Stellarium

Overview

Stellarium is a free open-source planetarium software that renders realistic 3D representations of the night sky in real time using OpenGL, available for Linux, Windows, and macOS.³² It has been downloaded by more than 20 million users since 2000 and serves both amateur and educational users, with a paid mobile version for Android and iOS offering limited features compared to the desktop edition.¹³ Stellarium Labs acts as a platform for developing related apps and products.¹⁵

History

Stellarium was created in 2001 by Fabien Chereau in France.² Development continues under Chereau's leadership with contributions from volunteers worldwide.² Sponsors like Digitalis Education Solutions have added features such as fisheye projection and scripting.² A mobile port, Stellarium Mobile, was developed by Noctua Software for Android, iOS, and formerly Symbian as a paid version.³⁶

Product Lines

Manufacturing

As open-source software, Stellarium is developed collaboratively by volunteers led by Fabien Chereau, with no physical manufacturing.²³ Code is hosted openly and compiled by users on their systems for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.³ Contributions and sponsorships from entities like Digitalis enhance specific features.²

Notable Products

• Stellarium Desktop - Free open-source planetarium software for realistic 3D night sky rendering on desktops.
• Stellarium Mobile - Paid app port for Android and iOS with limited desktop features.
• Stellarium Labs products - Platform for astronomy apps and VR-related software developments.

Reputation

Stellarium is regarded by enthusiasts and educators as a highly accurate and feature-rich free alternative to commercial planetarium software.³² Professionals appreciate its OpenGL-based real-time rendering and scripting capabilities, supported by volunteer contributions.² The mobile version receives some criticism for lacking full desktop functionality.³