Ability to add new solar system objects from online resources.Plugin system adding artificial satellites, ocular simulation, telescope configuration and more.Skinnable landscapes, now with spheric panorama projection.All new graphical interface and extensive keyboard control.Spheric mirror projection for your own low-cost dome.The fisheye projection for planetarium domes.Very realistic atmosphere, sunrise, and sunset.Images of nebulae (full Messier catalog).Constellations for twelve different cultures.Asterisms and illustrations of the constellations.Extra catalogs with more than 210 million stars.It is being used in planetarium projectors. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope. Just as appealing are the apps which provide users with the possibility of simulating how celestial objects move and interact under the forces of gravity and other unique situations.Stellarium Portable is a free open source planetarium for your computer.

Things get really interesting when the visualizations take center place, and users are provided with unique glimpses of shooting stars, eclipses, or supernovae. Some are useful just for helping anyone get to know the sky a little better, while other, more advanced ones offer a more enticing palette of features.įor instance, some apps of this sort are able to realistically replicate how the atmosphere (if there is one) or the sunrise and sunset look on other planets and their satellites.

Astronomy managers are specialized applications designed from the ground up to help passionate stargazers view, document, and research the multitude of stars, planets, and other interesting space-related phenomena.įrom solar system simulators, planetarium programs, all the way up to astro-imaging and astrophotography, there are multiple exciting applications that should appeal to most amateur observers' needs.

Stellarium alternatives