feat(satellites): flag naked-eye visible passes

- Add Sun position and Earth-shadow checks
- Add visible to pass results
- next_iss_pass prefers a visible pass, falls back with visible: false
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Rehaan Delmotra committed 2026-09-14 22:50:15 +05:30
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@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
// src/data/satellitePass.js
/**
* Satellite pass prediction.
* Look angles come from SGP4; rise/set are bisected to sub-second precision
* and the peak is refined with a parabola. Scan pattern from skylight (MIT)
* shared/src/celestial.ts nextISSPass.
* Satellite pass prediction with naked-eye visibility.
* Look angles come from SGP4; rise/set are bisected to sub-second precision,
* the peak is refined with a parabola, and visibility uses the USNO
* low-precision Sun position with a cylindrical Earth shadow. Scan pattern from
* skylight (MIT) shared/src/celestial.ts nextISSPass.
*/
import { propagate, gstime, eciToEcf, ecfToLookAngles } from 'satellite.js';
const R2D = 180 / Math.PI;
const D2R = Math.PI / 180;
const EARTH_RADIUS_KM = 6371.0;
const AU_KM = 149597870.7;
/**
* Observer look angles at an instant, or null when propagation fails.
@@ -16,7 +19,7 @@ const D2R = Math.PI / 180;
* @param {number} dateMs UTC epoch timestamp in milliseconds
* @param {number} latDeg Observer latitude in degrees [-90, 90]
* @param {number} lonDeg Observer longitude in degrees [-180, 180]
* @returns {{ elevDeg: number, azDeg: number } | null}
* @returns {{ elevDeg: number, azDeg: number, satECI: {x:number, y:number, z:number} } | null}
*/
export function lookAnglesAt(satrec, dateMs, latDeg, lonDeg) {
const date = new Date(dateMs);
@@ -31,9 +34,92 @@ export function lookAnglesAt(satrec, dateMs, latDeg, lonDeg) {
return {
elevDeg: look.elevation * R2D,
azDeg: (((look.azimuth * R2D) % 360) + 360) % 360,
satECI: pos,
};
}
/**
* Compute Sun position in geocentric ECI coordinates using USNO low-precision solar coordinates.
* Accurate to within ~1 arcminute (~0.017°) within centuries of J2000.0.
* @param {number} dateMs UTC epoch timestamp in milliseconds
* @returns {{ x: number, y: number, z: number, raDeg: number, decDeg: number }}
*/
export function solarPositionECI(dateMs) {
const JD = dateMs / 86400000 + 2440587.5;
const D = JD - 2451545.0; // days since J2000.0
const g = ((((357.529 + 0.98560028 * D) % 360) + 360) % 360) * D2R;
const q = (((280.459 + 0.98564736 * D) % 360) + 360) % 360;
const L =
((((q + 1.915 * Math.sin(g) + 0.02 * Math.sin(2 * g)) % 360) + 360) % 360) *
D2R;
const e = (23.439 - 0.00000036 * D) * D2R;
const ra = Math.atan2(Math.cos(e) * Math.sin(L), Math.cos(L));
const dec = Math.asin(Math.sin(e) * Math.sin(L));
return {
x: AU_KM * Math.cos(dec) * Math.cos(ra),
y: AU_KM * Math.cos(dec) * Math.sin(ra),
z: AU_KM * Math.sin(dec),
raDeg: (((ra * R2D) % 360) + 360) % 360,
decDeg: dec * R2D,
};
}
/**
* Check whether a satellite in ECI is illuminated by the Sun (outside Earth shadow).
* Uses a cylindrical Earth shadow model with mean radius 6,371 km.
* @param {{ x: number, y: number, z: number }} satECI Satellite position in km
* @param {number} dateMs UTC epoch timestamp in milliseconds
* @returns {boolean} True if sunlit, false if in eclipse (Earth shadow)
*/
export function isSatelliteSunlit(satECI, dateMs) {
if (!satECI || typeof satECI === 'boolean') return false;
const sun = solarPositionECI(dateMs);
const sunLen = Math.hypot(sun.x, sun.y, sun.z);
const sx = sun.x / sunLen;
const sy = sun.y / sunLen;
const sz = sun.z / sunLen;
const proj = satECI.x * sx + satECI.y * sy + satECI.z * sz;
if (proj > 0) return true; // Sunward side of Earth
const dx = satECI.x - proj * sx;
const dy = satECI.y - proj * sy;
const dz = satECI.z - proj * sz;
return Math.hypot(dx, dy, dz) > EARTH_RADIUS_KM;
}
/**
* Compute the observer local solar elevation angle in degrees.
* @param {number} latDeg Observer latitude in degrees
* @param {number} lonDeg Observer longitude in degrees
* @param {number} dateMs UTC epoch timestamp in milliseconds
* @returns {number} Solar elevation in degrees [-90, 90]
*/
export function observerSolarElevation(latDeg, lonDeg, dateMs) {
const sun = solarPositionECI(dateMs);
const gmst = gstime(new Date(dateMs));
const gmstDeg = (((gmst * R2D) % 360) + 360) % 360;
const localHourAngleDeg =
(((gmstDeg + lonDeg - sun.raDeg) % 360) + 360) % 360;
const H = localHourAngleDeg * D2R;
const phi = latDeg * D2R;
const dec = sun.decDeg * D2R;
const sinElev =
Math.sin(phi) * Math.sin(dec) + Math.cos(phi) * Math.cos(dec) * Math.cos(H);
return Math.asin(Math.max(-1, Math.min(1, sinElev))) * R2D;
}
/**
* Check whether the observer sky is dark (civil, nautical, or astronomical twilight / night).
* Default threshold is -6° (civil twilight).
* @param {number} latDeg Observer latitude
* @param {number} lonDeg Observer longitude
* @param {number} dateMs UTC timestamp
* @param {number} [maxSunElevDeg=-6] Sun elevation ceiling (default -6° for civil twilight)
* @returns {boolean} True if sun is at or below the threshold
*/
export function isObserverDark(latDeg, lonDeg, dateMs, maxSunElevDeg = -6) {
return observerSolarElevation(latDeg, lonDeg, dateMs) <= maxSunElevDeg;
}
/**
* Bisect the elevation threshold boundary f(t) = elev(t) - minElevDeg = 0.
* Assumes one threshold crossing inside the bracket. 7 iterations resolve 20s to ~0.16s.
@@ -75,7 +161,7 @@ function _bisectBoundary(
/**
* Find the next pass of a satellite over an observer location.
* Uses 20s coarse scanning, bisection for sub-second rise/set times,
* and parabolic interpolation for the peak.
* parabolic interpolation for the peak, and optional naked-eye visibility filtering.
*
* @param {Object} options
* @param {Object} options.satrec SGP4 satellite record
@@ -86,13 +172,19 @@ function _bisectBoundary(
* @param {number} [options.horizonHours=24] Maximum search horizon in hours (default 24h)
* @param {number} [options.coarseStepSec=20] Coarse scan step in seconds (default 20s)
* @param {number} [options.fineStepSec=5] Fine transit step in seconds (default 5s)
* @param {boolean} [options.requireVisible=false] Skip passes that are not naked-eye visible
* @param {number} [options.maxSunElevDeg=-6] Ceiling for observer darkness (default -6° for civil twilight)
* @returns {{
* riseMs: number,
* setMs: number,
* maxElevDeg: number,
* maxElevMs: number,
* riseAzDeg: number
* } | null}
* riseAzDeg: number,
* visible: boolean,
* sunlit: boolean,
* observerDark: boolean
* } | null} `visible` is true when any sampled part of the pass is sunlit under a
* dark sky; `sunlit` and `observerDark` describe the peak only.
*/
export function findNextSatellitePass({
satrec,
@@ -103,6 +195,8 @@ export function findNextSatellitePass({
horizonHours = 24,
coarseStepSec = 20,
fineStepSec = 5,
requireVisible = false,
maxSunElevDeg = -6,
}) {
const horizonMs = fromMs + horizonHours * 3600_000;
const coarseMs = coarseStepSec * 1000;
@@ -156,16 +250,40 @@ export function findNextSatellitePass({
let maxElevMs = riseMs;
let tStepPrev = riseMs;
let setMs = null;
let hasVisibleSegment = false;
let elevPrevSample = null;
let peakLeftElev = null;
let peakRightElev = null;
let peakStepMs = fineMs;
// Visibility at an instant inside [riseMs, setMs], so no elevation gate
const checkVisibility = (tMs) => {
if (hasVisibleSegment) return;
const look = lookAnglesAt(satrec, tMs, latDeg, lonDeg);
if (!look) return;
const sunlit = isSatelliteSunlit(look.satECI, tMs);
const dark = isObserverDark(latDeg, lonDeg, tMs, maxSunElevDeg);
if (sunlit && dark) {
hasVisibleSegment = true;
}
};
// Check visibility at rise
checkVisibility(riseMs);
// Transit forward in fine steps
while (tCurr <= horizonMs) {
const look = lookAnglesAt(satrec, tCurr, latDeg, lonDeg);
const elev = look ? look.elevDeg : -90;
if (look) {
const sunlit = isSatelliteSunlit(look.satECI, tCurr);
const dark = isObserverDark(latDeg, lonDeg, tCurr, maxSunElevDeg);
if (sunlit && dark && elev >= minElevDeg) {
hasVisibleSegment = true;
}
}
if (elev < minElevDeg && tCurr > riseMs) {
if (peakRightElev == null && tCurr > maxElevMs) {
peakRightElev = elev;
@@ -223,6 +341,28 @@ export function findNextSatellitePass({
}
}
// Sun and sky state at the peak
const peakLook = lookAnglesAt(satrec, refinedPeakMs, latDeg, lonDeg);
const peakSunlit = peakLook
? isSatelliteSunlit(peakLook.satECI, refinedPeakMs)
: false;
const peakDark = isObserverDark(
latDeg,
lonDeg,
refinedPeakMs,
maxSunElevDeg,
);
// Check visibility at the refined peak and at set
checkVisibility(refinedPeakMs);
checkVisibility(setMs);
// Skip passes with no visible part when requireVisible is set
if (requireVisible && !hasVisibleSegment) {
searchCursor = Math.max(setMs + 1000, searchCursor + coarseMs);
continue;
}
const riseLook = lookAnglesAt(satrec, riseMs, latDeg, lonDeg);
return {
riseMs,
@@ -230,6 +370,9 @@ export function findNextSatellitePass({
maxElevDeg: refinedPeakElevDeg,
maxElevMs: refinedPeakMs,
riseAzDeg: riseLook ? riseLook.azDeg : 0,
visible: hasVisibleSegment,
sunlit: peakSunlit,
observerDark: peakDark,
};
}