Virtual Field Astronomy for Surveyors with Python: Real and Simulated Experiments Using Free Open-Source Planetarium Software

Abstract

This work used open-source planetarium software and astronomy packages to simulate observations of celestial bodies and calculate astronomical positions. The implementation was based on Python and the Skyfield library, while (virtual) apparent altitude observations were collected using the virtual planetarium Stellarium. The method was developed as an educational (virtual) astrogeodetic tool, allowing the operator to simultaneously calculate astronomical latitude and longitude from star observations adjusted using least squares, thereby simulating the work of a surveyor in field astronomy. The aim is not only to teach positioning methods that have declined in recent decades, but also to explain actual problems related to the deflection of the vertical in a more engaging and interactive way. Surveyors familiar with traditional and modern methods can handle a wider variety of situations and projects. The method was tested using various open-source planetarium software and subsequently validated with real observations collected in the field, achieving a precision of a few arcsec.