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:

The major changes of this version:

  • Fixed nutation and, with it, season beginning times
  • Many changes in AstroCalc tool and core of Stellarium
  • Many changes in Oculars and Satellites plugins
  • Updated DSO catalog

Important note: We discontinued support an AppImage builds since version 0.20.3 due technical problems of AppImage architecture! Please use snap packages instead.

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

Full list of changes:

  • Added sorting for Bookmark dialog (GH: #1144)
  • Added B pass band for compute photometric values of nebulae
  • Added missing QPushButton:checked style matching ‘pressed’ (GH: #1150)
  • Added show standard magnitude and RCS info for satellites in the GUI of Satellites plugin
  • Added new filters for satellites
  • Added GUI buttons to define object information font color at daylight and for overwrite mode (GH: #1156)
  • Added 2 new columns for AstroCalc/Positions tool (Elevation and Elongation)
  • Added editable keyboard shortcut for buttons in AstroCalc tools (GH: #1165, #1166)
  • Added allowance to loading bookmark without date/location change (GH: #882)
  • Added new initial time steps in AstroCalc/Phenomena tool (GH: #1162)
  • Added option to use on the screen star designations only (GH: #1169)
  • Added option in the GUI to define color of text in Equation of Time plugin
  • Added new button into Shortcut Editor and added new tool to restoring defaults
  • Added action to restart trails (GH: #1030)
  • Added “current vertical” line (GH: #1175)
  • Added support custom time steps for ephemeris in AstroCalc/Ephemeris tool (GH: #1176)
  • Added ability to show several objects’ ephemerides in AstroCalc/Ephemeris tool (GH: #1177)
  • Added using texture for satellite, when he crossing of the Moon or the Sun
  • Added automatic saving changes of satellites properties in Satellites plugin (GH: #1066)
  • Added instructions for building Stellarium from source code
  • Added new groups of satellites: all new groups of satellites based on their orbital properties
  • Added info about altitude classifications for geocentric orbits in Satellites plugin
  • Added pixel grid for sensors to Ocular plugin (GH: #1198)
  • Added keyboard shortcut for toggle focuser overlay to Oculars plugin
  • Added keyboard shortcuts to toggle sensor crop overlay to Oculars plugin
  • Added keyboard shortcuts to toggle sensor pixel grid to Oculars plugin
  • Added show a binning info for CCD to Oculars GUI Panel
  • Added option into GUI to toggle drawing halo around the Moon (GH: #914)
  • Added keep selection of ephemeris item when coordinate system is changed in AstroCalc/Ephemeris tool (GH: #1199)
  • Added keyboard handling in additional to mouse selection for visualization of selected marker in AstroCalc/Ephemeris tool (GH: #1200)
  • Added new way to select ocular elements to Oculars plugin: You can now switch between various ocular elements through double-click on the items (eyepieces/lenses/telescopes/sensors) in the main menu of the Oculars plugin (GH: #1193)
  • Added small improvement for sensor view mode to Oculars plugin: the cross in the center was modify: it rotating by 45° now and has a permanent size in 10 px (GH: #1206)
  • Added small improvement for sensor view mode to Oculars plugin: the text about the crop size now may be marked by [*] for 2 reasons: the crop size is larger than sensor size or when crop size is not multiple of binning (GH: #1206)
  • Added fix for better handling of comet orbit visualisation
  • Added planet name for nomenclature item as context data: better in search dialog and makes unique strings
  • Added new names for planetary features
  • Added tool to remember last entered objects in Search tool (GH: #1050, #1168)
  • Added enforce updates for Lists in Search tool to get an variable parts of list (GH: #1226)
  • Added star names for Western (O. Hlad) sky culture (GH: #1170)
  • Added key binding for toggle visibility of groups of satellites (GH: #982)
  • Added new categories for AstroCalc/WUT tool (GH: #1230)
  • Added new category for AstroCalc/Positions tool (GH: #1230)
  • Added methods to search DSO when they have coordinates in disabled catalogs (esp. for the Bookmark tool and some AstroCalc tools)
  • Added CLI option to start Stellarium in scaling GUI mode
  • Added new group of objects “Solar system bodies: minor bodies” to predict opposition of asteroids into AstroCalc/Phenomena tool
  • Added note to S&T sky culture (GH: #1244)
  • Added including name of a bookmarked Marker object for highlights (GH: #1260)
  • Added including designation of a bookmarked object without common name for highlights
  • Added support of new type of labels (labelEquatorial) for scripting engine
  • Added 3 new groups of satellites
  • Added tool to disable an inherited options in Oculars plugin
  • Added tool to define value of transparency of the semi-transparent mask in eyepiece mode in Oculars plugin
  • Added buttons to define special colors for satellites in Satellites plugin
  • Added International Designator info into the GUI of Satellites plugin
  • Added epoch of the TLE info into GUI of Satellites plugin
  • Added tooltips for both identifiers of satellites (Satellites plugin)
  • Added full names of groups as tooltips for wrapped names of groups (Satellites plugin)
  • Added a confirmation dialog for “Restore defaults” buttons (GH: #1277)
  • Fixed nutation and, with it, season beginning times
  • Fixed behaviour of AstroCalc/WUT tool
  • Fixed list of locations: remove duplicates of observatories
  • Fixed possible error in calculating the Contrast Index of nebulae (GH: #1145)
  • Fixed activity of button to switch in sources tab of Satellites plugin
  • Fixed small GUI issue when satellite tracking is enabled
  • Fixed crash for landscapes with added polygon (GH: #1143, #1179)
  • Fixed drawing satellite orbits
  • Fixed buttons background in Solar System Editor plugin
  • Fixed documents for enabling custom HiPS (GH: #1159)
  • Fixed display date format in main GUI
  • Fixed automatic setting of size for columns in shortcuts editor
  • Fixed trails related properties in SolarSystem (GH: #1030)
  • Fixed spurious recreation of trails (GH: #1030)
  • Fixed fade out for trails (GH: #1030)
  • Fixed behaviour of GUI options for planetary orbits and trails
  • Fixed changes in trails when time stopped (GH: #1174)
  • Fixed main GUI issue
  • Fixed AstroCalc GUI issue
  • Fixed few tooltips
  • Fixed few translatable lines in the standard GUI
  • Fixed remember customized object informations settings (GH: #1184)
  • Fixed translation special groups after change the language in Satellites plugin
  • Fixed size of buttons in the GUI of the Satellites plugin
  • Fixed availability of “Remove satellites” button in the GUI of the Satellites plugin
  • Fixed linguistic issue in the GUI of main application and plugins
  • Fixed switch to native planet names when skyculture is changed in AstroCalc tools (GH: #1203)
  • Fixed keyboard jumps for GUI of the Oculars plugin
  • Fixed saving properties of Special Markers (GH: #1201)
  • Fixed errors in DSO catalog (SNR G subsystem; GH: #1208)
  • Fixed calculation an approximate visual magnitude for Starlink DarkSat
  • Fixed find an initial step for AstroCalc/Phenomena tool (GH: #1219)
  • Fixed handling of keyboard shortcuts: saving an empty keyboard shortcuts allow to stay primary and alternative shortcuts as they was defined by user (GH: #1222)
  • Fixed translation of key binding description for “Field of View” feature when language is changed
  • Fixed saving keyboard shortcuts
  • Fixed rounding issue (GH: #1153)
  • Fixed security issue in RemoteControl plugin (GH: #1233)
  • Fixed load of location from landscape at startup (GH: #1237)
  • Fixed the Reticulum system object designation (GH: #1250)
  • Fixed restore scaling for minor bodies in Oculars plugin (GH: #1258)
  • Fixed GUI behaviour for AstroCalc tool (GH: #1230)
  • Fixed misprints and typos in Chinese sky cultures (GH: #1266, #1268)
  • Fixed issue an including regions (or DSO without designations) as bookmarks (GH: #1267)
  • Fixed parser of COSPAR ID data (International Designator) in Satellites plugin
  • Fixed apply transit color for satellites in the iconic mode (GH: #1279)
  • Fixed star magnitude limits in Oculars plugin: better handling of auto-computed or manually set limiting magnitudes (GH: #400, #1285)
  • Changed default value for flag “displayed” of satellites
  • Changed limits of properties for orbital lines of satellites (GH: #1148)
  • Changed button labels in Bookmarks tool (GH: #916)
  • Changed trails behaviour: don’t reset trails when just adapting thickness (GH: #1030)
  • Changed trails behaviour: disable trails for “observer” planets (GH: #1030)
  • Changed trails behaviour: handle removal of trails with time moving backwards (GH: #1030)
  • Changed trails behaviour: reset trails when time jumps too far (GH: #1030)
  • Changed limits for focal length of eyepices and magnification of binoculars (GH: #1178)
  • Changed upper limit for angular filter of DSO
  • Changed GUI for manage sources of TLE in the Satellites plugin (GH: #738)
  • Changed behaviour: re-enabled scrolling to newly added locations
  • Changed behaviour: disabled button to toggle crosshairs for eyepieces with permanent crosshairs (GH: #1247)
  • Changed upper limit for FOV markers (special + Telrad/Oculars): the limits was increased up to 28 degrees for circular/Telrad FOV and up to 180 degrees for rectangular FOV (GH: #1196)
  • Changed the priority level of drawing for Observability Analysis plugin (GH: #1194)
  • Changed modeling Starlink magnitudes: calculation of approx. visual magnitude for Starlink satellites based on Anthony Mallama’s paper
  • Changed text of warning for mismatch of version of DSO catalog: improved an error message for the user
  • Changed behaviour of dialog rendering: disable dialog render cache (GH: #830, #393, #1007)
  • Changed behaviour of polygonal landscapes: get rid of a configuration flag (GH: #1239)
  • Changed limits for allow separation input field (up to 20 degrees) in AstroCalc/Phenomena tool
  • Changed initial time steps for some type of objects in AstroCalc/Phenomena tool
  • Changed selection of celestial bodies behaviour for oppositions in AstroCalc/Phenomena tool
  • Changed behaviour of Telescope Control plugin: re-enabled the option to autoconnect ASCOM-based mounts (GH: #1269, #1243, #1164)
  • Changed behaviour of Oculars plugin: the input box to define the scale factor of arrows was changed to use percentage
  • Changed distance between buttons “Restore defaults” and “Save settings” in the GUI of plugins (GH: #1277)
  • Updated minimum required Qt version to 5.7.0 (GH: #1138)
  • Updated Indian Vedic sky culture: Nakshatras and Rashis as stars, asterisms and constellations. (GH: #930)
  • Updated URL of main website to use HTTPS (GH: #1139)
  • Updated tool to check version of satellites.json file (reducing a number of upgrading the file)
  • Updated code for search stars by designations (code refactoring)
  • Updated HiPS tool: switched to retrieve of HiPS properties from MocServer
  • Updated code: solve a few casting warnings
  • Updated code: sanitize type mismatches
  • Updated code: removed obsolete QSignalMapper
  • Updated GUI of the Satellites plugin
  • Updated list of contributors of Oculars plugin
  • Updated Milky Way texture: deleted Spica’s glow
  • Updated translations (GH: #1210, #1211)
  • Updated the technical notes to the Satellites plugin
  • Updated translations of landscapes description
  • Updated translations of sky cultures description
  • Updated 3D scenery: increase brightness of Sterngarten model materials
  • Updated default list of satellites
  • Updated three DSO textures (GH: #1271)
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Meteor showers plugin
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Historical supernovae plugin
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Bright novae plugin
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Pulsars plugin
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Quasars plugin
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Satellites plugin
  • Updated GUI for updating data for Exoplanets plugin
  • Removed the observers from calculations in AstroCalc/Phenomena tool
  • Removed limits for declination of objects in AstroCalc/Phenomena tool (GH: #1162)
  • Removed sort rules from AstroCalc/WUT tool (GH: #1229)
  • Removed unused pixel size in Oculars plugin (GH: #432)
  • Removed unused data and code (code refactoring)
  • Removed orbit_visualisation_period parameter for comets in Solar System Editor plugin
  • Removed “Save changes” button from the GUI of the Satellites plugin
  • Removed the step “remove data from previous installation” from Windows installer
  • Removed outdated documents
  • Removed outdated code