Changes from 3.7.5-RC5 to 3.7.5-RC6

New features

• Earth view displays great circle distance and bearing
• Change Earth view cylindrical projection from cos to linear

Changes from 3.7.5-RC4 to 3.7.5-RC5

Bugs fixed:

• new coords for ESO sites
• check for fifos in PrivateDir then ShareDir

Changes from 3.7.5-RC3 to 3.7.5-RC4

Bugs fixed:

• Accommodate downloading web files containing very long lines.

Changes from 3.7.5-RC2 to 3.7.5-RC3

New Features:

• Builds on Max OS X ppc, i386 and x86_64 architectures

Changes from 3.7.5-RC1 to 3.7.5-RC2

New Features:

• Earth Object table reports range rate for solar system objects.

Changes from 3.7.4 to 3.7.5-RC1

Bugs fixed:

• Solar system right-click info could be stale if it is the only view open.
• Guard placing Coordinate Tool Eyepiece before Sky View is up.

Changes from 3.7.3 to 3.7.4

New Features:

• Several updates for European sites and time zones.
• Code tweaks for 64bit compilers.
• Add networking support for STScI GSC 2.3.
• Add simple support for FITS BITPIX=-32 (floating point images).
• Use cross cursor under magnifying glass.
• Add Phoenix to Mars features database.
• Updated Delta-T table

Bugs fixed:

• Updated CFA URLs.
• Made Sky View automag deeper to accommodate GSC 2.3.
• Sky View live report option now saved in preferences.
• Fix bug when Sun dip is set above rise/set threshold.
• Warn of attempt to write to a read-only INDI property.
• Better buffer managment in BDL moon model.
• Better guarding of old satellite elements.
• Fix problem with rise/set near terminator near poles.
• Fix bug in movie loop when there were no images yet.
• Better Sky View eyepiece culling.
• Fix INDI eventloop that could starve nested deferrals.

Changes from 3.7.2 to 3.7.3

New Features:

• surround Earth satellite name with parentheses if eclipsed.
• move "Keep marker centered' to Sky View Telescope menu

Bugs fixed:

• improve handling of catalog errors, eg, when in part of sky with no UCAC
• improved Solver tool Min/Max stability
• use proper amount of precision when saving TLE as .edb
• use geometric elevation for Earth satellite conversion to RA/Dec
• fix Earth satellite transit info when up now
• fix possible rise/set infinite loop when object just barely rises or is geostationary
• arg of peri was listed in Earth Data Index table twice
• fclose could be called twice when saving preferences
• fix possible crash when updating db or Favorites when Earth Objects are up
• fix printed trail time zone (always said UTC even when local)
• outdated AAVSO support removed
• SKY2000.edb RA PM was not multiplied by cos(Dec)

INDI enhancements:

• improve display of large Light properties
• parser missed decoding entity if first char in pcdata
• eventloop.c:rmTimer() resized array wrong
• fixed memory leak in getINDI.c
• getINDI now handles BLOBs

Changes from 3.7.1 to 3.7.2

New Features:

• Data Table adds JD, HJD and PA columns.
• Earth View adds inertial reference frame option.
• Earth View allows picking earth satellite via orbit marker.
• Earth View shows altitude and range in satellite right-click data.
• Earth View shows satellite position in space.
• Earth View can draw orbits on cylindrical projection.
• Earth objects table has new column-wide toggles.
• Main menu can remember to start RT mode automatically.
• Makefiles now support building Mac OS X universal binaries.
• Object index search supports using glob patterns.
• Observing log adds JD, HJD and Airmass fields.
• Observing log replaces Search with List feature.
• Observing log search supports using glob patterns.
• Preferences can now remember and restore which views were open.
• Print adds new option to draw with thicker lines.
• Several improvements to XML and INDI tools.
• Shared app defaults file, XEphem, may now be in /etc.
• Sites list search supports using glob patterns.
• Sky View draws simplistic antialiased stars.
• Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus satellite models extended to 2021.
• Native binary support for Mac OSX Intel.

Bugs fixed:

• .fts added as default suffix when downloading DSS images.
• Data menu was not cutting spect field at 2 chars.
• Earth View uses unique names for satellite object listing fields.
• Fix logic to detect no natural satellite models.
• Main menu now only shows progress meter if using fewer than 1000 steps.
• Numbers like 2e-2 were considered negative in some situations.
• Sky View RADec grid was inaccurate in AA mode near celestial poles
• Sky View compass correct now when showing tilted/rotated FITS image.
• Sky View labels N and S ecliptic poles.
• Sky View no longer prevents panning below horizon.
• Sky View telescope marker turned off when manually point only if also recentering.
• Sky View was leaving constellation figure files open.
• Solver properly guards XML entity characters when saving functions.
• Support ISO 8601 in FITS DATE-OBS field.
• Support much longer edb entries when downloading from web.
• Updated Delta-T table.
• WCS solver window labels CDELT2 as pixels up, not down.
• astorb2edb.pl updated for longer object names.

INDI enhancements:

• add IEDeferLoop function for inline waiting.
• add IUCrackNumber and IUCrackText utility functions.
• change indiserver to use select(2) not threads (10-20% more efficient).
• command line tools can inherit socket from parent script to maintain a single session
• fix bug in very rapid timeouts.
• guarantee getProperties is first command sent to drivers.
• improve efficiency of traffic to remote drivers.
• indiserver sniffs client devices from all commands, not just getProperties.
• library sends doubles with more precision.
• merge stderr from drivers into indiserver's log with date stamp.
• more robust IUSaveText.

Changes from 3.7 to 3.7.1

New Features:

• Add tool to align two or more FITS images and create motion movies.
• Add Control-m keyboard shortcut to add any view to the Movie loop.
• Upgrade to higher resolution Earth image.
• Put user annotations in a scrolled list to accommodate lengthy collections.
• Add Moonrise and Moonset to collection of Step size controls.
• Image gallery lookups now search against all names of data base objects.

Bugs fixed:

• Fix crashing when deleting all frames of a Movie.
• Fix antisolar point in Sky View when changing Equatorial preference.
• Fix pen/umbra position in Sky View when changing equinox.
• Fix problem when reading some Sky View history files.
• Fix large height of Progress meter seen on some systems.
• Fix crashing when starting any Animation demo.
• Fix mainmenu size jumping on some systems when moon not up.
• Fix mainmenu moon/sun/rise/set step bug when near a day without any such.
• Fix bug in reference manual describing earth satellite footprint.
• Fix crashing when make About window too small.
• Fix Sky View compass rose during display of FITS images.
• Fix a few entries in xephem_sites

Changes from 3.6.4 to 3.7

New Features:

• Data
  • Includes Hubble GSC 2.2.0.1 catalog, 450 million stars complete to M18.5.
  • New and updated catalogs: Messier, IC, NGC, COVBS, SKY2000, HYPERLEDA, Supernova, WDSC, Open clusters, Henry-Draper, Pleiades and asteroids.
  • YBS replaced with Sky 2000 to magnitude 6.5.
  • Can now display Gallery image directly from Data Index.

• Earth View
  • Display satellite orbits in space.
  • Zoom in to see better geography, or out to see high orbits.
  • Quick-set button to set equator rotation.
  • Display of surface footprint is now optional.
  • Expanded range mouse panning allows continuous rotation.

• Sky View
  • Save and restore sets of eyepiece definitions.
  • Save and restore sets of eyepiece Sky positions.
  • Constellation figure definitions now stored in editable files.
  • WCS solver invoked automatically if header has seed but no solution.
  • Shortcut button to set display aspect ratio to match image.
  • FITS file blinking via new Movie frame function.

• User Annotation
  • Anchor locations are now based on the view's world coordinates.
  • Sets of annotations may be saved and loaded from files.

• Other
  • Collect any number of View, NAAG or Plot frames into a movie, save as set of PNG files.
  • Many tweaks for improved INDI support, including display FITS BLOBs.

Bugs fixed:

• Negative years in some date formats.
• WCS solver could result in RA outside range 0..24 hours.
• Setting lat or long would reset elevation.
• Highly zoomed FITS images would show half-pixel offset.
• FITS images without WCS headers could generate bogus graphic overlays.
• Sky View compass rose rotation angle could be wrong near poles.
• Persistent labels on Earth trails in Sol System view were incorrect.
• Outdated magnetic declination model updated.

Changes from 3.6.3 to 3.6.4

• add Proper Motion columns to Data table
• update NAAG also when change horizon offset in Data Setup
• Favorites table now displays full .edb definition of each entry
• allow adding a new Favorite directly from the dialog
• Solver has separate Find Min and Find Max goals

Changes from 3.6.2 to 3.6.3

• All moon views: add boolean fields for casting shadow and transit
• Sun view: fix and make a configurable resource the SOHO network address
• Sky View: label galactic center
• Sky View: show rise/set for trailed objects
• Sky View: show position angle for roaming mouse coordinate
• Sky View: fix printing rectangular eyepieces

Changes from 3.6.1 to 3.6.2

• add support for linux and osx motif libs in source distro
• remove -ffast-math from all Makefiles
• add Hide and Toggle to User Annotation tool
• add User Annotation window tips
• add XE icon to Coordinate Converter window
• add XE icon to Earth Objects window
• show longitude at += 90 in Earth map
• fix sporadic dropped contour segments in Earth map
• fix spherical mode printing size in Earth map
• add spectral class L designation
• fix bug downloading from GSC 2.2 in Dec range -1..0 degs
• bump max download count for GSC 2.2
• fix eyepieces png in help
• remove extra @ before seti@home in help
• fix relativistic deflection if objects are nearer than sun
• allow for negative Earth satellite es_decay
• fix Sky View keyboard pan/zoom did not erase fits display
• put Sky View Mag in main popup, not in extra pullright
• only remove Internet downloaded asteroid files if fresh
• fix sending INDI goto coords to the marker properties
• better handling of INDI agent disconnect
• fix bug building INDI newTextVector property
• honor new*Vector commands seen from other INDI clients
• redraw each INDI light vector when remanaged
• new INDI getINDIproperty and setINDIproperty tools

Changes from 3.6 to 3.6.1

• improve approach to preventing screen blanking during right-clicks
• fix memory problem when closing Trails window
• planets should be On in the default Sky View History horizon entries
• improve drawing of thin crescents in Sky View
• faster Sky View depth sorting
• fix oversight preventing support of GSC 2.2 field stars
• fix binary orbit update problem
• fix Sky View Names toolbar button
• fix timezone problems in Trails
• improve compass rose accuracy in Sky View
• fix persistent label in Solar System view
• show mag+spectral class for Binary companion too in Sky View's More Info
• show size for planets too in Sky View's More Info
• eliminate use of tmpnam() for security reasons
• INDI tolerates other clients coming and going
• new or improved catalogs: asteroids, COVBS, CPIRSS, WDSC, aavso, binary_calib, constant, loneos, sstar_calib

Changes from 3.5.2 to 3.6

New Features:

• Gallery
  • Gallery of over 300 color images, fully cross-linked with Sky View.
• Sun
  • New Sun view downloads and saves live images from SOHO.
• Moon
  • Lunar features can be loaded directly into More Info dialog.
  • Fully integrated with Lunar Orbiter IV images, with and without annotation.
  • Searchable list of Lunar features.
• Earth
  • Use shaded relief maps and nightside light maps.
  • Can display any number of simultaneous satellites.
• Mars
  • Now uses a shaded relief map from Mars Global Surveyor.
  • Seeing simulation can now be controlled to 1/10 arc second.
• Saturn
  • Now uses real images.
• Sky View
  • Keyboard shortcuts for positioning and zooming.
  • Constellation figures as defined by H. A. Rey.
  • Orienting compass roses.
  • Milky Way boundary.
  • Rotatable eyepieces.
  • Multiple horizon profiles and interactive editing.
  • Field stars have their own labeling controls.
  • Natural satellites drawn along with their parent planets.
  • Planets drawn with proper phases.
  • Displays galactic coordinates.
  • More annotation point on principle coordinate planes.
  • Accurate colors for all stellar spectral classes.
  • Binary system orbits.
• Other views
  • New annotation facility to overlay text and lines on any view.
  • All planet views now show moon shadows on planet.
  • Solar System has keyboard shortcuts for rotation, zooming and stereo.
• Tools
  • New Observer's log book.
  • Main window now displays local magnetic declination.
  • Printing now supports A4 paper sizes.
  • Trails can now extend Before as well as After the starting time.
  • Plot and List now have Undo controls.
  • Plot, List and Solver can now save and restore configurations.
  • Telescope control now supports INDI, a highly flexible XML protocol.
  • More data options and crisper graphs in AAVSO plot tool.
  • Close tool can now omit planet's own moons.
  • Coordinate Converter supports arbitrary equinox, can directly place Eyepieces.
• GUI
  • Date and Time triad entry formats simpler yet more flexible.
  • New Splash screen for instant feedback when launched.
  • Help now written in html and triggers your favorite browser.
  • Most unwieldy File Selection Boxes replaced by smart file popups.
  • One-click Web catalog downloads automatically loaded into memory, as well as saved as a file.
• Data management
  • New general purpose Favorites facility completely replaces ObjXYZ.
  • .edb format extended to capture proper motion.
  • .edb format extended to capture valid date ranges for orbital elements.
  • .edb extended to capture multiple names per object.
  • .edb extended to capture binary system orbits.
  • Add support for USNO CCD Astrographic Catalog as field stars.
  • Data Index now displays .edb format.
  • Data Index can now partition objects into basic categories.
  • Data View contents can be sent to X11 selection buffer.
  • Field stars can now populate up to 30° FOV to support 35mm photography.
  • Save Preferences can now automatically save Minor resources as well.
  • Better Data menu organization.

Bug Fixes:

• Printing has improved Adobe compliance and is immune to locale.
• Improved handling of scalable fonts, include fixing a memory leak.
• Improved printing in color, and changed Grey to genuine Black.
• Fixed Length-of-Night if dusk or dawn does not occur.
• Fixed Length-of-Night and NAAG when dawn or dusk cross midnight.
• Main window calendar pulldown menu could clip some month names.
• Mars moon view can finally print.
• Fix NAAG for "arctic" dusk and dawn.
• Fix NAAG for case of no rise today but rise tomorrow; ditto for set.
• Fix NAAG for earth satellite when current time is on right half-day.
• Num Lock key no longer required to be off.
• Sky View 1:1 and 2:1 shortcuts no longer fail in certain situations.
• Sky View grid labeling improved.
• Sky View better at not clipping large objects until fully off screen, not just their center.
• Sky View toolbuttons for constellations, planes and labeling improved.
• Sky View is better at avoiding overlapping labels.
• Improved stability in Solver tool seeking periodic extrema.
• Fixed problem with mag glass over image without WCS headers.

Changes from 3.5.1 to 3.5.2

New Features:

• add support for Uranometria 2000 sky atlas.
• add support for all three atlases in Data Table and Sky View listing.
• add "Auto list" so Close-pairs tool can print while looping.
• add GHA column to Data Table.
• add Spectral class column to Data Table and Sky View listing.
• add ability to store preferred position for more dialogs.
• add support for reading TLE-format satellite files directly.
• add Print option to Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus views.
• add support for 8-bit FITS format.
• add major upgrade to star finder and WCS solver.
• add image X,Y coords to Sky View corner info, when displaying image

Bug Fixes:

• fix a communication problem with LX200.
• fix minor problem with Earth view gray-scale printing.
• fix font problems occuring on some systems.
• fix crashing in Jup/Sat/Uranus seen with some window managers.
• fix saving Site preference when multiple abbreviated names match.
• fix rare crash when saving preferences.
• fix some incorrect XmForm attachments.
• fix crash if enter 0 eyepiece focal length.
• fix rare crash when refracting far below horizon.

Changes from 3.5 to 3.5.1

• Image analysis:
  • fix ROI would not draw if no or bad wcs
  • fix updating scales correctly if find a wcs solution

• Sky View:
  • fix ROI Toggle button so it can be a saved resource
  • fix check for center when window size is odd and flipped
  • fix bomb when close if wcs had never been opened

• Misc:
  • fix support for ~ in ShareDir

Changes from 3.4 to 3.5

• Cross-Platform:
  • Available for MS Win98/2000, MacOS X and all UNIX-like systems.

• Image analysis:
  • Pattern match stars in an image against GSC to find RA/Dec WCS header.
  • 2D Guassian fit to star profiles for sub-pixel position accuracy.
  • One-click relative and absolute aperture photometry.
  • Pixel stats for entire image, region of interest or pixels under glass.
  • Multiple settings for magnifying glass size and power.
  • Unique "Monument" mode displays stars in pseudo-3D.
  • Interactive cross-section slices.
  • Multilevel crop and zoom stack.

• Sky View:
  • Images resize to fit window (not the other way around as in 3.4).
  • Toolbar down right side to control new imaging functions.
  • Very simple interface for other programs to automatically display images.
  • Popup date/time honors Preference time zone.
  • Toolbar buttons now maintain current set of options thru off/on cycle.

• LX200 Telescope control:
  • Fully integrated into XEphem GUI.
  • Smoother telescope marker motion.

• Data:
  • Easy GUI to download MPC and Lowell asteroid element sets.
  • Easy GUI to download CBAT comet elements.
  • Easy GUI to download Earth satellite element sets.
  • Improved engine for near-parabolic comet elements.
  • Improved magnitudes for all planets.

• Eyepieces:
  • Define and Save your favorite user-defined sizes and styles.
  • Handy calculator to solve common optical formulae.
  • Delete eyepieces individually.

• Main window:
  • One click to automatically keep XEphem time in sync with computer.
  • All Help text is now searchable, and keeps reusing one window.
  • Handy Sun-up and Moon-phase icons.
  • New bona fide Night Mode.

• Night at a Glance:
  • Shows all satellite passes at once for a given day.
  • Can click on graph to set time.
  • New optional easier-to-read one-color scheme.

• Coordinates:
  • New Spreadsheet to convert among equatorial/horizon/ecliptic/galactic.

• Mars:
  • Greatly expanded set of Albedo features.

• Networking:
  • Support for Authentication when going through proxies.

Changes from 3.2.3 to 3.4

• Sky View:
  • Add Toolbars, including new Zoom in/back stack.
  • Add all new History facility.
  • Show {pen}umbra with Moon.
  • Add direct eyepiece option for Telrad.
  • Show delta coords when dragging zoom box.
  • Add cylindrical projection.
  • Greatly expanded Listing and Sorting.
  • Completely automatic Field Star loading.
  • Can now download DSS 2 blue and red images.
  • Greatly speed up sky FITS image contrast control.
  • Add shortcuts for common positions and aspect ratios.
  • Add grid labels.

• Data management:
  • Load/Delete by catalog.
  • New unified format for PPM, Hipparcos and Tycho-2 catalogs.

• Data Table:
  • Add Ecliptic coordinates.
  • Improved airmass formula near horizon.

• Jupiter View:
  • Morphs a real image.

• Mars View:
  • 2x better resolution image.
  • Magnifying glass.
  • Expanded features data base.

• Moon View:
  • Add persistant labels.
  • Add more spacecraft to database.
  • Fix Moon {pen}umbra rotation.

• Main window:
  • Most windows can now be stacked over or beneath the Main window.
  • Can now change most colors and fonts on the fly.
  • Can now Save just about every setting to disk.
  • Can now step time Forward or Reverse.
  • Fixed calendar NM and FM when outside current month.
  • Improved Delta T model
  • Improved Site selection mechanism.
  • Simpler control over DST and Delta T.

• Earth View:
  • Direct Internet update facilty for earth satellites.
  • Can now display 3 objects simultaneously.
  • Orbit propagator now based on NORAD SGP4/SDP4.

• Brand new features:
  • Support for SETI@Home.
  • New Night-at-a-Glance graphic.
  • Direct Internet interface to AAVSO light curves.
  • Includes control process for Meade LX200.