Release Notes

Latest Update

2026-06-30: tool: Satellite Tracker to v1.1. Phase 12: sky-dome graphic synced with pass replay, collapsible tutorial, deep share URLs (pass + replay), and satellite-pass-watch rise/peak/set graphic upgrade

Recent Changes

• tool: Satellite Tracker to v1.1. Phase 12: sky-dome graphic synced with pass replay, collapsible tutorial, deep share URLs (pass + replay), and satellite-pass-watch rise/peak/set graphic upgrade
• experiment: Rainy Lake Curvature Field Test to v1.0. Promoted from beta: named Bislin field protocol with waypoint preset, original-team credit, copyable field log, live predict-vs-observe, and Curvature Calculator deep links
• experiment: Shoreline Hidden Height Check to v1.4. Phase 7 refraction mini-lab: custom k-factor + URL param, flat-Earth refraction inconsistency note, synced ship 3-frame sequence on distant-ship preset
• tool: Curvature Calculator to v1.4. Phase 7 completion: `CurvatureCameraFrameGraphic` SVG bow schematic (geometric vs refracted) alongside FOV pixel readouts; evidence card refreshed
• tool: Eratosthenes Earth Size Calculator to v1.0. Promoted from beta with triangulated Sun distance (~1 AU), Eratosthenes validity gating, dynamic sun-ray graphic, Alexandria/Syene and Portland/NY presets, and links from local-sun debunk, sun-rays-local-sun debunk, two-stick-shadow experiment, and Eratosthenes Claims From cards
• tool: Eclipse Geometry Visualizer to v2.0. First v2 release: house-style alignment via `CurvatureBislinShell`, celestial SVG tokens, spaced diagram labels, `graphicFrame: plain`, and documented v2 quality standard (`docs/product/v2-quality-standard.md`)
• tool: Curvature Calculator to v2.0. v2 house-style tier: canonical `CurvatureBislinShell` diagrams, styled live formulas, detail/true-scale/observer modes, camera-frame schematic, full evidence card — quality audit ✅ on all pillars
• tool: Fisheye Lens Horizon Simulator to v2.0. v2 house-style tier: `CurvatureBislinShell` split-panel rectilinear versus fisheye comparison, `SvgTitle`/`SvgCaption`, `graphicFrame: plain`, styled formulas, quality audit ✅ on all pillars
• tool: Latitude Circumference to v2.0. v2 projection tier: `AnnotatedProjectionMap` mirrored latitude rings, `graphicFrame: plain`, existing `projectionCompareGrid`, quality audit ✅
• tool: Map Distortion Comparison to v2.0. v2 projection tier: `AnnotatedProjectionMap` compare + `CurvatureBislinShell` bar chart (`MapDistortionGraphic`), single graphic card, no `svgWrap` double frame
• tool: Flight Path Comparison to v2.0. v2 projection tier: `RouteProjectionMap` draggable endpoints, three-path legend, `projectionCompareGrid` layout, quality audit ✅
• tool: Day and Night Model to v2.0. v2 projection tier: shared `ProjectionMap` globe/FE compare, tightened graphic caption, live solar overlay, quality audit ✅
• tool: Satellite Orbits Explained to v1.0. New final orbit primer explaining period, ground speed, and why pass predictions repeat from SGP4 propagation
• tool: Satellite Tracker to v1.0. New final tool with ISS and geostationary presets, TLE-driven pass replay, horizon mask graphic, and globe ground track
• tool: Eclipse Geometry Visualizer to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding final shadow-geometry coverage and explicit links from the eclipses-do-not-prove-globe debunk
• experiment: Longitude Solar Noon Shift to v1.0. Promoted from beta as a field-ready solar-noon timing check linked to the time-zones-fake debunk and longitude tools
• experiment: Two-Stick Shadow Comparison to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding equinox/latitude presets, paired-site logging, and clearer globe-versus-local-Sun falsification framing
• experiment: Shoreline Hidden Height Check to v1.1. Phase 9 MVP: schematic Lake Pontchartrain causeway SVG overlay with lib horizon math, refraction toggle, and deep link to Curvature Calculator
• experiment: Shoreline Hidden Height Check to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding field logging steps, uncertainty notes for refraction, and tighter curvature-vs-perspective interpretation
• tool: GNSS Positioning Geometry to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding styled pseudorange formulas with live range and solve readout, quick-action presets, a dynamic satellite-count graphic, evidence-card formula display, and a clearer link to the live NMEA reader
• tool: Flight Path Comparison to v1.4. Phase 8 route simulator parity: draggable endpoints on globe and FE azimuthal maps, three color-coded paths with live km labels (great circle, FE disc chord, map straight line), southern + transpolar quick picks, copyable distance table, and share-URL endpoint/projection state
• tool: Gravity Direction Visualizer to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding live haversine divergence formulas, quick location presets, a rebuilt down-direction graphic, strengthened evidence card and external sources, and clearer globe-versus-flat explanation copy
• tool: Aircraft Local Level Visualizer to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding live local-level rotation formulas, five route presets, a rebuilt globe-versus-fixed-tangent graphic, strengthened evidence card and aviation sources, and clearer explanation of why pilots do not constantly nose-dive on a globe
• tool: Star Visibility and Latitude to v1.0. Promoted from beta to support southern-stars and circumpolar debunk links with final release status and existing evidence-card coverage
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding dynamic crepuscular, anticrepuscular, and nearby-lamp comparison graphics, observer-view presets, formula display, evidence-card alignment, and dedicated atmospheric-optics source links
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.1. Clarified the visibility graphic with numbered side-view and sky-view panels, cloud-gap brackets, horizon and sun labels, angle arcs A/B, and a clearer parallel-versus-lamp contrast layout
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.2. Replaced unstyled formula markup with the shared `formulaEquationList` layout used on `curvature`, plus curvature-style live `<code>` calculation lines in the Explanation section
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.3. Rebuilt the visibility graphic with curvature-style view buttons, a vertical Sun-above-clouds cross-section, and full-width observer-sky and nearby-lamp panels
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.4. Fixed overlapping observer-sky labels by adding a left readout column, capped display ray scale for extreme near angles, label backing plates, and HTML footers outside the SVG; updated the SVG diagram skill with those layout rules
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.5. Reworked sky and lamp-compare panels with a taller viewBox, readout/geometry column split, 70° display-angle cap, A/B markers in the readout lane, shortened Sun label, and compact split-panel layout; updated the SVG diagram skill
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.6. Tighter SVG layout: smaller margins, shorter viewBox height, narrower readout column, larger ray geometry, compact F/N labels in split panels, and lamp rays drawn to both cloud layers
• tool: Crepuscular Ray Perspective Comparator to v1.6.1. Fixed inverted cloud-gap check that pinned both cloud layers to the panel bottom and left the top empty; clouds now span the full panel height again
• tool: Curvature Calculator to v1.1. Replaced plain-code explanation lines with styled `formulaEquationList` live formulas; clarified detail graphic with filled visible/hidden target column, target-distance guide, and HTML legend footer
• tool: Curvature Calculator to v1.2. Target column now draws along the local surface normal with tangent cap lines at base, visible cutoff, and top so the visible band is bracketed clearly in detail and true-scale views
• tool: Curvature Calculator to v1.2.1. Added visible lower-bound sight line from eye to hidden/visible cutoff; target-distance guide continues below the surface in a separate color after the curvature stroke
• tool: Day and Night Model to v1.2. Replaced plain-code explanation formulas with styled `FormulaEquationList` live values for declination, daylight duration, and subsolar point; Evidence Card formula uses the same layout
• tool: Flight Path Comparison to v1.3. Replaced plain-code haversine and flat-earth disc formulas with styled `FormulaEquationList` live values for globe distance, FE distance, and inferred speed; Evidence Card formula uses the same layout
• tool: Satellite Visibility Geometry to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding server-validated visible-satellite filtering, browser geolocation, shared globe-versus-flat projection comparisons, and clearer pass-visibility graphics tied to real rise, peak, and set geometry
• experiment: Satellite Radio SDR Capture to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding a lawful receive-only SDR workflow, a clearer pass-versus-waterfall graphic, starter satellite selection, and per-target frequency and decode guidance for NOAA APT, ISS, and SO-50 beginner observations
• experiment: Satellite Radio SDR Capture to v1.1. Expanded the experiment with a cleaner two-panel SDR graphic, a starter-satellite dropdown, additional receive targets, and per-satellite decode guidance for common beginner satellite signals
• tool: Circumpolar Star Check to v1.4. Strengthened the globe-versus-flat interpretation with clearer travel-based observation expectations, plus a more explicit flat-plane model caveat about parallax and constellation rigidity
• tool: Earth Rotation Speed and Centrifugal g-force to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding the shared projection-map globe graphic, clearer spin-versus-weight explanation, explicit g-unit readouts, and calibrated scale-weight examples
• tool: Telescope Capability Estimator to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding named telescope and eyepiece presets, smart-scope handling, stronger target-readability graphics, and a full optical-capability estimator for visual observing workflows
• tool: Live Serial NMEA Reader to v1.2. Added clearer supported-device and offline NMEA logging guidance, plus a cleaner Log Viewer card heading treatment for easier field use and sharing
• tool: Moon Phase Comparator to v1.1. Renamed the public tool title to `Moon Phase Comparator` so the page purpose is clearer, while keeping the same observer-aware lunar orientation comparison workflow
• tool: Circumpolar Star Check to v1.3. Simplified the visibility graphic into a more readable geometry-first panel and added Sigma Octantis explicitly as the south pole star / Polaris Australis with a dedicated southern quick action
• tool: Curvature Calculator to v1.0. Promoted from beta after merging hidden-height into the main curvature page, rebuilding the visibility graphics around exact circular-arc geometry, and adding readable detail, true-scale, and observer-view modes with consistent on-graphic result readouts
• tool: Moon Phase Explainer to v1.0. Promoted from beta after expanding the page to use UTC date and time, observer latitude and longitude, an observer-facing Moon rendering with correct bright-limb rotation, and a clearer phase-geometry comparison graphic
• experiment: Sunspot Orientation Comparison to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding a custom observer-comparison tool with real NOAA active-region snapshots, automatic archive-versus-modeled fallback, side-by-side latitude-driven rotation views, and shared evidence and source coverage
• tool: Sun Path Comparator to v1.2. Simplified the size comparison graphic, removed the extra per-sample text clutter, and fixed dynamic spacing so low Sun positions no longer overlap the FE section label
• tool: Sun Path Comparator to v1.1. Refined the projection-based comparison layout, added a clearer real-versus-implied Sun-size visual, and cleaned up label spacing in the size panel
• tool: Sun Path Comparator to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding shared globe/map versus FE projection comparison, location-and-date-driven Sun path calculations, and a dedicated real-versus-implied solar-size graphic
• debunk: A Local Moon Explains What We See to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding the new multi-check lunar debunk, a dedicated globe-versus-local-moon comparison graphic, clearer Earth and flat-surface observer framing, and curated NASA and USNO source links
• experiment: Moon Orientation Comparison to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding a dedicated at-home Moon comparison experiment with shared NASA and USNO references, a three-observer orientation graphic, and a realistic one-home-observer workflow tied directly to the Moon Phase Comparator tool
• tool: Moon Phase Comparator to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding a shared Moon phase comparison page with landmark-based lunar orientation rendering, UTC-linked observer presets, side-by-side hemisphere checks, and standard evidence and source coverage
• tool: Latitude Circumference to v1.1. Replaced the custom latitude diagram with the shared projection-map comparison style so the globe and FE latitude rings now match the site’s standard map-based visual language
• tool: Latitude Circumference to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding mirrored north-south comparison, a dynamic hemisphere-symmetry diagram, FE inflation interpretation, and southern route reality checks
• experiment: Space Observation Calendar to v1.1. Improved dark-mode readability for the local, global, and mixed calendar badges and summary tags
• experiment: Space Observation Calendar to v1.0. Promoted from beta after adding a dedicated interactive planner with month navigation, location-aware filtering, global-vs-local event marking, upcoming-event syncing, external source links, and a stronger globe-versus-flat predictability explanation
• experiment: GNSS Sky Block Experiment to v1.0. Promoted from beta after the experiment gained clearer measurement steps, better blocked-sky controls, and a more careful interpretation of satellite-geometry degradation
• debunk: GNSS Works Without Satellites to v1.4. Added the shared evidence card and aligned the debunk more explicitly with the site-wide primary-source-first, methodology-focused presentation
• debunk: GNSS Works Without Satellites to v1.3. Added stronger independent-observation evidence, clearer public-test framing, and expanded source coverage beyond the core GNSS timing references
• tool: Circumpolar Star Check to v1.2. Added symmetric north/south circumpolar rules, minimum-altitude reporting, a labeled visibility caption, and a quick southern-star example button
• debunk: Compass Bearings Do Not Prove A Flat Earth to v1.0. Promoted from beta after rebuilding the debunk around true north versus magnetic north, AE projection geometry, official USGS and NOAA sources, supporting tool links, a dedicated bearing graphic, and a custom evidence card
• debunk: Gravity Is Not Real, Only Density and Buoyancy to v1.0. Promoted from beta after clarifying the hydrostatic-pressure explanation, adding stronger counterexamples, and aligning the related tool with gravity-direction evidence
• debunk: A Local Sun Explains Day and Night to v1.5. Rewrote the debunk around a tighter multi-check case and added direct Sunspot Observer and Sunspot Orientation Comparison support to strengthen the local-Sun evidence chain
• debunk: A Local Sun Explains Day and Night to v1.4. Added page-level evidence cards, linked the proof section directly to the most relevant supporting tools, and kept the debunk aligned with the new methodology-first page standard
• debunk: A Local Sun Explains Day and Night to v1.3. Rebuilt the comparison graphic around a clearer distant-Sun globe diagram versus a nearby-light flat-plane patch, then refined the lighting direction and panel framing so the geometry reads correctly at a glance
• debunk: A Local Sun Explains Day and Night to v1.2. Simplified the comparison graphic, reduced text clutter, and added explicit public-tag support so the debunk now surfaces the `Sun` topic correctly
• debunk: A Local Sun Explains Day and Night to v1.1. Added stronger apparent-size and bottom-first sunset evidence, sharpened the local-sun geometry explanation, and expanded the source set
• tool: Live Serial NMEA Reader to v1.1. Softened the strongest GNSS rhetoric, added the shared evidence card, and aligned the page with the updated methodology-first tool framing
• tool: Fisheye Lens Horizon Simulator to v1.1. Refined the simulator copy, added explicit model-limit caveats, and introduced quick presets for centered, action-cam, and extreme balloon-style framing
• tool: Location Predictions to v1.1. Clarified that the tool uses geometric globe-model solar equations and added a refraction/almanac caveat for sunrise and sunset interpretation
• tool: Flight Path Comparison to v1.2. Reframed the proof language more academically, added an evidence card, and exposed the haversine and AE-disc math, assumptions, coordinate source notes, and rounding policy on-page
• tool: Flight Path Comparison to v1.1. Expanded the verified southern-hemisphere route evidence with stronger Perth-Johannesburg and Sydney-Johannesburg copy, refreshed official source links, and updated verification dates
• tool: Day and Night Model to v1.1. Added the shared evidence card and filled the missing Explanation section so the page now matches the standard final tool structure
• tool: Circumpolar Star Check to v1.1. Corrected the visibility diagram to switch between north and south celestial poles based on latitude so southern-hemisphere views no longer show a north-only pole layout
• tool: Circumpolar Star Check to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the tool gained a cleaner labeled visibility diagram, stronger human-readable explanation text, stable rotating proof behavior, and a broader bright-star selection for latitude-based sky comparisons
• debunk: GNSS Works Without Satellites to v1.2. Refined the GNSS debunk graphic layout, removed the boxed pseudorange panel, and improved on-page readability
• debunk: GNSS Works Without Satellites to v1.1. Expanded the debunk with stronger anti-"ground positioning system" evidence and added curated external source links on the debunk page
• debunk: GNSS Works Without Satellites to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the debunk copy was strengthened around pseudorange timing, multi-satellite sky geometry, clock-bias solving, and global coverage, and after the graphic was rebuilt to explain the four-unknown GNSS solve more clearly
• debunk: A Local Sun Explains Day and Night to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the debunk was expanded with stronger timing, latitude, season, and noon-angle evidence, a dedicated comparison graphic, and curated external source links
• tool: Live Serial NMEA Reader to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after live serial input, NMEA file import, per-satellite decoding, fix/satellite comparison maps, log explanation panel, and GNSS solve visualization were completed
• tool: Map Distortion Comparison to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the distortion comparison adopted shared globe/flat projection rendering, click-driven coordinate workflows, browser geolocation support, URL-shareable state, and consistent production-ready comparison styling
• tool: Fisheye Lens Horizon Simulator to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the barrel-distortion simulator, framing controls, cleaned proof block, and optics-focused comparison layout reached final quality
• tool: Seasons Simulator to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the seasonal Sun-angle comparison, reusable projection integration, location-aware inputs, URL-shareable state, and standardized tool layout reached production-ready quality
• tool: Location Predictions to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the location-driven prediction views, clickable map coordinate picking, browser geolocation support, URL-shareable state, and standardized globe/flat comparison layout reached production-ready quality
• tool: Flight Path Comparison to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after verified real-world route data, custom airport-code lookups, URL-shareable state, shared globe/flat/FE comparison rendering, and standardized projection styling brought the route comparison tool to production-ready quality
• tool: Day and Night Model to v1.0. Promoted from initial beta baseline after the shared globe/flat comparison matured into a production-ready simulator with synchronized day-night geometry, URL-shareable state, reusable projection rendering, dual projection comparison, and polished interaction/visual consistency