MAREA Official User Guide — 3D Celestial Sphere & Physical Tidal Force Ephemeris Simulator (Free Edition)

Part 01

1. System Architecture & Overview

MAREA is a zero-install, browser-based 3D Celestial Sphere & Physical Gravitational Tidal Simulator combining classical astronomical calculation methods with modern orbital ephemeris theory (NASA JPL / VSOP87 secular planetary variation models).

The software executes real-time spherical trigonometry and gravitational potential calculations directly within the user's browser, accurately modeling the three-dimensional celestial coordinates of the Sun, Moon, and classical planets alongside local oceanic tide-generating forces.

Figure 1.1: MAREA Free Edition Main Workspace (High-DPI 3D Sphere, Playback Controls, Ephemeris Table)

🪐 3D Celestial Sphere

Simultaneously projects Ecliptic, Celestial Equator, Horizon, and Meridian frames into an interactive 3D WebGL space.

🌊 Physical Tidal Dynamics

Computes the 24-hour composite gravitational potential vector of the Moon and Sun to model Spring and Neap tidal waveforms.

🔒 Zero-Knowledge Local

Zero external data transmission. All astronomical calculations and graphical renders occur strictly inside client-side memory.

Part 02

2. Navigation Header & Location Setup

The top navigation bar consolidates observer location configuration (latitude, longitude, timezone), real-time date/time readouts, full-screen presentation mode, and multilingual toggles.

Figure 2.1: Navigation Header Controls (Observation Location Picker, Real-time Clock, Language Switcher)

📍 Geographic Observer Coordinates

Select standard global cities (Tokyo, London, New York, Paris, Cairo, etc.) or input custom geographic latitude and longitude with 0.0001° decimal precision and UTC timezone offset.

🖥️ Presentation Fullscreen Mode

Click the "Fullscreen" button to remove browser UI chrome for clean presentation on lecture projectors or external high-resolution monitors.

Part 03

3. 3D Celestial Sphere Simulator

Powered by WebGL 2.0 and Three.js, the 3D celestial sphere accurately reproduces geocentric spherical coordinates centered on the terrestrial observer. High-DPI Retina texture rendering and billboarded planetary glyphs ensure crisp visual clarity.

Figure 3.1: 3D Celestial Sphere (Ecliptic Ring, Local Horizon Plane, Planetary Vectors, Diurnal/Nocturnal Lighting)

💡 3D Navigation Controls:

Orbit Rotation (Left-click Drag / Touch Swipe): Rotate the celestial sphere across 360 degrees to observe planetary positions from any spatial angle.
Zoom (Mouse Wheel / Pinch): Smoothly zoom between close-up terrestrial perspective and wide-angle orbital overview.
Day / Night Sect Lighting: Dynamically adjusts ambient illumination based on whether the Sun is above or below the local mathematical horizon.

Part 04

4. Landmark Astronomical Presets Deck

The preset deck at the top of the interface provides instant one-click access to 8 landmark astronomical timestamps across history, allowing immediate exploration of celestial alignments and tidal curves.

Figure 4.1: 8 Historical Astronomical Presets Deck

🏛️ Classical & Seasonal Benchmarks

Explore Vernal Equinox, Solstices, heliacal risings, and pivotal scientific milestones such as Galileo's telescopic discoveries (1609).

🌌 Planetary Alignments (Great Conjunctions)

Instantly examine rare orbital alignments, such as Jupiter-Saturn Great Conjunctions, in a full 3D interactive coordinate frame.

Part 05

5. Ephemeris Coordinates Table

Calculates and tabulates comprehensive astrometric metrics for the 7 classical celestial bodies: Sun (☉), Moon (☽), Mercury (☿), Venus (♀), Mars (♂), Jupiter (♃), and Saturn (♄).

Figure 5.1: Ephemeris Table (Ecliptic Longitude, Latitude, RA, Declination, Speed, Direct/Retrograde)

Parameter	Format Example	Astronomical Definition
Ecliptic Longitude	Sign + Deg/Min/Sec (e.g., ♈ 15°24'12")	Angular distance along the Ecliptic plane relative to the Vernal Equinox (0°).
RA / Declination	Hours:Min:Sec / Deg:Min:Sec	Equatorial coordinate projection relative to the Celestial Equator.
House Cusp Index	1st – 12th House	Local spatial sector relative to the observer's horizon and meridian.
Motion State	Direct / Retrograde (℞)	Apparent geocentric angular velocity along the ecliptic.

Part 06

6. House Systems & Horizon Cusps

Using the observer's geographic coordinates and local sidereal time, the simulator derives cardinal axes—Ascendant (ASC), Midheaven (MC), Descendant (DSC), and Imum Coeli (IC)—alongside the 12 house boundaries.

Figure 6.1: House Cusps Table (1st through 12th Houses, ASC, MC, DSC, IC)

📐 Whole Sign House System

Classical Hellenistic method: the entire zodiac sign containing the Ascendant is designated as the 1st House, with each consecutive sign spanning exactly 30°.

🏛️ Regiomontanus House System

Medieval/Renaissance spatial division: divides the Celestial Equator into 30° sectors from the eastern horizon and projects them onto the Ecliptic.

Part 07

7. Classical Dignities & Egyptian Terms

Evaluates essential planetary states and term boundaries based on classical Ptolemaic and Hellenistic astronomical frameworks.

Classical Dignities & Egyptian Terms Matrix

Figure 7.1: Essential Dignities Matrix (Domicile, Exaltation, Detriment, Fall) and Egyptian Term Divisions

Essential Dignity	Standard Score	Formal Definition
Domicile (Ruler)	+5	Planet positioned within its naturally governed zodiac sign.
Exaltation	+4	Zodiac sign where the planet achieves optimal structural expression.
Detriment	-5	Planet located opposite (180°) its domicile sign.
Fall	-4	Planet located opposite (180°) its exaltation sign.
Peregrine	0	Planet holding no major dignity scores in its current degree.

Part 08

8. Aspect Harmonics & Geometry

Detects angular geometric relationships formed between planetary pairs along the ecliptic circle, calculating precise angular separation, allowable orb deviations, and applying/separating dynamics.

Figure 8.1: Aspect Geometry Matrix (0°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 180° Major Aspects & Exact Orbs)

📐 Ptolemaic Major Aspects

Computes Conjunction (0°), Sextile (60°), Square (90°), Trine (120°), and Opposition (180°) with precise decimal degree deviations.

⚡ Applying vs. Separating Dynamics

Compares relative angular velocities to classify whether planets are converging toward exact aspect (Applying) or moving apart (Separating).

Part 09

9. 24-Hour Gravitational Tidal Curve

Models the combined gravitational force vectors of the Moon and Sun acting on Earth's oceans over a 24-hour diurnal cycle, generating the continuous physical tidal potential wave (Marea Curve).

Figure 9.1: 24-Hour Physical Tidal Curve (Spring/Neap Cycles and High/Low Gravitational Potential)

🌊 Key Tidal Waveform Properties:

Spring Tide (Syzygy): During New Moon and Full Moon alignments, lunar and solar gravitational vectors reinforce each other, yielding maximum tidal amplitudes.
Neap Tide (Quadrature): During First and Third Quarter moons, orthogonal (90°) gravitational vectors cancel out, dampening tidal amplitude.
Interactive Scrubbing: Click any point on the 24-hour tidal timeline to immediately jump the 3D celestial sphere to that exact timestamp.

Part 10

10. Real-Time Tracking & Simulation

The bottom time control deck enables live clock synchronization, manual timestamp entry, and fluid forward/backward simulation across customizable time steps.

Figure 10.1: Time Control Deck (Play/Pause, Step Interval Picker, Real-time Clock Sync)

⏱️ Live Clock Synchronization

Click "Now" to synchronize with device time, updating 3D planetary positions and tidal vectors every second.

⏩ Variable Step Intervals

Simulate motion across 1-minute, 1-hour, 1-day, 1-synodic month, or 1-tropical year increments with smooth frame interpolation.

⏪ Historical & Future Simulation

Jump to any epoch across historical records or centuries into the future via direct timestamp input.

Part 11

11. Celestial Summary Card Export

Generate and export high-resolution PNG celestial summary cards directly in-browser using HTML5 Canvas rendering. The exported cards integrate planetary coordinates, house cusps, and tidal wave metrics.

Figure 11.1: Celestial Summary Card Generation & Download Modal (100% Client-Side Rendered)

🔒 Pure In-Memory Canvas Generation: All image rendering operations take place directly in the browser's local memory buffer. Zero personal or timestamp data is transmitted to external servers.

Part 12

12. Technical Specs & Support Policy

💻 System Requirements & Supported Environments

Specification	Requirement Details
Supported Browsers	Google Chrome (v90+), Apple Safari (v14+), Microsoft Edge (v90+), Mozilla Firefox (v88+), Brave
Operating Systems	macOS (Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey), Windows 10/11, iPadOS, iOS (iPhone), Android, Linux
Graphics Hardware	WebGL 1.0 or 2.0 capable GPU (Standard across 99.9% of devices manufactured within the last 10 years)
Installation	Zero installation required (Runs directly inside any modern web browser with offline caching)

📬 Customer Support & Inquiries

Our dedicated engineering team is here to assist researchers, educators, and users with technical guidance and software support.

Technical Support Email: support@marea-astro.com
Support SLA Response Time: Guaranteed response within 24 to 48 business hours from our dedicated engineering team.
Order & Billing Lookup: Self-service order lookup available at paddle.net.
Refund Policy: Due to the instant delivery nature of cryptographic digital license keys, all sales are final once delivered. Please test all features with the Free Edition prior to purchase (read full details in our Refund Policy).

Part 13

13. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

⚙️ 1. General & Operational Inquiries

Q What features are included in the MAREA Free Edition?

The Free Edition includes full interactive 3D celestial sphere orbit controls, NASA JPL VSOP87 ephemeris calculations, classical dignities and Egyptian terms evaluation, aspect geometry matrices, 24-hour physical tidal potential curves, real-time tracking, and high-resolution summary card image exports.

Q Can I configure custom geographical coordinates outside standard cities?

Yes, global coordinates are fully supported. Use the location gear selector in the header to input custom latitude and longitude down to 0.0001° precision, along with custom UTC timezone offsets.

📐 2. Astronomical Calculation & Algorithms

Q What mathematical algorithms power the planetary calculations?

MAREA implements the French Bureau des Longitudes / NASA JPL "VSOP87" (Variations Séculaires des Orbites Planétaires) secular variation theory coupled with IAU-76 precession models for sub-arcsecond coordinate accuracy.

Q How is the Diurnal vs. Nocturnal sect lighting determined?

The system evaluates the solar altitude angle relative to the local mathematical horizon (0°). If the Sun is at or above 0°, it is classified as Diurnal (Day); if below 0°, it is classified as Nocturnal (Night).

🌊 3. Physical Gravitational Tidal Dynamics

Q How is the 24-hour tidal wave calculated?

It represents the continuous 24-hour composite gravitational potential vector derived from the relative positions and distances of the Moon and Sun to the observer's location, demonstrating peak amplitude during Syzygy (Spring Tide) and dampened amplitude during Quadrature (Neap Tide).

🔒 4. Privacy, Licensing & Support

Q Are user-entered locations or timestamps uploaded to any cloud server?

No. MAREA operates under a strict "Zero-Knowledge Local Architecture". All computations and canvas image renderings occur 100% inside your browser's local memory. No personal data is stored on remote servers.

Q How can I reach technical support?

You can contact our support team anytime at support@marea-astro.com. We respond to all technical queries within 24 to 48 business hours.