Stellarium 23.1 Released with New Features and Fixes

Stellarium has just released its latest version, 23.1, bringing a host of new features and fixes to the popular planetarium software. One of the most notable changes is the addition of alternative shortcuts in the Help dialog, which can be accessed by users with programming skills. Additionally, the release includes missing files for the Babylonian (Seleucid) SC and allows users to store local files of objects as bookmarks.

Another significant improvement is the ability to texture decimate on the fly for systems like Raspberry Pi 3. This feature will greatly improve performance for users with weaker hardware. The shader code has also been updated for smoother projection, making for a more immersive experience.

The Stellarium team has also fixed several issues with Observation Lists and removed the need for an extra edit dialog. The 'Solar System observer' and other 'Planet observers' have been much improved, providing users with a more detailed and accurate view of celestial bodies.

In terms of security, this release mitigates a potential vulnerability (CVE-2023-28371) that allowed scripts to write output text and screenshots to unintended locations on the user's system. This issue has been fixed, and users are no longer at risk of exploitation by malicious script authors.

For Windows users, the version of the Qt framework used is now visible as part of the package name. The Stellarium Team has also adopted a new release scheme, with versions numbered in the format 'year.release'. This change will provide better organization and tracking of releases going forward.

The installers for this latest version can be found in the 'Assets' section at the end of these release notes. We encourage all users to upgrade to 23.1 and take advantage of its new features and improved performance.

Stellarium github