

- #The stellarium software
- #The stellarium plus
- #The stellarium series
- #The stellarium download
- #The stellarium free
The Celestron StarSense Explorer free app does a nice job on this, as a simplified beginner level star app. That is something you can add to the desktop version.

But there are plenty of moon map apps.Ī button I wish was there is asterisms. But the old version doesn't have that either so it is not a moon map tool as far as I can tell. One thing I miss from the desktop is labels of major features on the moon. But with the Telrad grid I may not pay much attention to that. That is nice.Īs you zoom in and out it gives you the FOV at the bottom but it doesn't stay on so you have to watch for it.

I have better control of hints and names, like on the desktop. It defaults to Western names and pictures which is all I need. Lots of versions of constellations/star lore but I always have the pictures turned off. Then I swipe up and it gives me more and there is a button to go to Wikipedia which gives me their article on whatever I am on. If I bring up the info screen it gives me basic info.
#The stellarium plus
Plus has a nice info integration with Wikipedia. The old version would put a mark on the target but I would have to move around to find it if I didn't know where it was. I doubt it is precise enough to point a scope but it is a nice feature. If I have the screen in active mode, where it moves as I point the phone, when I search for something a circle comes up, like SkEye, that tells me where to point the phone. That one feature alone may be enough to make this worth it for me. I drop the target under the telrad and zoom in. Anything past Mag 12 for me is not especially useful.Ī few features I like is the ability to have a telrad grid on the screen all the time as my marker point. I am more interested in the user tools than going to Mag 22 on stars. Page Up: Get a closer look at whatever you’ve selected by zooming in.Īlt + S: Some of the more notable stars are automatically labelled but you can turn those labels off and on again.Īlt + P: Planets are automatically labelled but you can turn those labels off and on again.Ĭtrl + Shift + M: Meteor showers are automatically highlighted with green marks but you can turn these off and on again.Have only played with it for a few minutes but here are some first impressions of the Plus version over the earlier version I had on my phone. Space Bar: Get whatever you’ve selected into the centre of the screen. Right click: When you want to move on from your selected object, simply clear your selection. Left click: Select any object in the sky - a star, a planet, or a satellite. Here is a list of some of the shortcuts I’ve found myself using the most. Many of these tools can also be accessed via keyboard shortcuts, and personally I find these a lot easier to use. If you bring your mouse to the bottom of your screen, you’ll find another menu with a number of useful tools. The view from Bristol in the year 6000 BCE.
#The stellarium download
You’ll also see a link to download a Stellarium User Guide that will come in very handy if you want to take a deep dive into everything Stellarium’s capable of.
#The stellarium series
You’ll find at the top of the page a series of operating system logos. But I’d like to share some of the more basic functions that I’ve found myself using the most. Stellarium can seem a little daunting when you first download it. It’s also a lot of fun to just play around with. Since I began working as a Planetarium presenter it’s a tool that I’ve found to be invaluable.

There is also a mobile app that is mostly free but requires you to pay for some of the more advanced features.
#The stellarium software
Luckily there is a completely free Planetarium software called Stellarium that anyone can download to their computer that allows you to explore the heavens from the comfort of your own home. Perhaps you live in the middle of a city, where light pollution from cars, buildings, and street lamps drown out all but the very brightest stars? Perhaps you live in a place where cloudless nights are few and far between? Or perhaps after a busy day, standing in your garden and squinting into space doesn’t sound quite as appealing as some well-earned rest and self-care? It’s a nice idea, but does it actually reflect the reality faced by many of us? All you have to do is step out into your garden or look out your window on a clear night and the wonder of space is yours to discover.
