Test of Heavenly Bodies

In this test, inhabitants of Egypt will attempt to discover new heavenly bodies by the use of observatories. The test is passed when you have discovered a heavenly body.

A person may build a maximum of 7 observatories, although ownerships may be transferred making it possible for 1 person to own more than 7. An observatory must be build at a height of at least 200.

Short Description

This astronomy test is about discovering heavenly bodies, which may be stars, planets or galaxies, or anything else that shines a light in the sky. The players may construct observatories in order to make observations, and each observation takes a certain amount of time. Players are awarded points for the heavenly bodies they discover. Once a week the 7 highest ranking players pass, provided a certain type of body (level 7) is found during the week.

Storyline

Sotep was anxious. Tomorrow was the day he planned to start work on a new commission from the high priest at the temple of Thought. They wanted curved glass, housed in a moonsteel casing. The design was very specific, but had something of a Greek mystery about it. What were they up to? They were so easily excited. But the price they had offered was very good.

He turned restlessly on his pallet and stared at the night sky outside his window. There was a frog yelling somewhere over in the reed bed. Damn thing was having too much fun.

He’d need to go over the plans tomorrow, to be sure. First job was to collect charcoal from the burners guild and stoke up the glass furnaces early. Then a quick run over the Street of the Glassblowers to pick up load of good quality shards – they had promised him a good weight yesterday. Luckily he was a deft hand at a bargain and generous with his beer. Then back here to check the furnaces and finish preparing the molds he had crafted yesterday from wax and plaster. Unearthly things they were. He just couldn’t understand why they had insisted on the beveled flat curves when everyone knew that even a bottle of water could magnify images. He’d tried it himself, lots of times. And this was for looking at the sky.

Madness. What was up there, really? Apart from the sun god Aten and his handmaidens, and Nut arching over all with the moon in her naval? The gods who walked the Nile were far more real, and reflected in the stars. They were visible by day in true form and by night as spirits. See, there was the crocodile, with four sharp teeth, and at his tail the sweeping curve of the rams horn.

But what? The horn didn't have two stars at the end last time he looked. Was this an omen of some sort? He’d better ask the priests tomorrow to give him an extra blessing. Best to be careful. Ptah be thankful, All praise to Osiris. Protect us, O Montu from the south! He sighed, rolled over on his straw pallet and shut his eyes again. This time he really was going to go to sleep. It would be a busy day tomorrow.

Full Description

In order to pass this test you must collect points from locating heavenly bodies, and be among the 7 highest ranking at the end of the week. There are 7 levels of observable heavenly bodies, each of which exhibits a different levels of radiation. Radiation levels are cumulative over time wih points are awarded as follows:

Level	Egyptian days to observe	Points
1	1	1
1-2	2	3
1-3	4	7
1-4	8	21
1-5	16	49
1-6	32	147
1-7	64	343

In order to make an observation, the center and radius of focus is specified in (x,y,r) coordinates, x and y being angular coords, and r the angular radius. An observation takes a week (RL time). The information gained will be the number of heavenly bodies within the view field, and the amount of light received.

A heavenly body is discovered if you can specify a point on the disc (i.e. any point within the distance of radius r from the center) and the total amount of light received from the heavenly body. This can be done by a university of thought once a day.

Alternatively, different types of astral phenomena such as a shooting star - Level 1, comet - Level 2, galaxy - Level 3, nebula - Level 4, pulsar - Level 5, globula cluster - Level 6, planetary conjunction - Level 7 (examples only) are visible in a segment of sky above one of the many regions in Egypt, only observable from an observatory located in that region. A preference for the observatory to be a shared resource a bit like a Sphinx or Throne - built relatively few times through community collaboration, but useable by many Egyptians who record their observation times at the building. This will prevent the countryside being cluttered with observatories.The scientists at the observatory make the observations in the locations, sectors and times indicated by the player. The visibility of each type of phenomenon could be of variable duration. In this scenario scoring would be the cumulative count of 'heavenly bodies found', with each type awarded a different score according to rarity (Level) and the number of objects located in any one week. (suggestion)

In order to make observations players must either build an observatory (suggested cost below) or commission observations from an existing observatory for a fee made to the observatory (fee structure to be determined by Pharoah, but assuming a scale based on number of regions, time periods and sky segments to be observed)). When making an observation the player must decide how wide a field of the sky to span - values correspond to 1/7, 3/7 and 1 degree respectively); the region to scan (coordinate ranges on Egypt map) and the time period for the observation. After the observation time has passed, the number of heavenly bodies within the field of observation of the levels given by the observation time is advised.

Observatories must be built at a height of at least 200 feet above sea level. The cost of an observatory is (suggestion):

• 1500 Bricks
• 350 Rotproof, Termite Resistant Boards
• 10 Moon Steel Sheeting: Stainless
• 10 Sun Steel Sheeting: Stainless
• 350 Dark Blue Paint
• 150 Cadet Blue Paint
• 50 Yellow Paint
• 4 Glass Lenses (new glass item)
• 8 Lens Cut Jade
• 20 Washers
• 2 Large Gears
• 14 Medium Gears
• 28 Small Gears
• 20 Linen
• 500 Resin of any type
• 5 Maat Compound Extract
• 1 Random 3-Output Springbox Quality 5000+

If the field size is 1 and there is only one body within the field of view, the star is discovered and points awarded. At the end of the week, the 7 highest ranking players pass, provided that a level 7 heavenly body has been located during the week.

Passing Principle

• Build an observatory OR
• Commission an astronomer to make an observation
• Discover a Level 1 heavenly body
• Discover a Level 3 heavenly body