In addition, star colour is simulated for noticeably red, blue and yellow stars, along with the changing brightness of three variable stars Algol, Mira and Delta Cephei.

ECONOMIST: The joys of indoor star-gazing

"This object was changing its brightness by a factor of three or four -- it was just enormously variable, " Tholen said.

CNN: Phew! Asteroid to miss Earth in 2040, NASA says