Nightshade is a simulation and visualization software for teaching and exploring astronomy, Earth science, and related topics. Its focus is on use in digital planetarium systems or as an educational tool,[1] with additional features to allow it to also be used on desktop or laptop computers. It operates on Linux, macOS and Windows.
Developer(s) | Digitalis Education Solutions, Inc |
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Stable release | Nightshade NG 17.8.1
/ 23 August 2017 |
Preview release | Nightshade NG 17.11.1
/ 19 November 2017 |
Repository |
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Written in | C++, OpenGL, Lua |
Operating system | Cross-platform (Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux) |
Type | Planetarium, Educational software |
License | Nightshade Public License |
Website | nightshadesoftware.org/ |
Nightshade Legacy was open source and is no longer developed. A completely new codebase, Nightshade NG (Next Generation) is licensed under the "Nightshade Public License",[2] a non-free license with field of use restrictions but with source available.[3]
Nightshade Legacy began as a fork of Stellarium by Digitalis Education Solutions after controversy between the Stellarium project and its commercial contributor about a focus on desktop versus planetarium use.[4] Development of Nightshade Legacy ceased around 2011.[5]
A rewrite, Nightshade NG, was begun in 2011, with a change to a non-free license with field of use restrictions to prevent its use by commercial competitors of Digitalis. Several Nightshade NG "preview releases" have been made.