Universe Sandbox News

We’re excited about our plans for 2023, including adding more materials to planets as well as improvements for our physics simulation, but we’ll dive into our roadmap in an upcoming post. First, let’s reflect on some of our accomplishments from 2022.

[h2]1[/h2]
[h5]New team member[/h5]

Last year, Conrad joined the team as our User Interface Engineer. Since then, Conrad has been adding interface controls for object customization, fixing general usability issues, and helping to make our user interface easy to use on small screens in preparation for Universe Sandbox on mobile.

[h2]8[/h2]
[h5]New guides and fly-by simulations added to Universe Sandbox in 2022[/h5]

We added new guides on object customization and a simulation of NASA’s DART mission. This ambitious mission tested humanity's ability to deflect asteroids away from Earth by intentionally crashing a satellite into an asteroid and accurately predicting the change in the asteroid's orbital period.


[h2]9[/h2]
[h5]Significant updates to Universe Sandbox[/h5]

• Consistent Collisions, James Webb, & Planetscaping Tweaks | Update 29.1
  • JWST is now in Universe Sandbox, and there’s an eyedropper for the Planetscaping tool
    
• Hit Hard, Spin Fast | Update 30
  • The new Force Spin tool allows you to spin apart planets with the newly implemented centrifugal force
    
  • Collisions between spinning and equal-size objects are more realistic than ever before
    
  • The habitable zone is now simulated using the selected planet's properties, and the Hubble Space Telescope is now in Universe Sandbox
    
• Constellations | Update 31
  • Explore constellations for 10 different cultures
    
  • Object glows now correspond to how hot an object is
    
• A Warmer Welcome | Update 31.1
  • Our welcome guides have been overhauled so you can discover the infinite power to create and destroy in Universe Sandbox
    
• Upgrading Our Engine | Update 31.2
  • We updated Unity, the game engine we use to create Universe Sandbox, to allow us to utilize new features for future improvements
    
  • Instantly see where water will flow on a planet with the new Settle Water button
    
• Planetary Defense DART | Update 31.3
  • Many collision improvements and a simulation of NASA’s DART mission, which intentionally collided the DART spacecraft with the asteroid Dimorphos, changing its orbit & testing humanity’s ability to protect Earth from future asteroids
    
• Space is Big | Update 31.4
  • Units of measurement have been updated to help you better understand the vastness of space
    
• Build-A-Planet | Update 32
  • Customize and manipulate the appearance and elevation of planets using any of the in-game visual and elevation maps
    
• Skies of Blue, Red Collisions Too | Update 32.1
  • Collision shockwaves are now more realistic, and we added basic Rayleigh scattering to atmospheres
    
  • The simulation speed can automatically adjust itself based on various conditions, like nearby objects and collisions, by turning on Automatic Simulation Speed
    

View our “What’s New” for a chronological list of changes.



[h2]31[/h2]
[h5]Preview versions uploaded in 2022[/h5]

Your playtesting of our preview versions (previously called community test builds) gives us valuable feedback for improving features in active development. A huge thanks to our wonderful community for all their help.

[h2]571[/h2]
[h5]Highest number of concurrent users in Universe Sandbox in 2022[/h5]

The highest number of concurrent users we’ve ever had was almost in 2022: 648 on December 24, 2021. We’ve already beaten the highest number this year, but you’ll need to wait for the next retrospective to see it.

[h2]1,801[/h2]
[h5]Positive Steam reviews in 2022[/h5]

We’re truly humbled that we are still rated “Overwhelmingly Positive,” both recent and all-time on Steam (over 96% of reviews are positive). Your support and feedback are truly appreciated and help make Universe Sandbox even better.


[h2]1,862[/h2]
[h5]Code commits, or changes, made to the Universe Sandbox project in 2022[/h5]

The most code commits occurred during the week of May 8, when 65 commits were made. While a single commit can be as small as fixing a typo, some of them have been whole new features.


[h2]7,735[/h2]
[h5]Files uploaded on our team messaging app[/h5]

These are files we share with each other via Slack and include screenshots and videos of features in progress, log files for resolving issues, and astronomy jokes.
Image by Andrés J. Colmenares from wawawiwa comics

[h2]8,151[/h2]
[h5]Discord users on our server at the end of 2022[/h5]

It’s great to see your creations and constructive discussion on our server, which has grown by over 22.5% in the last year. Join us on Discord.

[h2]9,253[/h2]
[h5]Simulations shared in the Universe Sandbox Steam Workshop in 2022[/h5]

That's more than 25 simulations shared every single day! You all continue to use Universe Sandbox in ways we could never have imagined, and we can’t wait to see what you make next.

[h2]74,257[/h2]
[h5]Messages sent on our team messaging app[/h5]

Giant Army has been entirely remote since its founding in 2011, and with 13 team members across 3 continents and 6 time zones, messaging on Slack is how we get most of our work done.

[h2]537,209[/h2]
[h5]Times the Welcome to Universe Sandbox guide was played[/h5]

Whether you’re a new player or just wanted to check out the reimagined welcome guides we released last year, we hope you enjoyed learning about the beauty of our universe. You’re using that knowledge responsibly, right?


[h2]911,241[/h2]
[h5]Times the Planetscaping tool was used in 2022[/h5]

Letting you shape and customize planets is integral to the spirit of Universe Sandbox, and we’re glad you’re experimenting with the power that comes with it.


[h2]1,251,635[/h2]
[h5]Times supernovas went off in Universe Sandbox in 2022[/h5]

Astronomers estimate there will be 1 supernova in the Milky Way every 100 years. They also think there are about 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Assuming all galaxies have a similar number of supernovas to ours, there are about a billion supernovas in the universe each year. We got about 0.1%* of the way there in 2022. Let's see if we can get closer in 2023!

*Thanks to Steam user Nantes for pointing out that the original value of 1% was wrong, and this should be 0.1%


[h2]2,007,301[/h2]
[h5]Times the top played simulations of 2022 were opened*[/h5]

The top 10 sims of 2022 were:


*not including creating a new simulation or the Solar System simulation that opens when you start Universe Sandbox

Check them out to see what all the fuss is about!


[h2]3,987,005[/h2]
[h5]Times the Force tool was used in 2022[/h5]

Whether you were giving planets a gentle nudge, slightly adjusting their rotation, or spinning them apart, we know you were forceful in your efforts.


[h2]6,265,426[/h2]
[h5]New simulations were created in Universe Sandbox in 2022[/h5]

That’s about the same number as last year, with a new simulation created every 5 seconds.

[h2]35,802,793[/h2]
[h5]Times a simulation was played or paused in 2022[/h5]

By far the most popular thing to do in Universe Sandbox in 2022 was to play or pause a simulation. That’s about once every second.

[h2]What’s Next?[/h2]
More materials for building planets and their atmospheres, physics simulation performance improvements, non-star objects emitting light based on their temperature, and more are in store for 2023. Be on the lookout for our 2023 Roadmap, which will have more details about our plans for this year.
This is a work in progress

[h2]And Most Importantly…[/h2]
Thank you. Your continued encouragement and support let us keep simulating the universe more realistically year after year. We are so grateful for your suggestions, feedback, and kind words. The simulations you create continue to impress us, and we want to continue improving Universe Sandbox to expand your creative (and destructive) capabilities. There’s so much to do, and we can’t wait to do it!

The Universe Sandbox Team
Dan, Chris, Georg, Jonathan, Rappo, Mat, Jacob, Erika, Brendan, Anders, Brent, Pavel, and Conrad

Collision shockwaves and atmosphere colors are more realistic, camera motion is smoother, and you can try the new Automatic Simulation Speed, which adjusts the simulation speed based on what’s happening in the simulation. Never miss a collision again!


[h3]Improved Shockwaves[/h3]
Energy from collisions spreads more realistically over the surface of an object, resulting in larger shockwaves. Heating from collisions is also less concentrated and spreads over a larger area. Previously, shockwave expansion ended abruptly in a smaller area, often resulting in blue-hot impact sites.

The dwarf planet Ceres colliding with Earth

The Moon colliding with the Earth

[h3]Automatic Simulation Speed[/h3]
Allow the simulation speed to adjust itself automatically based on various conditions, like nearby objects and collisions, by turning on the new Automatic Simulation Speed feature. Automatically speeding up and slowing down the simulation speed provides an improved viewing experience for collisions, orbits, explosions, and more.

This feature is still in active development and is currently off by default. Turn it on under
Settings > General > Experience > Auto Simulation Speed



The simulation speed will slow down to show collisions that you might otherwise miss

Create a more cinematic experience while watching simulations like Earth & 100 colliding moons

[h3]Rayleigh Scattering[/h3]
Object atmospheres now visually simulate Rayleigh scattering, which describes how light scatters in the atmosphere. Rayleigh scattering is what makes Earth’s daytime sky appear blue and the setting Sun appear red. Adjust the strength of the scattering under
Visuals > Atmosphere > Rayleigh Scattering Strength

Earth with realistic Rayleigh scattering

Custom object with Rayleigh scattering at 85% strength

[h3]More Highlights[/h3]
Your view now smoothly rotates, or pans, to focus on an object instead of sliding the view left or right, like a camera on rails


Atmospheres are now visible from the surface of planets. Land on a planet by pressing “c” on your keyboard to check it out.
Check out the full list of What's New in Update 32.1

Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.

Customize the look and topography of planets and moons with a library of realistic color and height maps. Turn Earth into Mars or mix-and-match maps to create your own worlds.



[h3]Elevation Maps[/h3]
Blend, shift, and flip any two of the elevation maps in Universe Sandbox to create your own custom surface that governs water flow, temperature simulation, and more. Learn more
Guides > Tutorials > Creating Planets from Scratch & Transforming Planets

[h3]Color Maps[/h3]
Change the surface map of any planet to match other planet images included in Universe Sandbox.


[h3]Apparent Elevation Intensity[/h3]
Change the apparent difference between high and low elevation, also called the normal map, under
Visuals > Elevation > Exaggerated Terrain

[h3]More Highlights[/h3]
Invert a planet’s elevation with the push of a button under
Surface > Elevation > Elevation Map > Flip


View a planet's simulated surface without high-resolution corrections under
Properties > Visuals > Enhance Surface Detail
Turning off the enhanced view shows the map resolution we use for simulating object surfaces, including water flow and snow.



Turn off the visual glow from high temperatures, also called blackbody radiation, under
Properties > Visuals > Heat Glow


This update includes 9+ additions and 3+ fixes and improvements.

Check out the full list of What's New in Update 32

Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.

“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”

    - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

And now we’ve made it a bit easier to comprehend the scale of space.

[h3]Scaling Space[/h3]
The unit of measurement selection menu now explains what each unit means to help you better understand the vastness of space. Unit names based on the properties of other objects (like Earth mass) have also been updated for clarity.


[h3]Juno Flyby of Europa[/h3]
On September 29, 2022, the Juno spacecraft performed a flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa, coming within 352 kilometers and taking the highest-ever resolution close-up image of the moon’s surface. Watch this close flyby in our new simulation
Juno Flyby of Europa in 2022

[h3]More Highlights[/h3]
You can now view and monitor the data views for all objects in a simulation at once, also called the Atlas, by going to Open View Panel Settings > 2D Settings > Show All Maps Atlas. The interface for this type of view is a work in progress.


Object holograms have been updated to look the same, be more visible across different backgrounds, and clearly show their positions in front of or behind other objects

This update includes 4+ additions and 15+ fixes and improvements.

Check out the full list of What's New in Update 31.4

Please report any issues on our Steam forum, on Discord, or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.

Stars have different naming formats, from Altair to HR 4623, as shown in the Nearest 400 Stars simulation in Universe Sandbox.

You’ve probably heard of the star Betelgeuse. It’s the second brightest star in the constellation Orion and made headlines in 2019 when it dimmed very quickly (don’t worry, it’s back to normal now). But have you heard of the star HR 2061? What about HIP 27989? You may not have heard of them, but they’re just different names for Betelgeuse!

In the constellation Orion, Betelgeuse is roughly where Orion’s hand would be.

Why do some astronomical objects have multiple names? Thousands of years ago, there were no rules for how to name them, and different cultures had different names for stars. Many familiar star names come from Arabic, including Betelgeuse, whose Arabic name (which was most likely Yad al-Jauzāʾ and translates to “the hand of al-Jauzā’”) references its position in the constellation Orion.



[h3]The Rules[/h3]
Nowadays, humanity has observed billions of astronomical objects, and it would be very inconvenient to give them all individual names. Instead, astronomers follow a set of rules set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), including

• Objects outside the Solar System are named using an acronym, which refers to the catalog name (such as “HIP” for the Hipparcos Catalog), followed by an identification number
  
• Dwarf planets beyond the orbit of Neptune are named after a deity or figure related to creation myths (like Makemake)
  
• Minor planets can be named by the person who discovered them after a formal review. If not named, minor planets are given only a sequential identification number. The ID number for the minor planet Mr. Spock (which you can find in Universe Sandbox) is 2309.
  
• Comets are named based on the type of comet (P for periodic, C for not-periodic), the year they were discovered, a letter for the half of the month they were discovered in (for example B for the second half of January), and then another number indicating the order of discovery. P/2005 S2 is a periodic comet discovered in 2005 that was the second comet discovered in the first half of October.
  

[h3]Hello, My Name Is Gaia DR2 4152993273702130432*[/h3]
These rules, while complicated, make it much easier to reference objects in large catalogs, like the Yale Bright Star Catalog. This catalog, which is included in Universe Sandbox, contains 9,110 stars visible to the naked eye from Earth and uses the letters “HR” as a reference to its original name, the Harvard Revised Photometry Catalogue, which came out in 1908. Current space telescopes like Gaia have observed and cataloged over 1 billion astronomical objects, showing how valuable these naming rules are!

[h3]A Multitude of Names[/h3]
The same objects are often part of multiple astronomical catalogs, with a different name for each catalog. Betelgeuse, for example, has 46 different names! While databases like SIMBAD collect these different names in one place, sorting through them can be difficult.



Universe Sandbox contains a database of over 45,000 known astronomical objects sourced from different catalogs, including the Open Exoplanet Catalog. While this is small compared to the billions of known astronomical objects, including all of them would make Universe Sandbox quite large (the Gaia catalog alone is over a terabyte of data).

If you want to find Betelgeuse in Universe Sandbox, you can search for Betelgeuse, HR 2061, or HIP 27989 and find it under the searched name. In the future, we plan to allow you to view all of the names that a star has in its properties, but for now, each object can only show one name at a time.

Three Betelgeuse’s each with a different astronomical name

For now, try checking out some Solar System objects with interesting name origins in Universe Sandbox

• C/1906 E1 - The “C/” designates this as a non-periodic (only passes by the Sun once) comet. 1906 is the year of its discovery, and E1 means and was the first comet discovered in the first half of March (between March 1-15)
  
• Haumea - A dwarf planet named after the matron goddess of the island Hawai’i
  
• 2014 NW65 - A yet-unnamed minor planet. 2014 is the year of its discovery, N means it was discovered in the first half of July (between July 1-15), and W65 means it was the 1647 object found during that half month.
  

To join our community discussions, please join us on our Steam Forum and our official Discord community.




[h3]*Bonus Naming Rules: What is Gaia DR2 4152993273702130432?[/h3]
Gaia DR2 4152993273702130432 is the designation for the star UY Scuti, one of the largest known stars, in the Second Data Release (DR2) of the Gaia catalog. Here “UY” doesn’t stand for a survey but instead follows a different set of IAU naming rules for variable stars. Scuti means that the star is located in the constellation Scutum, and UY indicates it was the 38th variable star discovered within this constellation.

Variable star labeling starts at R, S, etc., and goes through Z (9 labels total), then goes to RR through RZ (another 9 labels), then SS through SZ (8 more labels), until we get to ZZ. This is why UY is the 38th; 9 (R-Z) + 9 (RR-RZ) + 8 (SS-SZ) + 7 (TT-TZ) + 5 (UU-UY) = 38. Wow, this gets complicated quickly.

If more labels are needed, after going to ZZ, it starts over at AA going through AZ, then BB to BZ, and up to QQ through QZ for a total of 334 unique names for variable stars within a single constellation.

Stellar size comparison showing how much bigger UY Scuti is than other well-known stars.