Gaia Sky
@gaiasky.bsky.social
Gaia Sky is a 3D Universe desktop and VR application to bring Gaia data to the masses, open source, libre.
The compute shader that generates galaxies gets more and more features. We can now design pretty cool shapes interactively.
November 13, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The compute shader that generates galaxies gets more and more features. We can now design pretty cool shapes interactively.
I've been playing around with compute shaders to generate procedural galaxies in #GaiaSky on the fly. Still needs work, but it looks promising for populating distant galaxies. In the video, I spawned a galaxy next to the milky way, trying to mimic its structure with a few simple parameters. (1/3)
October 24, 2025 at 12:36 PM
I've been playing around with compute shaders to generate procedural galaxies in #GaiaSky on the fly. Still needs work, but it looks promising for populating distant galaxies. In the video, I spawned a galaxy next to the milky way, trying to mimic its structure with a few simple parameters. (1/3)
We've been working on a new galaxy model for Gaia Sky. It is a compromise between 'looking good' and 'rendering fast'.
October 16, 2025 at 12:06 PM
We've been working on a new galaxy model for Gaia Sky. It is a compromise between 'looking good' and 'rendering fast'.
We have just published the GPS Satellite Network dataset for #GaiaSky, put together by @plateauastro.bsky.social. You can get it right now from the dataset manager.
September 25, 2025 at 7:44 AM
We have just published the GPS Satellite Network dataset for #GaiaSky, put together by @plateauastro.bsky.social. You can get it right now from the dataset manager.
📢📢📢 #GaiaSky 3.6.10 is now available for download!
This release brings a handful of minor improvements, and a lot of bug fixes. Additionally, it enables a new virtual texture dataset based on Sentinel-2 data.
🔗 Learn more: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
This release brings a handful of minor improvements, and a lot of bug fixes. Additionally, it enables a new virtual texture dataset based on Sentinel-2 data.
🔗 Learn more: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
July 21, 2025 at 10:22 AM
📢📢📢 #GaiaSky 3.6.10 is now available for download!
This release brings a handful of minor improvements, and a lot of bug fixes. Additionally, it enables a new virtual texture dataset based on Sentinel-2 data.
🔗 Learn more: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
This release brings a handful of minor improvements, and a lot of bug fixes. Additionally, it enables a new virtual texture dataset based on Sentinel-2 data.
🔗 Learn more: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
I've been working with @plateauastro.bsky.social on a new virtual texture for #GaiaSky which features many urban areas down to a resolution of 10-20 m/px. It is based on Sentinel-2 data and the NASA blue marble imagery. Check out the video 🎞️👇
July 11, 2025 at 1:10 PM
I've been working with @plateauastro.bsky.social on a new virtual texture for #GaiaSky which features many urban areas down to a resolution of 10-20 m/px. It is based on Sentinel-2 data and the NASA blue marble imagery. Check out the video 🎞️👇
In the next version, Gaia Sky will pull localized object information from the @wikipedia.org API whenever available. This shortcoming in the internationalization of the app has been mended.
See video below, where the object summary depends on the current locale 👇
See video below, where the object summary depends on the current locale 👇
July 3, 2025 at 10:51 AM
In the next version, Gaia Sky will pull localized object information from the @wikipedia.org API whenever available. This shortcoming in the internationalization of the app has been mended.
See video below, where the object summary depends on the current locale 👇
See video below, where the object summary depends on the current locale 👇
📢📢📢 #GaiaSky 3.6.9 is out! This version brings some exciting new features and lots of bug fixes.
More info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
More info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
July 2, 2025 at 7:25 AM
📢📢📢 #GaiaSky 3.6.9 is out! This version brings some exciting new features and lots of bug fixes.
More info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
More info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ga...
#GaiaSky will get a star streaks shader in the next release. This effect elongates stars in the direction of motion to create a sort of Star Trek travel effect. Of course, this can be turned off in the settings.
June 16, 2025 at 1:26 PM
#GaiaSky will get a star streaks shader in the next release. This effect elongates stars in the direction of motion to create a sort of Star Trek travel effect. Of course, this can be turned off in the settings.
#GaiaSky 3.6.8 is clearly GPU-bound. This means that the graphics card is the limiting factor in performance.
The footage below is captured with the GTX 1070, which is now almost exactly 9 years old. But the software runs well also on integrated GPUs (laptops mostly), and APUs (Steam Deck).
The footage below is captured with the GTX 1070, which is now almost exactly 9 years old. But the software runs well also on integrated GPUs (laptops mostly), and APUs (Steam Deck).
June 5, 2025 at 10:54 AM
#GaiaSky 3.6.8 is clearly GPU-bound. This means that the graphics card is the limiting factor in performance.
The footage below is captured with the GTX 1070, which is now almost exactly 9 years old. But the software runs well also on integrated GPUs (laptops mostly), and APUs (Steam Deck).
The footage below is captured with the GTX 1070, which is now almost exactly 9 years old. But the software runs well also on integrated GPUs (laptops mostly), and APUs (Steam Deck).
📢 🚀 #GaiaSky 3.6.8 is out now! A big update packed with improvements:
- Complete UI refresh
- One-click "recommended datasets" for newcomers
- Star/particle rendering upgrades
- Major performance gains across the board
- Tons of fixes, polish, and under-the-hood refactors
gaiasky.space/downloads/
- Complete UI refresh
- One-click "recommended datasets" for newcomers
- Star/particle rendering upgrades
- Major performance gains across the board
- Tons of fixes, polish, and under-the-hood refactors
gaiasky.space/downloads/
June 2, 2025 at 12:35 PM
📢 🚀 #GaiaSky 3.6.8 is out now! A big update packed with improvements:
- Complete UI refresh
- One-click "recommended datasets" for newcomers
- Star/particle rendering upgrades
- Major performance gains across the board
- Tons of fixes, polish, and under-the-hood refactors
gaiasky.space/downloads/
- Complete UI refresh
- One-click "recommended datasets" for newcomers
- Star/particle rendering upgrades
- Major performance gains across the board
- Tons of fixes, polish, and under-the-hood refactors
gaiasky.space/downloads/
📢📢 Today we make available a new Gaia DR3-based catalog: Gaia DR3 Best!
It is a small and compact catalog with only the very best stars in terms of parallax relative error. It contains 646K stars and weighs ~54 MB.
All the info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ne...
#GaiaSky #Catalog #GaiaDR3
It is a small and compact catalog with only the very best stars in terms of parallax relative error. It contains 646K stars and weighs ~54 MB.
All the info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ne...
#GaiaSky #Catalog #GaiaDR3
June 2, 2025 at 8:44 AM
📢📢 Today we make available a new Gaia DR3-based catalog: Gaia DR3 Best!
It is a small and compact catalog with only the very best stars in terms of parallax relative error. It contains 646K stars and weighs ~54 MB.
All the info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ne...
#GaiaSky #Catalog #GaiaDR3
It is a small and compact catalog with only the very best stars in terms of parallax relative error. It contains 646K stars and weighs ~54 MB.
All the info: gaiasky.space/news/2025/ne...
#GaiaSky #Catalog #GaiaDR3
Been doing some UI work in #GaiaSky to clean up the themes and make it possible to generate themes automagically from an accent color. Now we need to decide the default theme. Which one is your favourite? See poll below.
April 17, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Been doing some UI work in #GaiaSky to clean up the themes and make it possible to generate themes automagically from an accent color. Now we need to decide the default theme. Which one is your favourite? See poll below.
Today, Gaia has been ejected from its Lissajous orbit around L2 into a heliocentric orbit. The spacecraft has ended its sky-scanning phase after more than 10 years, and has been switched off. We'll see it again close to Earth in 2039. Farewell, #Gaia!
March 27, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Today, Gaia has been ejected from its Lissajous orbit around L2 into a heliocentric orbit. The spacecraft has ended its sky-scanning phase after more than 10 years, and has been switched off. We'll see it again close to Earth in 2039. Farewell, #Gaia!
There is a new API call in #GaiaSky, goToObjectSmooth(). It uses the transitions API to create a smooth trajectory to an object. Comparison video:
March 20, 2025 at 1:36 PM
There is a new API call in #GaiaSky, goToObjectSmooth(). It uses the transitions API to create a smooth trajectory to an object. Comparison video:
I have been re-working the way speed scaling works in #GaiaSky. The new method takes into account all objects surrounding the camera, additionally to the focus object, and produces smoother trips. No more sudden jumps out of the starting area!
Check out the comparison video 👇
Check out the comparison video 👇
March 20, 2025 at 12:56 PM
I have been re-working the way speed scaling works in #GaiaSky. The new method takes into account all objects surrounding the camera, additionally to the focus object, and produces smoother trips. No more sudden jumps out of the starting area!
Check out the comparison video 👇
Check out the comparison video 👇
💾 We just published a new virtual texture dataset for #GaiaSky: 32K Moon Topography (NASA SVS). Find out more here:
gaiasky.space/news/2025/mo...
#Moon #VirtualTexture #Dataset
gaiasky.space/news/2025/mo...
#Moon #VirtualTexture #Dataset
February 18, 2025 at 9:18 AM
💾 We just published a new virtual texture dataset for #GaiaSky: 32K Moon Topography (NASA SVS). Find out more here:
gaiasky.space/news/2025/mo...
#Moon #VirtualTexture #Dataset
gaiasky.space/news/2025/mo...
#Moon #VirtualTexture #Dataset
📢 We have a new webiste at gaiasky.space!
Also, if you use the Flatpak, our Flathub app id has changed to space.gaiasky.GaiaSky to enable verification. If you install or update the old app ID, it should prompt you to upgrade to the new one.
Also, if you use the Flatpak, our Flathub app id has changed to space.gaiasky.GaiaSky to enable verification. If you install or update the old app ID, it should prompt you to upgrade to the new one.
February 14, 2025 at 7:37 AM
📢 We have a new webiste at gaiasky.space!
Also, if you use the Flatpak, our Flathub app id has changed to space.gaiasky.GaiaSky to enable verification. If you install or update the old app ID, it should prompt you to upgrade to the new one.
Also, if you use the Flatpak, our Flathub app id has changed to space.gaiasky.GaiaSky to enable verification. If you install or update the old app ID, it should prompt you to upgrade to the new one.
We are experimenting with a new website for #GaiaSky that is easier to edit and maintain. Check it out!
gaia.ari.uni-heidelberg.de/gaiasky/web
gaia.ari.uni-heidelberg.de/gaiasky/web
January 31, 2025 at 1:04 PM
We are experimenting with a new website for #GaiaSky that is easier to edit and maintain. Check it out!
gaia.ari.uni-heidelberg.de/gaiasky/web
gaia.ari.uni-heidelberg.de/gaiasky/web
A smoother video captured in X.
January 24, 2025 at 9:06 AM
A smoother video captured in X.
📢📢📢 We just released #GaiaSky 3.6.6. This is a small update focused on fixing some bugs and improving performance. Also, it comes with proper handling of depth for volumes!
Downloads: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
Release notes: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Downloads: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
Release notes: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
January 24, 2025 at 8:42 AM
📢📢📢 We just released #GaiaSky 3.6.6. This is a small update focused on fixing some bugs and improving performance. Also, it comes with proper handling of depth for volumes!
Downloads: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
Release notes: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Downloads: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
Release notes: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Today, coinciding with the end of the sky-scanning phase of Gaia, we publish #GaiaSky 3.6.5. The most noteworthy addition is the introduction of the volume rendering infrastructure.
What's new: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Grab it here: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
What's new: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Grab it here: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
January 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Today, coinciding with the end of the sky-scanning phase of Gaia, we publish #GaiaSky 3.6.5. The most noteworthy addition is the introduction of the volume rendering infrastructure.
What's new: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Grab it here: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
What's new: codeberg.org/gaiasky/gaia...
Grab it here: zah.uni-heidelberg.de/gaia/outreac...
Nebulae also kind of work now in #GaiaSky VR, but I need to port every single shader manually (sigh). Current progress is 1/8, but they all follow the same structure, so the others should be straightforward...
January 10, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Nebulae also kind of work now in #GaiaSky VR, but I need to port every single shader manually (sigh). Current progress is 1/8, but they all follow the same structure, so the others should be straightforward...