astronomische Aspekte der Kreisgrabenanlagen in Niederösterreich

Mittelneolithische Kreisgrabenanlagen in Niederösterreich. Geophysikalisch-archäologische Prospektion - ein interdisziplinäres Forschungsprojekt, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Linsmeau Early Bronze Age structure showing a possible astronomical intent

Visualising Skyscapes: Material Forms of Cultural Engagement with the Heavens, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Visualising skyscapes: GIS-based 3-D modelling and astronomical simulation

Visualising Skyscapes: Material Forms of Cultural Engagement with the Heavens, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Virtual Archaeoastronomy: Stellarium for Research and Outreach

Research paper thumbnail of Linsmeau Early Bronze Age structure showing a possible astronomical intent

Visualising Skyscapes Material Forms of Cultural Engagement with the Heavens, 1st Edition, 2019

The site of Linsmeau is located on a colluvial beach north of the Petite Gette River, at the foot... more The site of Linsmeau is located on a colluvial beach north of the Petite Gette River, at the foot of the Hesbaye plateau of middle Belgium. Here a series of 15 unusually deep-rooted post holes were uncovered. They all reach to and bore into the underlying sandstone bedrock, at a depth of up to 1.4 metres. Their position, spacing and diameter rule out the possibility that they could have been used as part of a building. All of the posts show clear evidence of being ripped out of their holes. 3-D simulations carried out at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institut in Vienna showed that when considering an alignment consisting of two deep posts and an astronomical event on the landscape horizon as the third point of the line, sightlines to both the summer solstice sunrise and sunset were discovered. Further alignments to the cross-quarter risings and settings of the sun were also noted, with three others aimed towards the major lunar standstills. Given that they use a specific type of deep post it does support both the archaeoastronomical relevance of the site and intentionality for the summer solstice and possibly also for the cross-quarter days observations.