I really hope there is more work put into graphic details. Currently the backgrounds are very bleak and generic with little differences over planets, and they lack a lot of detail, which makes the surface of the planets look sterile. At some depths/heights the background looks almost void. Also, I'm having a hard time judging the time of day. While the transitions between day and night are obvious, their duration is in my opinion too short and once the sun (star?) rises, the sky looks all the same, no matter if it's morning, late morning, high noon or ealry evening. Every part of day should paint the sky a bit differently, maybe with some gradients, so that time of day has more ambience and atmosphere. Here's your tipical morning and a quick&dirty photoshop of it.
While I expect content to fill in eventually, I definitely agree with the more obvious time of day. It's always surprising when night falls and I only notice as the light penetration lessens. I like your depiction.
Maybe it isn't implemented as to not alienate (see pun ^^) lower spec computers. It should be a graphical option.
