Updates

Release 1.1December 2025

Sandbox Mode (Beta)

Creative Simulation

  • Universe Sandbox: Unleash your creativity! Build your own solar systems from scratch in this new experimental mode.
  • Physics Playground: Spawn stars, planets, and moons, then watch gravity take over.
  • Dynamic Collisions: realistic merging mechanics where objects combine based on mass and velocity.
Release 1.0.6December 2025

Security Enhancements

Account Security

  • Change Password: You can now securely update your password directly from the Settings page.
Release 1.0.5December 2025

Security Improvement

Bug Fix & Security

  • Email Verification Fix: Resolved a critical security issue where users could bypass email verification during login. Verification is now correctly enforced for all accounts.
Release 1.0.4December 2025

Identity & Personalization

User Profile

  • Username Customization: You can now change your display name in the Settings page.
  • Profile Management: dedicated profile section for managing your account identity.
Release 1.0.3December 2025

Visual Expression

Community Features

  • Image Uploads: Share your cosmic discoveries! You can now attach images to your community posts.
  • Enhanced Post Composer: New button-style image picker for a smoother posting experience.
Release 1.0.2December 2025

Security & Verification

Account Security

  • Email Verification: Added mandatory 6-digit OTP email verification for all new user registrations to ensure account security.
Release 1.0.1December 2025

Community Polish

Global Reach

  • Localization: Community page is now fully translated into Thai.
  • Theming: Improved Light and Dark mode support across all community features.
Full Release 1.0December 2025

The Complete Experience

The Connected Universe

  • Community Hub: Join the conversation with our new posting and commenting system.
  • Explorer Accounts: Secure authentication to manage your profile and interactions.

Immersive Simulation

  • Realistic Solar System: Accurate orbital mechanics, high-res textures, and dynamic lighting.
  • Visual Fidelity: Enhanced with Saturn's rings, atmospheric glows, and detailed moon surfaces.

Intelligent Discovery

  • AI Companion: Integrated Gemini AI chatbot for instant astronomical knowledge.
  • Smart Search: Context-aware Wikipedia integration for deep dives into space topics.

Interactive Learning

  • Cosmic Quiz: Test your knowledge with difficulty tiers and dynamic questions.
  • Space News: Real-time updates from the world of astronomy and spaceflight.

Platform Maturity

  • Universal Design: Fully responsive mobile experience with touch-optimized controls.
  • Customization: Dark/Light modes and multi-language support (English/Thai).
Beta 0.9.1December 2025

Fixes & Improvements

Bug Fixes

  • Thai Quiz Fix: Resolved an issue where Intermediate and Advanced difficulties had incorrect question counts in Thai.
  • Solar System Layout: Fixed mobile layout issues where planet names overlapped with the menu.
  • UI Layering: Adjusted z-index for the Planet Info Panel to correctly cover the date controls on mobile.
  • Asteroid Belt: Fixed an issue where the asteroid belt would disappear when zooming in.
Beta 0.9December 2025

Moon Update & Localization

Visual Upgrades

  • Moon Textures: Added high-resolution textures for Earth's Moon, Io, Europa, and Callisto.
  • Textured Moons: All moons now have textures, replacing solid colors for a more realistic look.

Localization

  • Planet Info Panel: Full Thai translation support for planet details (Distance, Temperature, etc.).
  • Solar System UI: Translated UI controls and planet names in the main simulation view.

Refinements

  • Discord Icon: Updated the About page with the official Discord brand icon.
  • Bug Fixes: Resolved various localization and styling issues.
Beta 0.8December 2025

Settings & Customization

User Preferences

  • Settings Menu: New dedicated settings page for managing application preferences.
  • Theme Control: Toggle between Dark and Light modes to suit your viewing environment.
  • Language Support: Switch between English and Thai languages for a localized experience.
Beta 0.7December 2025

Cosmic Quiz Expansion

Gameplay Depth

  • Difficulty Modes: Added Easy (5 questions), Intermediate (10 questions), and Advanced (20 questions) modes.
  • Expanded Content: Massive update to the question pool, now featuring 150 unique questions across all difficulties.
  • Dynamic Challenge: Questions are now tailored to the selected difficulty level for a better learning curve.
Beta 0.6December 2025

AI Intelligence & Earth Refinement

Artificial Intelligence

  • Ask AI: New interactive chat feature powered by Gemini API.
  • Visual Intelligence: AI can now search and display images from Wikipedia to enhance answers.

Earth Refinement

  • Texture Update: Solved day/night texture conflicts for a seamless surface.
  • Realistic Lighting: Implemented standard lighting model for consistent illumination.
  • Cloud Layer: Restored dynamic, rotating cloud layer using high-fidelity NASA data.
Beta 0.5.1December 2025

Visual Identity & Simulation Depth

Visual Identity

  • New Logo: Updated website logo and favicon with a transparent, SVG-based design for crisp display.
  • Site Metadata: Enhanced OpenGraph images and metadata for better social sharing.

Simulation Upgrades

  • 3D Saturn Rings: Replaced static texture with a dynamic, particle-based ring system.
  • Enhanced Zoom: Camera now zooms in closer to planets for detailed inspection.
  • Auto-Pause: Simulation automatically pauses when editing date/time for easier control.

New Content

  • About Us: Added a dedicated page with information about the project and developer.
Beta 0.3December 2025

Visual Enhancements & Polish

Visual Fidelity

  • Saturn Rings: Added a detailed, textured ring system to Saturn.
  • Orbit Lines: Fixed gaps in orbit paths for outer planets to ensure continuous loops.
  • Earth Realism: Removed nighttime city lights for a more natural appearance.

Metadata & SEO

  • Link Previews: Added a custom logo and improved description for social media sharing.
  • Site Identity: Updated site metadata for better search engine visibility.
Beta 0.2December 2025

Mobile Experience & Visual Fidelity

Mobile Experience

  • Responsive Design: Fully optimized for mobile devices and tablets.
  • Mobile Navigation: New hamburger menu for easier navigation on small screens.
  • Bottom Sheet Panel: Planet info now slides up from the bottom on mobile for better reachability.
  • Touch Controls: Improved touch targets and interaction for mobile users.

Visual Fidelity

  • Earth Night Lights: Realistic city lights visible on the dark side of Earth.
  • Specular Reflections: Oceans now reflect sunlight dynamically.
  • Cloud Layers: Added separate cloud layer with independent rotation for Earth.
  • Atmospheric Glow: Enhanced atmosphere rendering.

UI Refinements

  • Compact Mobile Controls: Planet menu and time controls adapted for smaller screens.
  • Optimized Layouts: News and Quiz pages adjusted for better readability on mobile.
Beta 0.1December 2025

Initial Release & Core Features

Core Simulation

  • Accurate Solar System Model: Real-time orbital mechanics for all major planets.
  • Dynamic Planet Rotation: Planets rotate based on their actual day lengths.
  • Asteroid Belt: Procedurally generated asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
  • Moons: Major moons added for Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
  • High-Quality Textures: Detailed textures for all planets.

Controls & Navigation

  • WASD Movement: Intuitive camera panning using keyboard controls.
  • Smart Camera Locking: Lock onto any planet and follow its orbit automatically.
  • Smooth Zoom: Seamless zoom transitions when focusing on planets.
  • Mouse Controls: Right-click to pan/unlock, Left-click to rotate, Scroll to zoom.
  • Time Control: Pause, speed up (up to 6 months/sec), and reverse time.

Features

  • Real-time Astronomy News: Integrated feed from Spaceflight News API.
  • Cosmic Quiz: Interactive quiz with randomized questions to test your knowledge.
  • Dynamic Info Panel: Real-time display of planet distance and surface temperature.
  • Visual Enhancements: Realistic lighting, bloom effects, and starfield background.
© 2025 Next Horizon - Astronomy and Space