Changelog - AstroCollect

🏆 Badges & Achievements

Celebrate your astronomical accomplishments

A system of 25 subtle badges that reward your progress without ever being intrusive.

5 Badge Categories

• First Steps: First Light, Novice Explorer, Star Hunter, Amateur Astronomer, Master Observer
• Object Types: Galaxy Hunter, Nebula Hunter, Cluster Hunter, Solar Explorer, Versatile
• Catalogs: Messier Progress (3 levels), Caldwell Complete, NGC Collector
• Sessions: First Session, Night Owl, Early Bird, Marathoner, Persistent, Dedicated
• Specials: Prolific Photographer, Globetrotter, Equipped, Synced

Non-Intrusive Experience

• Unlock notifications can be disabled in Settings
• Subtle toast with haptic feedback on unlock
• Progress visible in the Statistics tab
• Badge dates computed from actual history (photos, sessions)

iCloud Sync

• Badges synced across all your devices
• Conflict resolution: earliest date is preserved
• Automatic recalculation if data is lost

📤 Smart Exports & Sharing

Share your observations in style

New tools to export and share your astronomical data as PDFs and social media-optimized images.

PDF Reports

• Full PDF export of an observation session (conditions, equipment, photos, notes)
• PDF export of your global statistics with charts
• "My Astro Year" annual report with personalized narrative summary

Photo Sharing

• Annotated photos with object name, date, location and equipment
• 16:9 catalog progress cards for social media
• Optimized images: sRGB JPEG, max 2048px, 90% quality

Branding

• AstroCollect logo and name subtly integrated in all exports
• Dark design consistent with the app interface

📊 Observation Statistics

Analyze your observations in detail

New Statistics tab to visualize your astronomical activity with charts and detailed metrics.

Global Metrics

• Total photo count, observed objects, and active months
• Per-catalog progress with visual bars
• Completion score for each catalog (Messier, Caldwell, NGC, IC...)

Temporal Charts

• Monthly observations with interactive bar chart
• Yearly evolution of your activity
• Identify your most active periods

Distribution & Locations

• Breakdown by object type (galaxies, nebulae, clusters...)
• Statistics by observation location
• Most frequently used equipment

☁️ Extended Sync

Observation locations synced

• Observation locations are now synced between your devices via iCloud

✨ Smart Suggestions

Discover what to observe tonight

AstroCollect now analyzes celestial object visibility and suggests the best observation targets.

Well-Placed Objects

• Suggestion card on the Catalogs screen showing well-placed objects tonight
• Filterable list of unobserved objects currently visible
• Criteria: altitude ≥ 30°, visible duration ≥ 2h, magnitude ≤ 10
• Optimal comfort zone: 30° to 80° altitude

Contextual Suggestions

• "This object is better placed than your last observation" (difference ≥ 20°)
• Moon interference warning for deep sky objects (illumination > 50%, separation < 60°)
• Suggestions in search results

🎙️ Siri Shortcuts

Quick access to your observations

Voice Commands

• "Show well-placed objects with AstroCollect"
• "Show the best object with AstroCollect"
• "Create a new observation session with AstroCollect"

Quick Actions

• Long press on the app icon to quickly access well-placed objects
• Full integration with Apple Shortcuts app

⭐ New Catalog

Point Objects

Comets and Asteroids

• 5 new notable objects: Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, Hygiea, Halley's Comet
• Detailed descriptions in English and French

📓 Observation Sessions

Structure your observation nights

Group your observations by session to document your astronomical outings in a structured way.

New Observations Tab

• Create observation sessions with date, location and overall rating
• Associate your observed photos with each session
• Rate conditions: cloud coverage, seeing, light pollution, temperature, humidity
• Star rating system (1 to 5) for each criterion
• Add custom tags to your sessions

Notes per Object

• Add personal notes to each celestial object
• Document your impressions and observation parameters
• Notes accessible directly from the object detail view

🔧 Equipment Management

Track your astronomical gear

Equipment Library

• Register your telescopes, eyepieces, filters, cameras and accessories
• Associate equipment used with each session
• Search and filter by equipment type

☁️ Extended iCloud Sync

All your data synchronized

New Synchronized Data Types

• Observation sessions synced between devices
• Notes per object synced
• Equipment library synced
• Improved conflict resolution (last-write-wins for favorites)

Multiple Photos per Object

Document the evolution of your observations

Associate multiple photos with the same celestial object to track your progress and compare your shots over time.

Gallery per Object

• Add as many photos as you want for each object
• Dedicated gallery in each celestial object's detail view
• Smooth navigation between your different shots
• Individual photo deletion
• Automatic sorting by capture date

Enhanced Observation Feed

• All your photos visible in the feed
• Photo count per object
• Direct navigation to gallery from feed
• Optimized performance for many photos

Updated Import/Export

• New export format supporting multiple photos per object
• Import with visual progress bar
• Smart duplicate handling on import

Optimized Database

389 unique celestial objects

Complete database overhaul with deduplication of objects present in multiple catalogs.

Improvements

• Eliminated 78 duplicates between catalogs
• One physical object = one single identifier
• M/NGC/C/IC cross-references preserved
• More accurate search without duplicate results

🐛 Bug Fixes

Localization fixes

Minor bug fixes and stability improvements.

Fixed

• Localization issues in some views
• Empty "What's New" screen after update

🔍 Smart Search

Find objects visible tonight

New Search tab to discover celestial objects observable from your location, with detailed descriptions for every object.

Search Tab

• New 5th tab dedicated to finding visible objects
• Automatic filtering by visibility from your location
• Two modes: "Now" or "This night"
• Sort by maximum altitude, magnitude, or object type
• Real-time dynamic positions for planets

Encyclopedia Descriptions

• 467 detailed descriptions for all celestial objects
• Historical and scientific information
• Observation tips specific to each object
• Available in English and French

Contextual Help

• TipKit: integrated tips to discover features
• Help on photo zoom and pan gestures
• Explanation of the search time window
• Tips reset available through the tutorial

☁️ iCloud Sync

Your observations, on all your devices

Automatically sync your photos and observations across all your Apple devices with iCloud.

Multi-Device Sync

• Automatic sync of your photos and metadata via iCloud
• Works in the background without manual intervention
• Automatically recover your data on a new device
• Start an observation on iPhone, continue on iPad

Conflict Management

• Automatic conflict detection between devices
• Visual resolution interface with side-by-side comparison
• Choose between local version, cloud version, or keep both
• Notification badge for pending conflicts

Offline Mode

• Add observations even without Internet connection
• Automatic sync when reconnected
• Smart queue for local changes
• Real-time sync status indicator

Privacy

• Optional activation in settings
• Your data stays in your private iCloud account
• No third-party servers, end-to-end encryption by Apple
• Migration wizard for existing local data

📅 Advanced Planning

Plan your observations ahead of time

Travel to the future to prepare your next observation sessions and never miss an optimal window again.

Date Selection

• Select any date up to one year in advance
• Visibility chart automatically recalculates for the chosen date
• Rise, transit, and set times updated in real-time
• Optimal observation window adapted to the selected date

iOS Calendar Export

• Export the optimal observation window to your iOS calendar
• Event created with object name and precise times
• Automatic reminder so you don't forget your session
• Works with all calendars configured on your device

Technical Improvements

• New JSON data architecture for better performance
• Optimized data loading (~15ms at startup)
• Preparation for future languages and expanded catalogs

🔭 Observation Planner

Plan your observation sessions like a pro

Major new feature: view visibility information and observing conditions for every celestial object, directly from the app.

Visibility Chart

• 24-hour altitude curve with day/night period indication
• Rise, transit (culmination), and set times
• Cardinal directions (N/E/S/W) showing object azimuth
• Handling of circumpolar and never-visible objects
• Optimal observation window (altitude > 30°)

Observing Conditions

• Moon phase with observation impact (none, low, moderate, high)
• Real-time cloud cover via Apple Weather
• Automatic urban zone detection with light pollution warning
• Overall conditions score (favorable, moderate, unfavorable)
• Daytime mode: simplified display when the sun is up

Detailed Information

• Access details for all objects (with or without photo)
• Equatorial coordinates (RA/Dec) in HMS/DMS format
• Constellation, distance, apparent size
• All catalog identifiers (M/NGC/C/IC)
• Dynamic positions for Solar System planets

Technical

• Local astronomical calculations (Meeus algorithms)
• Works 100% offline (except weather)
• Graceful degradation if weather unavailable
• 2h weather cache with smart throttling
• Apple Weather attribution per guidelines

🌌 Enriched Catalogues

New IC catalogue and enriched metadata

Discover 88 deep-sky objects with the new IC (Index Catalogue), and enjoy improved navigation with type filters and magnitude sorting.

Added

• IC (Index Catalogue) with 88 deep-sky objects
• Distinctive icons for each object type (galaxy, nebula, cluster, etc.)
• Filter by object type in catalogues
• Sort by magnitude (observation difficulty)
• Educational information for each object type
• Magnitude interpretation (naked eye, binoculars, telescope)

Improved

• Catalogues fully translated in English
• Localization system with cross-reference protection
• NGC catalogue sorted and deduplicated

🎨 Unified Experience

New photo detail interface

A consistent and fluid experience to view your observations, whether you come from the Feed or Catalogs. Modern Liquid Glass design with Dynamic Island support.

Added

• Unified PhotoDetailView interface for Feed and Catalogs
• Liquid Glass design with transparency and blur
• Dynamic Island support with automatic safe area calculation
• Contextual navigation (return to Feed or Catalog depending on origin)
• Reusable PhotoGallery component with centered display
• Improved swipe gestures between photos

Changed

• Removed PhotoDetailsSheet (replaced by PhotoDetailView)
• Repositioned edit/delete buttons to avoid Seestar S50 watermarks
• Improved info panel transparency
• Reduced jitter during swipe transitions

📚 Enriched Catalog

+50 NGC objects

The NGC catalog grows from 202 to 252 objects thanks to Caldwell cross-references. Your photos now appear automatically in all corresponding catalogs.

Added

• 50 new NGC objects from Caldwell cross-references
• Unified architecture: one photo appears in all corresponding catalogs
• 100% cross-reference consistency (M/NGC/C)

Technical details

• Total NGC objects: 202 → 252 (+25%)
• Total all catalogs: 431 → 481 (+50)
• Objects shared between catalogs: 97
• Fixed Antennae Galaxies labels (NGC 4038/4039)

⚡ Improved Performance

Faster navigation

Optimized catalog filtering, smoother scrolling and reduced memory usage for a better experience on all devices.

Optimized

• Catalog filtering (response time < 200ms)
• Scroll performance in object grids
• Memory usage when loading catalogs
• Renamed "Feed" tab for more conciseness

⚡ Performance & Optimization

Optimized image loading and scrolling

Complete redesign of the thumbnail system with multi-level cache and asynchronous generation for smooth performance even with hundreds of photos.

Added

• 3-tier cache architecture (Master 600×600, LRU memory cache, Dynamic downsampling)
• Persistent master thumbnails on disk (50-90KB per image @ 90% quality)
• In-memory ThumbnailCache with LRU eviction (50MB limit)
• Non-blocking asynchronous loading (loadThumbnailAsync)
• Background maintenance at startup to regenerate missing thumbnails
• SafeMainActor for thread safety
• Performance tests and validation

Optimized

• Thumbnail loading time: < 100ms (cache hit), < 500ms (cache miss)
• Grid scrolling: constant 60 FPS
• Memory usage: reduction up to 60%
• Optimized battery usage

Technical details

• Phase 1-6 of thumbnail refactoring completed
• Master thumbnails: square 600×600 format for zero distortion
• Downsampling sizes: 79×79 (preview), 160×160 (cell), 400×400 (feed)
• Atomic file writes (temp → fsync → rename) to prevent corruption
• 30s timeout for background maintenance

📸 Enhanced Photo Viewer

Zoom, pan and detailed information

View your observations in detail with the ability to zoom, navigate in the enlarged image, and view complete EXIF metadata.

Added

• Pinch-to-zoom to examine photo details
• Pan to navigate in enlarged image
• Double-tap for quick zoom
• Detailed information panel with EXIF metadata
• Capture date display
• GPS information display (if available)
• Device rotation support in zoom mode

Changed

• Redesigned ObjectDetailView interface for zoom
• Improved touch gesture handling
• Better metadata presentation

🐛 Bug Fixes

Space background optimization

Reduced the size of the background image (Orion Nebula) which was in full resolution and caused excessive loading time.

Fixed

• Optimized Orion background image to drastically reduce bundle size
• Improved initial app loading time
• Reduced memory usage at startup
• Better overall performance on all devices

🎉 Initial Release (MVP)

AstroCollect - Track Your Sky Observations

First public release of AstroCollect, an iOS app for tracking celestial object observations.

Astronomical catalogs

• Solar System (10 objects)
• Messier Catalog (110 objects)
• Caldwell Catalog (109 objects)
• NGC Catalog (85 popular objects)

Photo management

• Upload photos from library
• Automatic capture date extraction (EXIF)
• Photos ↔ celestial objects association
• Observation feed with sorting by date (capture or upload)

Navigation and search

• Browse catalogs by grid
• Text search in catalogs
• Filters: All / Observed / Unobserved
• Alphabetical or popularity sorting

Data and backup

• Local storage (privacy-first)
• Export/Import data (backup/restore)
• ZIP format with images and JSON metadata
• No data collection, no tracking

Interface

• Exclusive dark mode
• French and English support
• Space background (Orion Nebula - ESA/Hubble)
• Onboarding for new users
• "About" screen with credits and license

Technical

• iOS 17.0+
• Native SwiftUI
• MVVM architecture
• Stable IDs (ce_*) for multi-catalog persistence
• ImageStore singleton for centralized management