A real calculation base
Planetary positions, sidereal-time ideas and horizon/sky projections can be checked and improved instead of being treated as static artwork.
CalculationTime Workshop
Noindex approval-stage tools, simulations and celestial experiments presented in the same calculator plus clock system as the rest of the platform.
CalculationTime workshop
Interesting tools should not have to hide until they are perfect.
This page collects the builds that are already worth exploring: sky clocks, orreries, almanacs, simulations and historical time experiments. They are here because they are useful, beautiful or thought-provoking before every citation and accuracy note has been locked down.
Some are original CalculationTime experiments: new combinations of sky, time, calculation and interaction that are interesting precisely because they are being invented in public.
Check out some of the work that is in the process of being built. We would love to hear what you think: what looks right, wrong, useful, confusing or delightful. The best feedback decides which experiments deserve deeper source-checking and a permanent place in the main library.
Support the workshop
Donations would help cover the cost of keeping this open while we test.
These experimental tools take hosting, research, source checking, design time and repeated rebuilds before they can become polished CalculationTime references. When a donation path is added, support here should go toward those costs without changing formulas, defaults, recommendations or accuracy claims.
Why these builds have promise
They are built from real sky calculation ingredients, not just decoration.
The current Grand Orrery stage already uses Astronomy Engine for planetary positions. The Southern Cross and celestial workshop prompts also identify a shared `astronomy.js` engine and `stars.js` star catalogue as the basis for future tools.
Real star material
The `stars.js` source notes point to a compact real-star catalogue with constellation lines and labels, which is a strong base for visual sky tools.
Still needs certification work
Before promotion, each page still needs visible source notes, version/licence checks, edge-case testing and plain-language limitations.
Southern Cross clock workshop
Several Southern Cross clock ideas belong in this playground lane.
The public links below point to the current live pages. The source candidates are local/reference builds that can be staged later with clear labels instead of exposing internal version names to first-time visitors.
Southern Cross ClockMain public page with the explanatory shell, live embedded clock and readable sky-clock narrative.Open the live clock full screenDirect instrument view for testing Crux, the pole pivot, month markers, planets and the live display.Sunrise Star MapCompanion sky-time experiment for place, date, sunrise and pre-dawn sky context.Moon Phase CalendarCompanion lunar rhythm page that belongs beside the Southern Cross and other sky-time tools.
Source candidates to prepare as staged pages:
- Southern Cross Clock latitude build
- Southern Cross Clock South Pole view
- Southern Cross Clock Sydney horizon reference
- Southern skies real-horizon viewport
- Southern skies viewport calculator
- North Star clock counterpart
Feedback questions
What we want users to tell us.
Feedback should help decide which experiments deserve deeper verification, better sources and eventual promotion. The useful questions are specific.
What felt true?
Which result, motion, sky view, date or explanation matched something you already trust?
What felt wrong?
Tell us the date, place, object, setting or scenario that looked suspicious so we can reproduce it.
What should graduate?
Some toys deserve real source-backed certification. User demand should help choose which ones.