Stellarium / News: Recent posts

Dear translators and users!

Thank you very much for your efforts for make Stellarium available to non-English community!

We incorporated into main package a long awaited feature - support of nomenclature for planetary features. All nomenclature items are translatable and this is a big problem now for translators, because we added over 15000 new lines for translation.

All those lines was extracted in the separate category - stellarium-planetary-features. If you can assist with translation to any of the 140 languages which Stellarium supports, please go to Launchpad Translations and help us out: https://translations.launchpad.net/stellarium... read more

Version 0.16.1 is based on Qt 5.6.2, but it can still be built from sources with Qt 5.4.
This version is bugfix release with some important features:

• Added moons of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto
• Added improvements for AstroCalc tool
• DSO catalog was updated to version 3.2:
  -- Added support 'The Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue of Galactic Planetary Nebulae' (Acker+, 1992)
  -- Added support 'A catalogue of Galactic supernova remnants' (Green, 2014)
  -- Added support 'A Catalog of Rich Clusters of Galaxies' (Abell+, 1989)
• Added support asterisms and outlines for DSO
• Added improvements for the GUI... read more

Stellarium 0.16.0 is a stable version (based on Qt5.6 but it can still be built from sources with Qt5.4) that introduces some new features and closes 38 bug and wishlist reports.

New features include

• RemoteSync plugin, which allows running several connected instances of Stellarium.
• Non-spherical models for solar system objects like asteroids and small moons.
• Solar system config file is now split into two parts.
• AstroCalc feature extension: What's Up Tonight, graphs, ...
• DSO: Addition of catalogs of peculiar galaxies
• New Skycultures: Belarusian, Hawaiian Star Lines
• Telescope plugin: support for the RTS2 telescope system.
• Location can now be read from a GPS device.... read more

We plan to release Stellarium 0.16.0 around June 21 (at the moment first release candidate was published for the testing of planetarium and translations checking).

This will an another major release with fixes of bugs and a few new important features - another one step to version 1.0. This version has many changes in the GUI and we added many new lines for translation. If you can assist with translation to any of the 140 languages which Stellarium supports, please go to Launchpad Translations and help us out: https://translations.launchpad.net/stellarium... read more

Stellarium 0.12.9 has been released today!

The series 0.12 is LTS for owners of old computers (old with weak graphics cards) and this is release with once fix for Solar System Editor plugin.

The Stellarium development team after three months of development is proud to announce the second correcting release of Stellarium in series 0.15.x - version 0.15.2. This version contains few closed bugs (ported from series 1.x) and some new additions and improvements.

We have updated the configuration file and the Solar System file, so if you have an existing Stellarium installation, we highly recommended reset the settings when you will install the new version (you can choose required points in the installer).... read more

Stellarium 0.12.8 has been released today!

The series 0.12 is LTS for owners of old computers (old with weak graphics cards) and this is bugfix release:

• Added textures for deep-sky objects (port from the series 1.x/0.15)
• Fixed sizes of few DSO textures (LP: #1641773)
• Fixed problem with defaultStarsConfig data and loading a new star catalogs (LP: #1641803)

Version 0.15.1 introduces a few new exciting features.

• The Digital Sky Survey (DSS) can be shown (requires online connection).
• AstroCalc is now available from the main menu and gives interesting new computational insight.
• Stellarium can act as Spout sender (important for multimedia environments; Windows only).
  In addition, a lot of bugs have been fixed.
• wait() and waitFor() in the Scripting Engine no longer inhibits performance of moves.
• DE430/431 DeltaT may be OK now. We still want to test a bit more, though.
• ArchaeoLines also offers two arbitrary declination lines.
• Added support of time zones dependent by location.
• Added new skyculture: Sardinian.
• Added updates and improvements in catalogs.
• Added improvements in the GUI.
• Added cross identification data for stars from Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Hoffleit+, 1991)... read more

We plan to release Stellarium 0.15.1 at next one or two weeks.

This is a bugfix release and he introduces a few new important features from the version 1.0. Currently translators can improve translation of version 0.15.0 and fix some mistakes in translations. If you can assist with translation to any of the 136 languages which Stellarium supports, please go to Launchpad Translations and help us out: https://translations.launchpad.net/stellarium... read more

Stellarium 0.12.7 has been released today!

Yes, the series 0.12 is LTS for owners of old computers (old with weak graphics cards). This release has ports of some features from the series 1.x/0.15:

• textures for deep-sky objects
• star catalogues
• fixes for MPC search tool in Solar System Editor plugin

Dear all,

while we were working on new features for the 0.15 release, we have also thoroughly reworked the Stellarium User Guide (SUG). This should now include all changes introduced since the 0.12 series and be up-to-date with the 0.15 series. It includes many details about landscape creation, skyculture creation, telescope control, putting your deep-sky photos among the stars, how to start scripting, creation of 3D sceneries for Stellarium, and much more. ... read more

In memory of our team member Barry Gerdes.

Version 0.15.0 is based on Qt5.6. Starting with this version, some graphics cards have been blacklisted by Qt and are automatically forced to use ANGLE on Windows.
We introduce a major internal change with the StelProperty system.
This allows simpler access to internal variables and therefore more ways of operation.
Most notably this version introduces an alternative control option via RemoteControl, a new webserver interface plugin.
We also introduce another milestone towards providing better astronomical accuracy for historical applications: experimental support of getting planetary positions from JPL DE430 and DE431 ephemerides. This feature is however not fully tested yet.
The major changes:

• Added StelProperty system
• Added new plugin for exhibitions and planetariums - Remote Control
• Added new skycultures: Macedonian, Ojibwe, Dakota/Lakota/Nakota,
  Kamilaroi/Euahlayi
• Updated code of plugins
• Added Bookmarks tool and updated AstroCalc tool
• Added new functions for Scripting Engine and new scripts
• Added Miller Cylindrical Projection
• Added updates and improvements in DSO and star catalogues (include initial
  support of The Washington Double Star Catalog)
• azimuth lines (also targetting geographic locations) in ArchaeoLines plugin
• Many fixes and improvements...... read more

Greetings all!

We plan to release Stellarium 0.15.0 at the end of next week (31 July).

This is another major release, who has many changes in code and few new skycultures. If you can assist with translation to any of the 136 languages which Stellarium supports, please go to Launchpad Translations and help us out: https://translations.launchpad.net/stellarium

Thank you!

The Stellarium development team after two months of development is proud to announce the third correcting release of Stellarium in series 0.14.x - version 0.14.3. This version contains few closed bugs (ported from version 0.15.0).

A huge thanks to our community whose contributions help to make Stellarium better!

List of changes between version 0.14.2 and 0.14.3:

• Added Bengali description for landscapes (LP: #1548627)
• Added background transparency in Oculars plugin (LP: #1511393)
• Fixed serial port issue on Windows version (LP: #1543813)
• Fixed MESA mode on Windows (LP: #1509735)
• Fixed Stellarium crashes in ocular view of Saturn/Neptune/Uranus (LP: #1495232)
• Fixed artifacts in rendering of Mercury in the Sun (LP: #1533647)
• Fixed loading scenes for Scenery 3D plugin (LP: #1533069)
• Fixed movement of radiant when time is switched manually (LP: #1535950)
• Fixed changing name of planet (LP: #1548008)

The Stellarium development team after month of development is proud to announce the second correcting release of Stellarium in series 0.14.x - version 0.14.2. This version contains few closed bugs (ported from version 0.15.0).

A huge thanks to our community whose contributions help to make Stellarium better!

List of changes between version 0.14.1 and 0.14.2:

• Reduce planet brightness in daylight (LP: #1503248)
• Fixed perspective mode with offset viewport in scenery3d (LP: #1509728)
• Fixed wrong altitudes for some locations (LP: #1530759)
• Fixed some skyculture links
• Fixed editing some shortcut keys (LP: #1530567)
• Fixed drawing reticle for telescope (LP: #1526348)
• Refactoring coloring markers of the DSO
• Removed info about Moon phases (avoid inconsistency for strings).
• Updated default config options
• Updated icons for View dialog
• Updated Stellarium DSO Catalog
• Added list of dwarf galaxies (Search Tool)
• Added improvements in Scenery 3D plugin

The Stellarium development team after month of development is proud to announce the first correcting release of Stellarium in series 0.14.x - version 0.14.1. This version contains 13 closed bugs (ported from version 0.15.0).

A huge thanks to our community whose contributions help to make Stellarium better!

List of changes between version 0.14.0 and 0.14.1:

• Added support for side-by-side assembly technology (LP: #1400045)
• Enhancements of the Ocular plugin: add OAG support (LP: #1354427)
• Added Belarusian translation for landscapes and sky cultures (LP: #1520303)
• Added designations for few stars in Scorpius (LP: #1518437)
• Fixed constellation art brightness and zooming (LP: #1520783)
• Fixed number of satellite orbit segments resets (LP: #1510592)
• Fixed certain outplanet moons with wrong Longitudes (LP: #1509693, #1509692)
• Fixed saving settings for some View panel options (LP: #1509639)
• Fixed fails to run up on Windows when invoked from a different directory (LP: #1410529)
• Fixed wrong value of ecliptic obliquity (LP: #1520792)
• Fixed segmentation fault (core dumped) while try update stars catalog (LP: #1514542)
• Tentative fix for support 4K resolution (GUI scaling) (LP: #1372781)

Dear translators,

We plan to release Stellarium 0.14.1 at first day of next month.

This is a bugfix release, who has few small fixes and has few ported features from version 0.15.0. Currently translators can improve translation of version 0.14.0 and fix some mistakes in translations. If you can assist with translation to any of the 134 languages which Stellarium supports, please go to Launchpad Translations and help us out: https://translations.launchpad.net/stellarium... read more

The Stellarium development team after 6 months of development is proud to announce the release of version 0.14.0 of Stellarium.

Version 0.14.0 brings a big leap forward in astronomical accuracy for historical applications:

• Precession now follows the IAU2006 model in the long-time version from Vondrák et al. 2011.
• Nutation is applied (IAU2000B solution). Given that nobody has observed it without telescope and the model does not give limits of applicability, we limit its application to 1500..2500
• Application of DeltaT has been simplified and made a bit more intuitive.
  We now dare to add another coordinate system: Ecliptic coordinates of date.
  We can therefore now show that planetary positions given by the commonly used solution VSOP87 is applicable to -4000..+8000 only, and its use outside this range will give somewhat artificial results. There is more to follow in future versions.... read more

We plan to release Stellarium 0.14.0 at final week in October.

There are many new strings to translate in this release because we have many changes in sky cultures, landscapes and in the application. If you can assist with translation to any of the 134 languages which Stellarium supports, please go to Launchpad Translations and help us out: https://translations.launchpad.net/stellarium

Testing of new features also will be very helpful for preparation of the release.... read more

Today Stellarium 0.13.66.0 has been published for public testing. We are refactored the GUI for deep-sky objects and catalog of the their objects. Plus we introduced few new options for DSO. Other big features for current beta: Iridium flares, accurate calculations of the ecliptic obliquity, calculations of the nutation and cross-index data for DSO and stars.

Please help us test it.

List of changes between version 0.13.3 and HEAD (0.13.66.0):

• Added accurate calculations of the ecliptic obliquity. Finally we have good precession! (LP: #512086, #1126981, #1240070, #1282558, #1444323)
• Added calculations of the nutation. Now we optionally have IAU-2000B nutation. (Applied between 1500..2500 only.)
• Added new DSO catalog and related to him features (LP: #1453731, #1432243, #1285175, #1237165, #1189983, #1153804, #1127633, #1106765, #1106761, #957083)
• Added Iridium flares to Satellites plugin (LP: #1106782)
• Added list of interesting double stars in Search Tool
• Added list of interesting variable stars in Search Tool
• Added cross-identification data for HIP stars (SAO and HD numbers)
• Added sinusoidal projection
• Added draw DSO symbols with different colors
• Added labels to the landscapes (gazetteer support)
• Added a new behaviour for drawing of orbit for selected planet - drawing of the orbits of 'hierarchical group' (parent and all their childrens) of the selected celestial body (disabled by default).
• Added an option to lower the horizon, e.g. for a widescreen cylindrical view with mostly sky and ground on lower screen border (LP: #1299063).
• Added various timeshift-by-year commands (LP: #1478670)
• Added Moon's phases info
• Rewriting the Meteor module and the Meteor Showers plugin (LP: #1471143)
• Updated skycultures
• Updated Hungarian and Brazilian Portuguese translations of landscapes and skycultures
• Updated data for Solar System Observer
• Updated color scheme for constellations
• Updated documentation
• Updated QZip stuff
• Updated TUI plugin
• Updated data for Satellites plugin
• Updated Clang support
• Updated Pluto texture
• Using a better formula for CCD FOV calculation in Oculars plugin (LP: #1440330)
• Fixed shortkeys conflict (New shortkeys for Scenery 3D plugin - LP: #1449767)
• Fixed aliasing issue with GCC in star data unpacking
• Fixed documentation for core.wait() function (LP: #1450870)
• Fixed perspective projection issue (LP: #724868)
• Fixed crash on activation of AngleMeasure in debug mode (LP: #1455839)
• Fixed issue for update bottom bar position when we toggle the GUI (LP: #1409023)
• Fixed weird view of the Moon in Oculars plugin when Moon's scaling is enabled
• Fixed non-realistic mode drawing of artificial satellites
• Fixed availability plugins for the scripting engine (LP: #1468986)
• Fixed potention memory bug in Meteor class
• Fixed wrong spectral types for some stars (LP: #1429530)
• Change visibleSkyArea limitation to allow landscapes with "holes" in the ground. (LP: #1469407)
• Improved Delta T feature (LP: #1380242)
• Improved the ad-hoc visibility formula for LDN and LBN
• Improved the sight opportunities when artificial satellites are passes (LP: #907318)
• Changed behaviour of coloring of orbits of artificial satellites: we use gray color for parts of orbits, where satellite will be invisible (LP: #914751)
• Improved coloring and rendering artificial satellites (include their labels) in the Earth shadow for both modes (LP: #1436954)
• Improved for landscape and lightscape brightness with/without atmosphere. Now even considers landscape opacity for no-atmosphere conditions.
• Reduce Milky Way brightness in moonlight
• Enhancement of features in Telescope Control plugin (LP: #1469450)... read more

We work to restoration of multimedia support within Stellarium (playback for audio and video).

Stellarium can playback for audio and video on Linux and Windows (partially?) at the moment. Development team has prepared binary packages for 3 supported platforms for public testing of this feature.

Please check work of GZ_videotest_MP4.ssc and GZ_videotest_WMV.ssc scripts within Stellarium 0.13.57.1 on Windows/OS X (Download page: https://launchpad.net/stellarium/+download)... read more

Stellarium 0.13.3 is a stable version that introduces some new features and closes 33 bug and wishlist reports. A lot of work has been done on adding few new DSO catalogs: Barnard (B), Van den Bergh (VdB), Sharpless (Sh 2), H-α emission regions in the Southern Milky Way (RCW), Lynds' Catalogue of Bright Nebulae (LBN), Lynds' Catalogue of Dark Nebulae (LDN), Collinder (Cr) and Melotte (Mel). In addition, two new plugins are available. One of them introduces an exclusive and very nice feature - 3D landscapes.... read more

Are you a student looking for an exciting summer job? Get paid this summer to work on Stellarium!

We were selected to be a mentoring organization for the ESA Summer of Code in Space 2015: a program funding european students for working on astronomy open source projects. Please review our ideas page and submit your application on http://sophia.estec.esa.int/socis/

The Stellarium development team after 3 months of development is proud to announce the second correcting release of Stellarium in series 0.13.x - version 0.13.2. This version contains over 70 closed bugs and includes some wishes and new nice features - like visualization of the zodiacal light and new sky cultures.

Also we announce the new release for series 0.12.x - version 0.12.5 - we are backported of some features from series 0.13.x for this version.... read more

The Stellarium development team after 3 months of development is proud to announce the first correcting release of Stellarium in series 0.13.x - version 0.13.1.

This release brings few new features and fixes:

• Added: Light layer for old_style landscapes
• Added: Auto-detect location via network lookup.
• Added: Seasonal rules for displaying constellations
• Added: Coordinates can be displayed as decimal degrees (LP: #1106743)
• Added: Support of multi-touch gestures on Windows 8 (LP: #1165754)
• Added: FOV on bottom bar can be displayed in DMS rather than fractional degrees (LP: #1361582)
• Added: Oculars plugins support eyepieces with permanent crosshairs (LP: #1364139)
• Added: Pointer Coordinates Plugin can displayed not only RA/Dec (J2000.0) (LP: #1365784, #1377995)
• Added: Angle Measure Plugin can measure positional angles to the horizon now (LP: #1208143)
• Added: Search tool can search position not only for RA/Dec (J2000.0) (LP: #1358706)
• Fixed: Galactic plane renamed to correct: Galactic equator (LP: #1367744)
• Fixed: Speed issues when computing lots of comets (LP: #1350418)
• Fixed: Spherical mirror distortion work correctly now (LP: #676260, #1338252)
• Fixed: Location coordinates on the bottom bar displayed correctly now (LP: #1357799)
• Fixed: Ecliptic coordinates for J2000.0 and grids diplayed correctly now (LP: #1366567, #1369166)
• Fixed: Rule for select a celestial objects (LP: #1357917)
• Fixed: Loading extra star catalogs (LP: #1329500, #1379241)
• Fixed: Creates spurious directory on startup (LP: #1357758)
• Fixed: Various GUI/rendering improvements (LP: #1380502, #1320065, #1338252, #1096050, #1376550, #1382689)
• Fixed: "missing disk in drive <whatever>" (LP: #1371183)... read more</whatever>