Fractal visionaries:

It is sometimes said that fractals are a window to the infinite.  This much is undebatable.  But fractals are also a window to other worlds.  Today's fractal is named "Europa" because it depicts a scene of total desolation on that ice-covered moon of Jupiter.  Do not despair when the parameter file appears to be drawing a blank black image.  Look close, dim the lights, tiny stars are there. What you are seeing is the black, star-infested sky of that bleak, airless satellite.

The real picture begins about 2/3 of the way down the screen, where the icy surface, blue and cold, comes into view.  The distant sun, a blazing point at this great distance, lies just above and to the right of the scene, its dazzling reflection glinting from every ice crystal in turn as the satellite slowly rotates.

Actually the scene is a picture of the Mandelbrot negative X-axis sliced in the XZ direction.  The line of symmetry lies about 1 inch from the bottom of the screen, (assuming a 15-inch monitor).  The picture is also a good demonstration of the human element in creating fractal art.  When I first saw the characteristics of this area, I knew that it would make a good Europa-like scene, and intentionally colored it to bring out its potential.  Such an effect would be near impossible to achieve by random color flowing.

For tomorrow's fractal, I think I'll see what I can do with everyone's favorite midget -- the one on the negative X-axis at -1.76.  Today's picture has been posted in finished form to a.b.p.f. and a.f.p.


Jim Muth
jamth@mindspring.com


START COMBINED FILE FOR 19.6===============================

On_the_Moon_Europa { ; time=0:01:36.78-SF5 on P4-2000
  reset=1960 type=formula formulafile=basicer.frm
  formulaname=man-yz-xz passes=1 center-mag=-0.00000\
  686598512544/-1.845082873438826/8.246947e+010/\
  -5.121e-005/359.999056918636597/-89.9990597420641762
  params=0/0/1/0 float=y maxiter=5000 inside=255
  logmap=yes periodicity=10
  colors=0007Ry7Rx8Qw8Qv9Qt9PsAPrAPqBOpBOoCNnCNmDNkD\
  MjDMiEMhELgFLfFLeGKcGKbHKaHJ`IJ_IJZIIYJIWJIVKHUKHT\
  LGSLGRMGQMFPNFNNFMOELOEKOEJNEJNEJMEJMEJLDJLDJLDJKD\
  JKDJKDJJDJJCJICJICJICJHCKHCKGCKGBKGBKFBKFBKFBKEBKE\
  BKDAKDAKDAKCAKCAKBAKBAKBAKA9KA9K99K99K99K89K89K88K\
  78K78K68L68L68L58L57L47L47L47L37L37L37L26L26L16L16\
  L16L27M27N38N38O49O49P4AQ5AQ5AR6BR6BS6CS7CT7CU8DU8\
  DV8EV90W90XA0XA1YA2YB3ZB4ZC5_C6`C7`D8aD9aDAbEBcECc\
  FDdFEdFFeGGeGHfHIgHJgHKhILhIIiJNjJOjJPkKKkKQlLRlLR\
  mLRnMRoNKpNSpNTqNVzJazJezKhzUhzOfzGdzGbzK`zMZzSPvS\
  SwTYxTYyTYyTZzU_z0czV`zV`zV`zWazWazWazXbzXbzYczYcz\
  YczZdzZdz_ez_ez_ezZdzZdzZdzYdzYdzYczYcztzzvzzxzzzz\
  zzzzzzzWbzWbzVbzVbzVazVazUazUazUazUazTazT`zT`zT`zS\
  `zS`zS`zS`zR_zR_zR_zR_zQ_zQ_zQ_zQZzPZzPZzPZzPZzOZz\
  OYzOYzOYzNYzNYzNYzNYzMXzMXzMXzMXzLXzLXzLXzLWzKWzKW\
  zKWzKWzJWzJWzJVzJ`zJazJaz }

frm:Man-YZ-XZ {; Jim Muth, Thanks to Benno
; p2 = 0 = Julibrot YZ plane
; p2 = 1 = Julibrot XZ plane
; p2 = >0 <1 = Oblique planes
z=real(pixel)+flip(real(p1)),
c=imag(pixel)+flip(imag(p1)),
a=p2, b=flip(cos(asin(p2))):
z=sqr(z)+((a+b)*c),
|z| <= 25 }

END COMBINED FILE==========================================