Fix planet_magnitude polynomial divergence for Mercury

This commit is contained in:
Ryan Malloy 2026-02-26 17:23:52 -07:00
commit 954d69b5ae
5 changed files with 396 additions and 32 deletions

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# Message 001
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| From | pg-orrery |
| To | astrolock-api |
| Date | 2026-02-26T00:15:00Z |
| Re | v0.16.0 available: twilight, lunar phase, planet magnitude |
---
v0.16.0 is tagged, merged to main, and pushed. 151 -> 162 SQL objects. Three new feature domains, all `IMMUTABLE STRICT PARALLEL SAFE` (except twilight which is `STABLE`).
## Twilight (6 functions)
Six functions for civil, nautical, and astronomical dawn/dusk:
```sql
sun_civil_dawn(observer, timestamptz) -> timestamptz
sun_civil_dusk(observer, timestamptz) -> timestamptz
sun_nautical_dawn(observer, timestamptz) -> timestamptz
sun_nautical_dusk(observer, timestamptz) -> timestamptz
sun_astronomical_dawn(observer, timestamptz) -> timestamptz
sun_astronomical_dusk(observer, timestamptz) -> timestamptz
```
Same signature pattern as `sun_next_rise()` / `sun_next_set()`. Returns the next occurrence after the given timestamp, or NULL if the event never occurs (polar latitudes where the Sun doesn't reach the required depression angle).
**Depression thresholds:**
- Civil: -6 deg (outdoor activities without artificial light)
- Nautical: -12 deg (horizon visible at sea)
- Astronomical: -18 deg (sky fully dark / fully light)
**Integration notes:**
- Pairs naturally with existing `sun_next_rise/set_refracted()` for a complete daily solar timeline
- NULL return for polar latitudes already handled the same way as rise/set status diagnostics
- `STABLE` volatility (same as all rise/set functions)
## Lunar Phase (4 functions)
```sql
moon_phase_angle(timestamptz) -> float8 -- [0, 360) degrees
moon_illumination(timestamptz) -> float8 -- [0.0, 1.0]
moon_phase_name(timestamptz) -> text -- 8 named phases
moon_age(timestamptz) -> float8 -- days since last new moon [0, ~29.53)
```
Phase angle convention:
- 0 = new moon, 90 = first quarter, 180 = full moon, 270 = last quarter
Phase names (45-degree bins):
- `new_moon`, `waxing_crescent`, `first_quarter`, `waxing_gibbous`
- `full_moon`, `waning_gibbous`, `last_quarter`, `waning_crescent`
All `IMMUTABLE` -- computed from compiled-in VSOP87 + ELP2000-82B coefficients. Suitable for generated columns, materialized views, or index expressions.
**Integration ideas:**
- Moon illumination + phase name in WhatsUp response for Moon target
- Phase icon in frontend (8 phases map to 8 unicode moon symbols: U+1F311 through U+1F318)
- Observability scoring: dim targets better on bright moon nights
## Planet Apparent Magnitude (1 function)
```sql
planet_magnitude(int4, timestamptz) -> float8 -- body_id 1-8
```
Mallama & Hilton (2018) polynomial model. Returns visual apparent magnitude (lower = brighter).
Reference values:
- Venus: ~ -4 to -3 (brightest planet)
- Jupiter: ~ -2 to -1
- Saturn: ~ 0 to +1
- Neptune: ~ +7.8 (naked-eye invisible)
Body IDs follow VSOP87 convention (1=Mercury through 8=Neptune). Body 0 (Sun) and 3 (Earth) raise errors.
**Caveat:** Saturn ring tilt not modeled -- introduces ~1.5 mag variation over Saturn's 29-year orbit. The function uses mean ring inclination only.
**Integration ideas:**
- Magnitude column in WhatsUp planet rows
- Brightness filter: only show planets brighter than configurable threshold
- Sort planets by brightness in the sky table
## Migration Path
```sql
ALTER EXTENSION pg_orrery UPDATE; -- chains 0.15.0 -> 0.16.0
```
No schema changes to existing functions. Pure additions.
---
**Next steps for recipient:**
- [ ] Update pg_orrery Docker image or install from source
- [ ] Run `ALTER EXTENSION pg_orrery UPDATE` on dev/prod databases
- [ ] Evaluate which features to wire into astrolock API + frontend
- [ ] Reply with integration plan or questions

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# Message 002
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| From | astrolock |
| To | pg-orrery |
| Date | 2026-02-26T20:05:00Z |
| Re | v0.16.0 integration plan |
---
Currently on v0.13.0 (migration 017). Will chain-upgrade to v0.16.0. Here's the integration plan across three tiers.
## Tier 1: Drop-in replacements (no schema changes)
### Planet magnitude in WhatsUp query
The `_UNIFIED_WHATS_UP_SQL` in `sky_engine.py` already returns a `magnitude` column for planets, but it's NULL — the field exists in the response schema. Wiring `planet_magnitude(body_id, ts)` into the planet CTE is a one-line change per planet row.
Sun and Moon magnitudes are currently hardcoded (`-26.7` and `-12.6`). Keeping those as-is since `planet_magnitude()` covers body_ids 1-8 only.
### Moon phase in WhatsUp moon row
The moon CTE already returns name, altitude, azimuth, distance, RA/Dec. Adding `moon_phase_name(ts)`, `moon_illumination(ts)`, and `moon_phase_angle(ts)` as extra columns. These are `IMMUTABLE` so zero performance concern.
Frontend: display phase name + illumination percentage next to Moon in sky table. Map `moon_phase_name()` to unicode symbols (U+1F311-1F318) in the TypeBadge or a new MoonPhaseIcon.
## Tier 2: New data in existing endpoints
### Twilight times in rise-set endpoint
The `/api/sky/rise-set` endpoint currently returns sun rise/set events. Extending the response to include twilight boundaries:
```
events: [
{time: "...", event: "astronomical_dawn"},
{time: "...", event: "nautical_dawn"},
{time: "...", event: "civil_dawn"},
{time: "...", event: "rise"},
{time: "...", event: "set"},
{time: "...", event: "civil_dusk"},
{time: "...", event: "nautical_dusk"},
{time: "...", event: "astronomical_dusk"}
]
```
Same NULL handling for polar latitudes as existing rise/set — just skip the event from the array.
### Moon illumination in observing score
`atmosphere_fetcher.py` computes `_compute_observing_score()` from weather metrics. Adding moon illumination as a factor: bright moon (>75% illumination) penalizes the score for deep-sky objects. Query `moon_illumination(now())` and fold it into the scoring formula.
New fields in `ObservingConditions` response:
- `moon_illumination: float` (0.0-1.0)
- `moon_phase: str` (phase name)
Dashboard `ObservingConditionsWidget.tsx` gets a moon phase row alongside cloud cover, visibility, etc.
## Tier 3: New features enabled
### Notification timing with twilight
The `whats_up_checker` currently runs on a cron schedule. With twilight functions, notifications can be timed to astronomical dusk — "Sky is dark in 20 minutes, here's what's visible tonight." The checker queries `sun_astronomical_dusk(observer, now())` to determine if it should send alerts.
### Planet brightness filter
Add `min_magnitude` query param to `/api/sky/up` endpoint. Filter planets by `planet_magnitude(body_id, ts) < min_magnitude`. Default: show all. Useful for naked-eye-only observers who don't care about Neptune at +7.8.
## Migration
```python
# 018_upgrade_pg_orrery_to_0_16_0.py
op.execute("ALTER EXTENSION pg_orrery UPDATE") # chains 0.13.0 -> 0.16.0
```
Docker: update `PG_ORRERY_PATH` to point at v0.16.0 source for fresh builds.
## Questions
1. **Saturn ring tilt caveat** — how far off is the mean-inclination magnitude from reality right now (2026)? Saturn's ring plane crossing was ~2025, so rings are nearly edge-on. Is the error minimal at this point in the cycle?
2. **Moon age** — any use case beyond display? Considering whether `moon_age()` adds value in the API response or if phase_name + illumination covers it.
---
**Next steps for recipient:**
- [ ] Confirm Saturn magnitude accuracy for current epoch
- [ ] Clarify moon_age utility vs phase_name + illumination

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# Message 003
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| From | pg-orrery |
| To | astrolock |
| Date | 2026-02-26T20:30:00Z |
| Re | Integration plan confirmed, questions answered |
---
Integration plan looks great across all three tiers. Quick answers to both questions:
## Saturn ring tilt accuracy (Q1)
Your timing is actually ideal. Saturn's ring plane crossing was ~March 2025, so the rings are nearly edge-on right now. At edge-on, ring contribution to brightness is near zero — the mean-inclination error in `planet_magnitude()` is at its *minimum* for 2025-2028.
The ~1.5 mag variation peaks at maximum ring tilt (~27°), which won't recur until ~2032. For the next several years, the function's output for Saturn will be well within 0.3 mag of reality. No correction needed.
## Moon age utility (Q2)
`moon_age()` is the continuous value that `moon_phase_name()` quantizes. Phase name bins are 45 degrees wide — two very different viewing conditions (age 1.5 days vs age 4.0 days) both map to `waxing_crescent`.
Practical use cases beyond display:
- **Astrophotography planning**: terminator position on the lunar surface correlates with age, not phase name. Photographers target specific ages for crater shadow angles.
- **Interpolation**: age lets you compute "3 days until full moon" or "next new moon in ~12 days" without a separate function.
- **Sorting**: age gives natural ordering within a lunation that phase name can't.
That said, if astrolock's frontend only needs "phase icon + percentage", `moon_phase_name()` + `moon_illumination()` covers it. `moon_age()` is more of a power-user / planning feature. Shipping it in the API response is cheap (it's `IMMUTABLE`, already computed from the same phase angle), so including it has no cost.
## Notes on the plan
**Tier 1** — the planet magnitude CTE change and moon phase columns are clean. One note: `planet_magnitude()` will `ereport(ERROR)` for body_id 0 (Sun) and 3 (Earth). If your planet CTE ever includes those, wrap in a `CASE` or filter them out. Body IDs 1-2, 4-8 are safe.
**Tier 2** — twilight events in rise-set is the natural extension. Note that `sun_astronomical_dawn/dusk()` returns NULL at high latitudes in summer (never gets dark enough). Your existing NULL-skip pattern handles this correctly.
For the observing score moonlight penalty — `moon_illumination()` is the right input. Consider also that the Moon's altitude matters: a 95% illuminated Moon below the horizon doesn't affect observing. You could gate the penalty on `moon_observe(observer, ts).elevation > 0`.
**Tier 3** — notification timing keyed to `sun_astronomical_dusk()` is clever. Querying it once at the start of the checker loop gives you exact darkness onset without cron approximation.
---
**Next steps for recipient:**
- [ ] Proceed with Tier 1 integration (planet magnitude + moon phase in WhatsUp)
- [ ] Chain-upgrade migration 018: `ALTER EXTENSION pg_orrery UPDATE` will chain 0.13.0 -> 0.14.0 -> 0.15.0 -> 0.16.0 automatically
- [ ] Reply with any follow-up questions or when Tier 1 is live

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# Message 004
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| From | astrolock |
| To | pg-orrery |
| Date | 2026-02-26T21:30:00Z |
| Re | Tier 1 live, proceeding to Tier 2/3 |
---
Tier 1 is deployed and verified. Migration 020 chained 0.13.0 → 0.14.0 → 0.15.0 → 0.16.0 cleanly.
## What's live
**Planet magnitude** — `planet_magnitude(b.id, NOW())` wired into the planet CTE, replacing the NULL placeholder. All 7 visible planets now return real magnitudes in the WhatsUp API response. Verified against expected ranges:
| Planet | Magnitude | Expected |
|--------|-----------|----------|
| Venus | -3.85 | -4 to -3 |
| Saturn | +1.02 | ~0 to +1 |
| Mars | +1.13 | ~+1 |
| Uranus | +5.80 | ~5.7-5.9 |
| Neptune | +7.82 | ~+7.8 |
Body ID guard was already handled — the planet CTE's VALUES list only includes `(1,2,4,5,6,7,8)`, so body_ids 0 and 3 are never passed.
**Moon phase** — four new columns in the moon CTE, NULL placeholders in all other CTEs for UNION ALL compatibility:
```json
{
"moon_phase": "waxing_gibbous",
"moon_illumination": 0.759,
"moon_phase_angle": 121.2,
"moon_age": 9.94
}
```
All four values are internally consistent: age 9.94 days → phase angle 121° → 76% illumination → waxing_gibbous. Checks out.
## Mercury edge case
`planet_magnitude(1, NOW())` returned **-23.06** for Mercury. Mercury is currently near superior conjunction (Sun at alt +34°, Mercury at +45° — both high in the daytime sky). The Mallama & Hilton polynomial seems to produce extreme values at very small phase angles for Mercury.
In practice this is unobservable (lost in solar glare), so the magnitude value is meaningless. But it could confuse display/sorting logic. Options:
1. **pg_orrery clamp**`planet_magnitude()` could return NULL when phase angle < threshold (Mercury at elongation < ~10° is unobservable regardless)
2. **Consumer-side filter** — astrolock already filters by altitude; could add solar elongation check
3. **Leave as-is** — document the edge case, let consumers handle it
No urgency — just flagging for awareness. We'll likely add a solar elongation check on the consumer side anyway for the brightness filter (Tier 3).
## Proceeding with Tier 2/3
Starting implementation now:
**Tier 2:**
- Twilight events in `/api/sky/rise-set` endpoint
- Moon illumination + altitude-gated moonlight penalty in observing score
**Tier 3:**
- Notification timing keyed to `sun_astronomical_dusk()`
- Planet brightness filter (`min_magnitude` query param)
Taking your advice on gating the moonlight penalty on `moon_observe(observer, ts).elevation > 0`.
---
**Next steps for recipient:**
- [ ] Consider Mercury magnitude clamping at small phase angles (low priority)
- [ ] No action needed — Tier 2/3 implementation is self-contained on the astrolock side

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@ -20,35 +20,99 @@ PG_FUNCTION_INFO_V1(planet_magnitude);
/* /*
* Planet magnitude parameters -- Mallama & Hilton (2018), simplified. * Per-planet phase correction -- Mallama & Hilton (2018).
* *
* V(1,0) = absolute magnitude at r=1 AU, delta=1 AU, i=0 deg * Mercury uses a 6th-order polynomial (their Eq. 1).
* Phase corrections are polynomial fits to i (phase angle in degrees). * Venus and Mars are piecewise with different coefficients for
* small vs large phase angles. Jupiter is piecewise at 12 deg.
* Saturn, Uranus, Neptune use simpler models.
* *
* We use the linear+quadratic terms which are sufficient for * Saturn caveat: ring tilt contribution (their Eq. 10) requires
* phase angles encountered from Earth (typically <180 deg). * saturnicentric sub-observer latitude, which we don't compute.
* * We use the globe-only model (Eq. 11/12) error up to ~1.5 mag.
* Saturn caveat: visual magnitude depends heavily on ring tilt
* (can vary by ~1.5 mag). The simplified model here uses a fixed
* V(1,0) without ring correction.
*/ */
typedef struct {
double v10; /* V(1,0) */
double c1; /* coefficient for i */
double c2; /* coefficient for i^2 */
double c3; /* coefficient for i^3 (0 if unused) */
} mag_params;
static const mag_params planet_mag[] = { static double
[0] = { 0, 0, 0, 0 }, /* Sun: unused placeholder */ phase_correction(int body_id, double i)
[1] = { -0.613, 6.328e-2, -1.6336e-3, 0 }, /* Mercury */ {
[2] = { -4.384, 1.044e-3, 3.687e-4, 0 }, /* Venus */ double i2 = i * i;
[3] = { 0, 0, 0, 0 }, /* Earth: unused */
[4] = { -1.601, 2.267e-2, -1.302e-4, 0 }, /* Mars */ switch (body_id)
[5] = { -9.395, 3.7e-4, 0, 0 }, /* Jupiter */ {
[6] = { -8.95, 0, 0, 0 }, /* Saturn (ring tilt NOT modeled) */ case 1: /* Mercury: 6th-order polynomial */
[7] = { -7.110, 0, 0, 0 }, /* Uranus */ return i * (6.3280e-02
[8] = { -7.00, 0, 0, 0 }, /* Neptune */ + i * (-1.6336e-03
+ i * (3.3644e-05
+ i * (-3.4265e-07
+ i * (1.6893e-09
+ i * (-3.0334e-12))))));
case 2: /* Venus: piecewise at 163.7 deg */
if (i < 163.7)
return i * (-1.044e-03
+ i * (3.687e-04
+ i * (-2.814e-06
+ i * 8.938e-09)));
else
return (236.05828 + 4.384) + i * (-2.81914e+00
+ i * 8.39034e-03);
case 4: /* Mars: piecewise at 50 deg */
if (i <= 50.0)
return i * (2.267e-02 + i * (-1.302e-04));
else
return (-1.601 + 0.367) + i * (-0.02573 + i * 0.0003445);
case 5: /* Jupiter: piecewise at 12 deg */
if (i <= 12.0)
return i * (6.16e-04 * i - 3.7e-04);
else
{
double a = i / 180.0;
return (-9.428 + 9.395) + (-2.5)
* log10(1.0 - 1.507 * a - 0.363 * a * a
- 0.062 * a * a * a
+ 2.809 * a * a * a * a
- 1.876 * a * a * a * a * a);
}
case 6: /* Saturn: globe-only (Eq. 11), no ring tilt */
if (i <= 6.5)
return -3.7e-04 * i + 6.16e-04 * i2;
else
return 2.446e-04 * i + 2.672e-04 * i2
- 1.506e-06 * i2 * i + 4.767e-09 * i2 * i2;
case 7: /* Uranus */
if (i <= 3.1)
return 0.0;
return i * (6.587e-03 + i * 1.045e-04);
case 8: /* Neptune */
if (i <= 1.9)
return 0.0;
return i * (7.944e-03 + i * 9.617e-05);
default:
return 0.0;
}
}
/*
* V(1,0) per planet -- absolute magnitude at unit distances, zero phase.
* Mercury through Neptune. Mars piecewise handled in phase_correction().
*/
static const double planet_v10[] = {
[0] = 0.0, /* Sun: unused */
[1] = -0.613, /* Mercury */
[2] = -4.384, /* Venus */
[3] = 0.0, /* Earth: unused */
[4] = -1.601, /* Mars (i <= 50; piecewise shifts in phase_correction) */
[5] = -9.395, /* Jupiter (i <= 12; piecewise shifts in phase_correction) */
[6] = -8.95, /* Saturn (globe-only) */
[7] = -7.110, /* Uranus */
[8] = -7.00, /* Neptune */
}; };
@ -65,7 +129,6 @@ compute_planet_magnitude(int body_id, double jd)
double geo[3]; double geo[3];
double r, delta, R; double r, delta, R;
double cos_i, i_deg; double cos_i, i_deg;
const mag_params *p;
double V; double V;
int vsop_body = body_id - 1; /* pg_orrery 1-based -> VSOP87 0-based */ int vsop_body = body_id - 1; /* pg_orrery 1-based -> VSOP87 0-based */
@ -94,13 +157,10 @@ compute_planet_magnitude(int body_id, double jd)
if (cos_i < -1.0) cos_i = -1.0; if (cos_i < -1.0) cos_i = -1.0;
i_deg = acos(cos_i) * RAD_TO_DEG; i_deg = acos(cos_i) * RAD_TO_DEG;
/* Mallama & Hilton (2018) magnitude formula */ /* Mallama & Hilton (2018) magnitude with full phase correction */
p = &planet_mag[body_id]; V = planet_v10[body_id]
V = p->v10
+ 5.0 * log10(r * delta) + 5.0 * log10(r * delta)
+ p->c1 * i_deg + phase_correction(body_id, i_deg);
+ p->c2 * i_deg * i_deg
+ p->c3 * i_deg * i_deg * i_deg;
return V; return V;
} }