It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. It is being used in planetarium projectors. Just set your coordinates and go.

Sky

  • default catalogue of over 600,000 stars
  • extra catalogues with more than 210 million stars
  • asterisms and illustrations of the constellations
  • constellations for twelve different cultures
  • images of nebulae (full Messier catalogue)
  • realistic Milky Way
  • very realistic atmosphere, sunrise and sunset
  • the planets and their satellites

Interface

  • a powerful zoom
  • time control
  • multilingual interface
  • fisheye projection for planetarium domes
  • spheric mirror projection for your own low-cost dome
  • all new graphical interface and extensive keyboard control
  • telescope control

Visualisation

  • equatorial and azimuthal grids
  • star twinkling
  • shooting stars
  • eclipse simulation
  • supernovae simulation
  • skinnable landscapes, now with spheric panorama projection

Customizability

  • plugin system adding artifical satellites, ocular simulation, telescope configuration and more
  • ability to add new solar system objects from online resources...
  • add your own deep sky objects, landscapes, constellation images, scripts...

What's New:

  • Many changes in AstroCalc tool and core of Stellarium
  • Many changes in scripting engline and Script Console
  • Many changes in Oculars and Satellites plugins
  • Updated DSO catalog

This is the anniversary version of Stellarium - the project is 20 years old now.

Thank you very much to community for bug reports, feature requests and contributions!

  • Added rectangular sensor crop overlay support [Oculars] (GH: #1069)
  • Added support newly marker in Search Tool (Position and Settings tabs) [Search Tool]
  • Added new features for scripting engine: extend the JavaScript classes corresponding to Vec3f and Vec3d [Scripting]
  • Added options to be able to define and use custom FOV circles for Telrad [Oculars] (GH: #1057)
  • Added VecMath tests for the new functions (GH: #1055)
  • Added VecMath feature: Vector/QColor conversions (GH: #1055)
  • Added feature to set current date and time as initial data when AstroCalc/Ephemeris is open [AstroCalc]
  • Added notification for user when version of DSO catalog is mismatched
  • Added support Trumpler Catalogue (Tr or Trumpler) [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #965)
  • Added support Stock Catalogue (St or Stock) [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #965)
  • Added support Ruprecht Catalogue (Ru or Ruprecht) [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #965)
  • Added support “van den Bergh-Hagen Catalogue” (VdB-Ha) [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #965)
  • Added support search by long name for Trumpler, Stock, Ruprecht, Collinder and Melotte catalogues [DSO Catalog, v3.10]
  • Added new type of DSO objects: region of the sky [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #1067)
  • Added special case for improve DSO regions visibility [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #1067)
  • Added outlines for DSO regions [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #1067)
  • Added marker of center of FOV on the sky [Special Markers]
  • Added circular marker of FOV on the sky [Special Markers]
  • Added rectangular marker of FOV on the sky [Special Markers]
  • Added tool for adjustable thickness of the planetary trails (GH: #1087)
  • Added tool for adjustable line thickness for ephemeris lines (GH: #1087)
  • Added tool for adjustable thickness of the planetary orbits
  • Added a column, showing the elevation of the object at transit times into AstroCalc/WUT tool [AstroCalc] (GH: #1089)
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: regions of the sky [AstroCalc]
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: pulsars (the category available if Pulsars plugin is loaded and pulsars are enabled to display) [AstroCalc]
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: bright nova stars (the category available if Bright Novae plugin is loaded) [AstroCalc]
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: bright supernova stars (the category available if Historical Supernovae plugin is loaded) [AstroCalc]
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: exoplanetary systems (the category available if Exoplanets plugin is loaded and exoplanets are enabled to display) [AstroCalc]
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: active galaxies (this category may include additional quasars if Quasars plugin is loaded and quasars are enabled to display) [AstroCalc]
  • Added new category into AstroCalc/WUT tool: interacting galaxies [AstroCalc]
  • Added new unit tests for DeltaT
  • Added tool to guess the group of satellites by their names [Satellites]
  • Added new groups of satellites [Satellites]
  • Added method to check state of loading for the plugins
  • Added column Elevation for AstroCalc/Phenomena tool [AstroCalc]
  • Added default groups for some satellites from default JSON catalog [Satellites]
  • Added missing tool for define color of regions of the sky
  • Added regions of the sky into Lists of Search Tool [Search Tool]
  • Added tool to export version of Stellarium through StelProperty and Remote Control plugin
  • Added display of epoch of the TLE for artificial satellites [Satellites] (GH: #1096)
  • Added new flag for InfoString of planets, comets and minor planets
  • Added better arrangement of InfoString entries for planets, comets and minor planets
  • Added highlighting for string literals between apostrophes for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added highlighting for regular expressions for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added highlighting for multiline comments for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added highlighting for exponential numeric format for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added highlighting for hexadecimal numeric literals for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added separate highlighting of predefined names from that of keywords for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added red highlighting for unknown methods of Stellarium modules for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added highlighting for methods of StelSkyDrawer and core for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Added penumbral and umbral magnitudes during lunar eclipse (GH: #1113)
  • Added comments for scripters [Scripting]
  • Added radar cross-section (RCS) data for satellites [Satellites]
  • Added calculate approximaged visual magnitude for satellites from their RCS value [Satellites]
  • Added special case for set RCS value for Starlink satellites [Satellites]
  • Added option to allow drawing of landscape polygon only, if a polygon is defined [Landscapes]
  • Added option to allow a polygon to be drawn in the foreground (out of regular call sequence) [Landscapes]
  • Added option to allow landscape polygon overdrawn onto the 3D scenery [Scenery3D]
  • Fixed GUI and minor redesign of remaining icons [GUI] (GH: #752, #951)
  • Added computation an approximated angular size of satellites (the linear size is obtained from RCS value and we use spherical shape for satellites) [Satellites]
  • Added special case for computation an approximated angular size of ISS (we are defined linear size of ISS by “hands”) [Satellites]
  • Added tool to display a focuser overlay in the sensor view [Oculars] (GH: #1110)
  • Added checking conflicts for keyboard shortcuts with informing user if conflicts are exist (GH: #1025)
  • Added tool to rescale oversize textures on-the-fly (GH: #1121)
  • Added show a fuchsia-colored replacement texture for wrong filename (GH: #1121)
  • Added NORAD numbers in addition to name of artificial satellite in Satellites Import Dialog for available for search [Satellites]
  • Added function to compute distance between locations, on a flattened planet, in km
  • Added geographic coordinates of center line for total and annular solar eclipse (GH: #1116)
  • Fixed security issue for jquery (CVE-2020-11022; GH: #1073)
  • Fixed magnitudes for planetary nebulae [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #913)
  • Fixed data for “Part of a Galaxy” objects [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #996)
  • Fixed work for clipboard in Script Console tool: avoid effects caused by QTextEdit after copy-paste from HTML pages. [Scripting] (GH: #1070)
  • Fixed telescope syncing for INDI [Telescope Control] (GH: #1065)
  • Fixed “Uninitialized members” issue in Script Console [Scripting]
  • Fixed VecMath features: moved vector/string conversion previously in StelUtils to the VecMath classes (GH: #1055)
  • Fixed VecMath feature: moved un-inlineable definitions to separate cpp file (GH: #1055)
  • Fixed proper motion output (GH: #1006, #1041)
  • Fixed time delay with planet movement information (GH: #1006, #1103)
  • Fixed cross-id data for open clusters [DSO Catalog, v3.10]
  • Fixed designations for van den Bergh catalogues [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #965)
  • Fixed descriptions for van den Bergh catalogues [DSO Catalog, v3.10] (GH: #965)
  • Fixed crash in scripting method core.setObserverLocation() when planet is not defined or not exist [Scripting]
  • Fixed core.setObserverLocation() behaviour: avoid duplicating a country if script programmer provides one [Scripting] (GH: #1076)
  • Fixed object type info for meteor showers [Meteor Showers]
  • Fixed crash when lens are deleted in Oculars plugin [Oculars] (GH: #1078)
  • Fixed (a temporary fix) crash Stellarium when autoconnect is enabled for ASCOM device, but device is not attached [Telescope Control] (GH: #928)
  • Fixed wrong approximated visual magnitude of satellites [Satellites]
  • Fixed guessing groups of satellites [Satellites]
  • Fixed possible cache problem for magnitudes
  • Fixed casting warnings
  • Fixed topocentric/geocentric corrections for ArchaeoLines plugin [ArchaeoLines]
  • Fixed crash AstroCalc/WUT tool when required plugin is not loaded [AstroCalc]
  • Fixed docs and tooltips
  • Fixed visibility of deep-sky regions of the sky
  • Fixed work of regions of the sky in AstroCalc/Positions tool [AstroCalc]
  • Fixed missing object in Bennett’s list of deep-sky objects (switched to synonym of missed object) [Search Tool]
  • Fixed missing object in Dunlop’s list of deep-sky objects (switched to synonym of missed object) [Search Tool]
  • Fixed visual style for dialog to define custom equation of DeltaT
  • Fixed crossquarter declinations in ArchaeoLines plugin [ArchaeoLines]
  • Fixed updating timezones when loading landscapes/sceneries
  • Fixed updating location panel when off-screen
  • Fixed a deprecation warning for InfoString of planets, comets and minor planets
  • Fixed broken highlighting for quoted string literals for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Fixed broken highlighting for line comment for Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Fixed indentation problems in the code
  • Fixed crash when removing already removed selection of constellations (GH: #1104)
  • Fixed jumping of the Moon
  • Fixed visibility for telescope selector when image sensor frame enabled after binocular [Oculars] (GH: #1108)
  • Fixed saving thickness of the planetary trails and orbits
  • Fixed context data for unit measure in Satellites plugin [Satellites]
  • Fixed a stupid bug in ArchaeoLines [ArchaeoLines]
  • Fixed sign of one element in the matrix sequence for nutation
  • Fixed Scripting Engine bug: a script isn’t terminated properly via the stop script button [Scripting] (GH: #1118)
  • Fixed crash when texture isn’t found (GH: #1121)
  • Fixed the maximum size of CCD: increased limit of sensor size to 100000 pixels [Oculars] (GH: #1123)
  • Fixed visual artifacts on the sky (GH: #475, #1126)
  • Fixed bug in Vec3d constructor for scripting engine [Scripting]
  • Fixed shader bug visible during Total Solar Eclipses only
  • Updated default settings for InnoSetup Script (.iss) file
  • Updated Stellarium User Guide
  • Updated morphological classification of open clusters [DSO Catalog, v3.10]
  • Updated subsystem to obtain the standard magnitudes of artificial satellites [Satellites]
  • Updated method for load standard magnitudes and RCS data for satellites [Satellites]
  • Updated size of window resize border to reduce difficulties to their resize (GH: #937, #1099)
  • Updated InfoString block for artificial satellites [Satellites]
  • Updated minimum height of artificial satellite to check the valid orbit [Satellites]
  • Updated default source of Starlink TLE’s [Satellites]
  • Changed behaviour of GUI in Satellites tab in Satellites plugin [Satellites]
  • Changed AstroCalc/WUT tool behaviour: radiogalaxies, active galaxies, quasars, blazars and BL Lac objects was moved from ‘Galaxies’ category into ‘Active galaxies’ category [AstroCalc]
  • Changed behaviour of AstroCalc/WUT tool: let’s use visual magnitude for all objects without extinction data [AstroCalc]
  • Changed “Arguments” to “arguments” for highlighter in Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Removed obsolete scripting methods from StarMgr class [Scripting]
  • Removed duplicate code for InfoString of planets, comets and minor planets
  • Removed “Global” from highlighter in Script Console [Scripting] (GH: #1101, #1107)
  • Removed unused variables