iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

On the 4th of October, 1957, Sputnik 1 became the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, marking the beginning of a new era for humanity. You can watch Sputnik 1 orbit the Earth in Celestia with this add-on: celestia.mobi/resources/it...

160

Reposted by Celestia

Gaia Sky @gaiasky.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Gaia DR4 is coming on December 2, and we’ve been hard at work designing the catalogs for #GaiaSky. We’ve made some important changes compared to DR3. Wanna learn more? 👇 gaiasky.space/news/2026/ga...

gaiasky.space

Gaia Sky | DR4 star catalogs

073

Reposted by Celestia

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 28/09/2026

A successful Earth flyby improves Juice’s course to Jupiter Earlier today, Juice flew just 8640 km above the Indian Ocean and snapped these images with its onboard monitoring cameras. 1️⃣Africa, by Juice monitoring camera 2️⃣Madagascar, by Juice NavCam 3️⃣Moon, by Juice NavCam 🔭 🧪 #planetsci

Mostly black space, most of Earth visible at the top right of the image. Part of a spacecraft visible on the left.

Part of the island of Madagascar in black and white.

A crescent Moon, with about a quarter of the Moon showing. Many craters are visible.

7348102

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Celestia mobile 26.9.1 for Apple devices has been released. This update fixes an issue where toolbar customisation wouldn't work. GitHub release page

github.com

Release 26.9.1 · celestiamobile/MobileCelestia

This is an iOS only release Fix a bug that toolbar customization doesn't work

020

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Celestia mobile 26.9.0 for Apple devices has been released. This update fixes an issue where only one eclipse shadow would render at a time, tweaks PSF star rendering, adds support for iOS, iPadOS and macOS 27, and includes content updates. GitHub release page

github.com

Release 26.9.0 · celestiamobile/MobileCelestia

Fix multiple eclipse shadows Fix PSF rendering bounds, transitions, and batch state Update the exoplanet catalog Update Kamo'oalewa data and add a shape model Update Didymos and Dimorphos data, mod...

010

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Celestia mobile 26.9.0 for Android devices has been released. This update fixes an issue where only one eclipse shadow would render at a time, tweaks PSF star rendering, stops the bottom controls from overlapping the HUD text, and includes content updates. GitHub release page

github.com

Release 26.9.0 · celestiamobile/AndroidCelestia

021

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

We have deprecated the Win32 frontend of Celestia in favour of focusing on our Qt 6 frontend, as we don't see the point in maintaining this ancient, Windows-only frontend anymore. From now on, builds of 1.7.0 for Windows will only include the EXE for the Qt frontend.

030

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Here's a small cluster filled with young, hot stars in front of a much larger cluster of cool stars.

010

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Want to ask questions about Celestia, make and share add-ons, post screenshots, see previews of upcoming improvements, discuss astronomy and spaceflight news, and be a part of the community? Join our official Discord server! discord.com/invite/WEWDcJh

discord.com

Join the Celestia Discord Server!

The official Discord server for the space simulator Celestia. Doubles as a general astronomy server. | 1320 members

060

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

New profile banner to celebrate the succesful launch of #NASARoman!

040

Reposted by Celestia

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 30/08/2026

This morning's launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from the Kennedy Space Center was amazing! Roman is now on a million-mile journey to Lagrange point 2, where it will soon reveal the universe’s darkest secrets: go.nasa.gov/4qIa69I #NASARoman 🔭 Credit: J. Barrientes/STScI.

A rocket is launching into the sky from a launch pad, emitting bright flames and smoke. Trees are visible in the foreground.

Crowd capturing a SpaceX rocket launch with smartphones, against a sunrise sky.

A rocket launches into a cloudy sky, emitting a bright trail of light and smoke.

A rocket with a fiery trail ascending into a clear blue sky, leaving a thick plume of white smoke underneath.

7325107

Reposted by Celestia

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

A sunrise on Earth, simulated in Celestia. The addition of separate Rayleigh and Mie scale heights has vastly improved Celestia's atmospheric scatterer. #space #planetarium #opensource #simulator #OpenGL #computergraphics #rendering #CelestiaProject

052

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Celestia mobile 26.8.1 for Apple devices has been released. This update lowers visibility of PSF stars in daytime atmospheres, adds ISO 8601 option for date and time display, rearranges some settings, changes default atmosphere render settings, and includes content updates. GitHub release page

031

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Celestia mobile 26.8.1 for Android devices has been released. This update lowers visibility of PSF stars in daytime atmospheres, adds ISO 8601 option for date and time display, rearranges some settings, changes default atmosphere render settings, and includes content updates. GitHub release page

010

Reposted by Celestia

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 24/08/2026

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has been enclosed inside the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket’s fairing in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida: go.nasa.gov/4xZRgNM #NASARoman 🔭 🧪

The image shows two individuals in blue protective suits observing the Roman Space Telescope inside a facility. The observatory is positioned between two sections of a payload fairing, which are held by large blue structures. The scene is set in a clean room environment, with a white floor and walls.

415548

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

052

Reposted by Celestia

Astronomy Picture of the Day 🪐 @apod.shinyakato.dev · 18/08/2026

🔭 Perseids from Perseus Image Credit & Copyright: Jakub Kuřák ap260818

A starfield is bounded by trees on three sides and
a pond on the bottom. Amongst the stars are many streaks
of light appearing to emanate from a place on the sky
just above a foreground bridge.
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

119352

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Speaking of the wordmark, the very old logo shown when starting up Celestia has been replaced with the new wordmark.

060

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

It's been more than 20 years since Celestia's iconic splash screen was created. Celestia has come a long way since then. Time for a refresh! @askaniy.bsky.social made the skeuomorphic version of the Celestia wordmark seen on the new splash screen, paying homage to the old splash.

082

Reposted by Celestia

Gordan Ugarković @ugordan.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Cassini WAC sequence of 18 frames taken December 29, 2000 spanning just over 2 hours. It shows Jupiter rotating with its Great Red Spot in view and Ganymede orbiting on the planet's far side. Distance: 9.86 million km Phase angle: 53 deg More details at flic.kr/p/acS6sY

1258

Reposted by Celestia

Melina Thévenot🏳️‍⚧️ @melina-iras07572.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

This was near maximum here in southwest Germany (left with filter). #Eclipse #SolarEclipse

1236

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Thank you! We've made some big changes to the rendering pipeline recently which has changed the appearance of many planets and moons. A few textures have been modified to account for this, and we plan to modify the rest at some point soon.

010

Reposted by Celestia

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 12/08/2026

Today's the day! ☀️ 🤞 Fingers crossed for clear skies wherever you are on the eclipse path! 📱 Not in the path, or want to know more before it happens? Join our live broadcast 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRDx2xDR8NA 😎 Follow along here for behind-the-scenes views! 🔭 🧪 #EuropeanSolarEclipse

youtube.com

Total solar eclipse 2026: Coming to Europe (Official ESA broadcast)

Watch live with us as a total solar eclipse becomes visible across ...

26023

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Celestia mobile 26.8.0 for Apple devices has been released. This update makes atmosphere rendering take eclipse and ring shadows into account, adds more eclipse viewing options, includes content updates, and introduces a new version numbering system. GitHub release page

1184

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Celestia mobile 26.8.0 for Android devices has been released. This update makes atmosphere rendering take eclipse and ring shadows into account, adds more eclipse viewing options, includes content updates, and introduces a new version numbering system. GitHub release page

010

Reposted by Celestia

Chara @astrochara.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Solar eclipse of 2026-08-12 rendered in the timely update to @celestiaproject.bsky.social which makes rings and eclipse shadows properly cast shadow onto the atmosphere. #CelestiaProject #astronomy #space #SolarEclipse

A view of the solar eclipse, as viewed from 9 km above Earth's surface within the Moon's umbra (shadow). The Sun blocked by the Moon forms a bright white halo around a pitch-black circle can be seen at the top of the image. The shadow's effects on the atmosphere can be seen at the bottom, where the atmosphere is clearly darkened and the horizon is reddened.

083

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

(🧵4/4) Eclipse shadows also affect atmospheres, here is a modified Earth with a taller atmosphere and rings. Here, you can see an eclipse in the northern hemisphere darkening the atmosphere and affecting the scattering, and rings creating grooves just as they did with Saturn.

050

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

(🧵3/4) An awesome side effect of this change is that the shadows directly affect the atmosphere rendering, just look at how Saturn's ring shadows block the sunlight and appear to create grooves of varying sizes in its atmosphere:

150

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

(🧵2/4) With some code modifications written by Lev, one of our developers, atmospheres now darken from ring and eclipse shadows, not just the surface and cloud textures, as you can see in the images above.

130

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

(🧵1/4) Celestia has never taken ring and eclipse shadows into account when rendering atmospheres, meaning that the atmosphere did not darken, and this became a much more apparent issue with the new atmosphere renderer. In the latest build however, this is no longer the case.

2134

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Celestia mobile 1.9.22 for Apple devices has been released. This update adds improved atmosphere rendering, settings for mesh self-shadowing resolution and HDR tonemapping, includes content updates, and adds support for more actions in Shortcuts. GitHub release page

050

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Celestia mobile 1.9.22 for Android devices has been released. This update adds improved atmosphere rendering, settings for mesh self-shadowing resolution and HDR tonemapping, and includes content updates. GitHub release page

010

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

A closer view of the inner moons:

020

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Celestia now uses the TASS 1.7 theory to simulate the orbits of the Saturnian satellites. This model provides increased accuracy many thousands of years into the past and future. #space #astronomy #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

191

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

44 Nysa in Celestia, now including its moon and an accurate 3D model showing the asteroid's unusual shape. #space #astronomy #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

040

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

This is a significant increase in performance compared to older builds, and means that Celestia users on mobile devices and lower end computers can enjoy the new atmosphere renderer.

040

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

At the highest settings, this Dell laptop (i5-1335U) runs Celestia with the new atmosphere renderer at 45-60 FPS, and lowering the settings increases performance with a minimal loss in quality. #space #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

170

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

WIP new atmosphere parameters for Triton and Pluto. Very tenuous atmospheres, you might not even see them on your screen, so I've included a screenshot with an increased exposure as well. #space #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

060

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Wrap lighting can be used to fix an error with cloud rendering around the terminator of an object. Here is what that looks like with Titan, and a real photo of Titan for comparison. #space #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

"N1736054355" by Gordan Ugarković, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ugordan/11715675036/

051

Reposted by Celestia

Chara @astrochara.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Cloudless #Venus. In absence of any gases absorbing visible light or aerosols blocking the path, Rayleigh scattering in a sufficiently deep atmosphere would be able to fully scatter all light back, producing a white planet. #CelestiaProject #astronomy #space #planet

Literally a blank white cueball floating in space, illuminated on the right side. There are some stars in the background.

0112

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Side-by-side comparison of a sunset on Earth, left is using the latest master build, right is using the HDR build. #space #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

1112

Reposted by Celestia

Chara @astrochara.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Hello, Bluesky. We are reworking planet atmospheres in @celestiaproject.bsky.social after a major, long-awaited atmosphere rendering bug fix (mentioned in that account). #Celestia #CelestiaProject #space #planet #Earth

0102

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Sunset on Earth with the improved atmosphere rendering, parameters, and HDR tone mapping. #space #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #simulator #planetarium #CelestiaProject

072

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Improvements have been implemented. In the third image, Titan's atmosphere has a much softer edge, this is achieved by simply lowering the AtmosphereExtinctionThreshold in the source code. #space #simulator #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #CelestiaProject

092

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

By using the Chapman function, scattering can be made more realistic, especially for tall atmospheres. Here's what that looks like with Titan. Not final, subject to change. #space #simulator #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #CelestiaProject

0113

Reposted by Celestia

ESO @eso.org · 15/07/2026

Ten years of hide-and-seek! 🫣 Astronomers used our VLT to find a new #exoplanet orbiting the famous star Beta Pictoris — hiding in archival ESO observations spanning over a decade! And it's shyer than any exoplanet we've imaged before. 🔭 🧪 1/3 📷 ESO/B. Sutlieff, M. Bonse et al.

Image of a star system. The central star is hidden behind a coronagraph, marked by a white star symbol at the centre. A bright companion appears to the left, while a much fainter companion, indicated by a white arrow, is visible to the right against a reddish-orange background.

18228

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Here's dusk on Earth (left) and Mars (right) using the new atmosphere definitions. #space #simulator #computergraphics #rendering #OpenGL #opensource #CelestiaProject

082

Celestia @celestiaproject.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Unfortunately the current scatterer creates some inaccuracies which can't be fixed without rewriting it, which would push the final release of version 1.7.0 even further back.

030