Thanks for using my humble old stars.
I think they where not the reason for the rendertime.
I you like to go on with the illuminated nightside topic, I think this could greatly gain from some variation in the light color. The yellow you chose looks like typical highway illumination for Belgium (sodium or mercury lamps), in most other european countries the colours are more divers. I remember seeing parts of one city from a plane that where quite different, from xenon white to sodium yellow in one city. In my hometown Bonn most street lights are white, only at crossings they are mercury yellow...
That´s meant to increase squirrel visibility
cheers, J
