Stellarium

24.3 Sky simulator for Windows

Sven Sorensen

Program that lets you explore and observe the stars and planets in real-time with accurate sky simulation.

Free and open source sky rending software download, reviewed by Sven Sørensen
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A beautiful 3D planetarium virtual view of the night sky from the PC with over 600k star systems.

Stellarium is an impressive piece of free software that allows users to explore the night sky from the comfort of their own homes. With a stunning 3D graphics engine, this software provides a realistic representation of stars, planets, constellations, and other celestial objects, giving users the opportunity to explore space without ever leaving the ground.

The program includes easy to use navigation tools, including a pan and zoom function that allows users to explore the night sky in greater detail. You may easily search for specific celestial objects and customize the view of the night sky with a range of filters and color settings.

Free virtual telescope software

For stargazers in the city or those without a telescope, welcome to the world of virtual telescopes. Stellarium is a free program which gives you a virtual planetarium directly on your PC monitor.

The program opens up a window to the night sky giving you the ability to navigate the stars and planets without an expensive telescope. Although it's not a replacement for enthusiasts, it gives your average Internet browser something to look at.

Stellarium gives you the option to choose between night and day and includes a catalog of over 600k celestial bodies. It also includes various facts. Users of the program may also add their own content.

To sum it up

All in all, Stellarium is a really cool desktop program which gives you a neat view into the night sky with pictures taken from telescopes in space and on the ground.

Features of Stellarium

  • Constellations: Over 900 asterisms and illustrations of the constellations.
  • Eclipse Simulation: Simulates solar and lunar eclipses.
  • Interface: Easy to use interface.
  • Landscapes: Over 40 000 landscapes.
  • Messier Objects: Over 110 Messier objects.
  • Navigation: Easy navigation around the sky.
  • Night Vision: Protection for night vision.
  • Observable Objects: Stars, planets, nebulae and other deep sky objects.
  • Planetarium Mode: Displays a realistic star map on a full dome.
  • Plugins: Plugins to extend functionality.
  • Realistic sky: Photorealistic 3D environment.
  • Scripting: Automate sequences with scripting.
  • Search: Search the sky with filters and criteria.
  • Time Control: Time control from pause, play to fast forward and slow motion.

Compatibility and License

Stellarium is available for free and released under the open source GPLv2 license on Windows from mapping. The license provides the options to freely download, install, run and share this program without any restrictions. The source code for Stellarium should be freely available and modifications are certainly permitted as well as the option to inspect the software.

What version of Windows can Stellarium run on?

Stellarium can be used on a computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10. Previous versions of the OS shouldn't be a problem with Windows 8 and Windows 7 having been tested. It comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit downloads.

Other operating systems: The latest Stellarium version from 2024 is also available for Mac.

Filed under:
  1. Stellarium Download
  2. Free Mapping
  3. Open source and GPL software
  4. Sky Rending Software
Stellarium has been picked by our editors as very good.
Stellarium has been tested for viruses and malware.
We have tested Stellarium 24.3 against malware with several different programs. We certify that this program is clean of viruses, malware and trojans.