Here are some screenshots of the new planet rendering in the Stellarium software, implemented as part of the European Space Agency Summer of Code in Space. I implemented a bump mapping algorithm (using normal maps) in GLSL shaders and I integrated it into the Stellarium application (C++). The planets are ellipsoids. There are still many different things to be done for further improving the project, these are just some samples.
(Many thanks to my mentor Fabien ChΓ©reau and the Stellarium development team for giving me the opportunity to participate in the ESA SOCIS, as well as to the organizers of the summer of code!!)*
Screenshots of the moon at night:
![Moon using the past planet rendering algorithm](https://eleni.mutantstargoat.com/hikiko/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/tes2-1.jpg)
![Moon using the new planet rendering algorithm.](https://eleni.mutantstargoat.com/hikiko/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/tes1-1.jpg)
Screenshots of the moon when there’s still daylight:
![](https://eleni.mutantstargoat.com/hikiko/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/uGus2mT.jpg)
![](https://eleni.mutantstargoat.com/hikiko/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/4jpb63X.jpg)
![Moon using new rendering algorithm.](https://eleni.mutantstargoat.com/hikiko/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/moon_day-1.jpg)