Multi-OS Free Planetarium Software

Got a question on astronomy that you'd wanted to ask? Ask your questions here and see if the old timers can give you some good answers.
User avatar
rcj
Vendor
Posts: 3037
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2003 1:46 am
Location: Katong
Contact:

Multi-OS Free Planetarium Software

Post by rcj »

Hi people,

Not sure if this was posted before, but it's good to let everyone know again (especially the newbies) that there is a nice and cool planetarium software called Stellarium. It is immediately available in multiple OS platforms, from Win, Linux and Mac OSX. I have tried running it on both Win and Mac successfully. The graphic rendering is quite cool and smooth.Stellarium is also used in planetarium projectors and is open source.

It has all the following features (and more): realistic milky way rendering, atmospheric profile, sunrise, sunset, images of nebulae, asterisms and illustrations of constellations, planets, over 120,000 stars from Hipparcos catalogue, and more!

Has a powerful zoom, time control, multilingual interface, scripting to record and play your own shows, spheric mirror projection for your own dome even!, graphical interface and extensive keyboard control, telescope control,etc.

You may add your own deep sky objects as well, landscapes, constellation images, scripts, etc.

Best of all, it is FREE.

You may download the software here: www.stellarium.org
Photon Bucket
http://www.celestialportraits.com
Facebook page: celestialportraits
User avatar
Bergkamp_
Posts: 1549
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:31 pm
Favourite scope: Telescope that i can bring out
Location: Singapore, Bukit Panjang

Post by Bergkamp_ »

free is good..
Wee Ern aRmeD wiF Telescope reAdY tO taKe ovEr thE skY .. wIF jUst mY naKed eYEs .
User avatar
madsock
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:18 pm

Post by madsock »

Google Sky is pretty good too!
User avatar
Ekezial
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Woodlands

Post by Ekezial »

I've made a Additional Landscape for Stellarium called Woodlands,Just download,unzip and copy the woodlands folder to C:\Program Files\Stellarium\landscapes
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Shannon
User avatar
Ekezial
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Woodlands

Post by Ekezial »

i'm sorry but i cant seem to upload the file. [smilie=beg.gif]
so if anyone wants it can PM me and i'll send the file via email.
Shannon
User avatar
Airconvent
Super Moderator
Posts: 5784
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 11:49 pm
Location: United Federation of the Planets

Post by Airconvent »

you need to upload the file to one of the many file sharing websites.
I googled and found this one :
http://www.4shared.com/file_sharing.jsp
I have not used them before so do take precaution with these sites.
Once uploaded you can provide a link to download the file.
cheers
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before
Captain, RSS Enterprise NCC1701R
United Federation of the Planets
User avatar
Ekezial
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Woodlands

Post by Ekezial »

Thanks for the link to the file sharing site.
Shannon
User avatar
Ekezial
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Woodlands

Post by Ekezial »

Here's the link to the file for all to enjoy
Stellarium Woodlands landscape
Shannon
User avatar
shirox
Posts: 1097
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:21 am
Favourite scope: Takahashi FSQ85EDX
Location: Outram

Post by shirox »

Stellarium even has a night mode where everything is in red for night viewing. Superb!
**************************************************************
http://eltonastronomy.blogspot.com/

Mersing finally installed some water sink!
User avatar
Ekezial
Posts: 86
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 2:44 pm
Location: Woodlands

Re: Multi-OS Free Planetarium Software

Post by Ekezial »

Here's the updated Link (after 5 years :mryellow: )for use with Stellarium 0.11.3
http://sdrv.ms/N6gi1K

http://www.stellarium.org/wiki/index.php/Landscapes
How to install landscapes.
After you have downloaded the .zip file for a landscape from this page, you need to install it in Stellarium.
1)Open the "Sky and viewing options" window by clicking on the appropriate button in the left button bar (or press the F4 key).
2)The "Add/remove landscapes" button is at the bottom of the "Landscape" tab.
3)When you press it, the "Add/remove landscapes" window will appear. It allows you to install .zip files containing landscapes. It also lists the user-installed landscapes and allows you to remove them.
Last edited by Ekezial on Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Shannon
Post Reply