Best planetarium software freeware

While not the prettiest program out there, this serves two main purposes: it keeps the price down and speeds up the program. Most new programs use Open GL for that real sky look but comes at the ex pence of computer processor usage, graphics usage and memory usage. I tested this program and found it does what it is supposed to do. It is Windows only program but will run om XP, Vista, and 7 in both 32 bit and 64 bit modes. Planetensuche is a free program collection of astronomy software database, formula collection, simulation, bioastronomy - the genesis of life, quiz and a distance calculator.

Back to Main Page Back to Top. These programs are not full featured planetariums, but specialize in specific objects. DeepSky - I had a chance to use this software and it does a lot. While not as smooth or cohesive as TheSky, it does do several things well. With a bit of a learning curve, one gets a list of available targets for the evening so a plan can be made. An image of the object is available so you have an idea what the target is; so when ready, you can view its location on their built-in chart, send the target info to your goto system and enjoy.

From the, note of what you see can also be performed. It keeps a detailed log, and you can share online. Be sure to give it a go! It has imbedded maps, listings of major Lunar features, and Lunar time tables for anything you want to know. It's a program designed to provide information on the four Galilean moons of Jupiter - and does it well. Heavenscape software has a nice program called Satellite Tracker.

This program allows full control of a Meade or Celestron computer controlled telescope to track the orbiting satellites - like the International Space Station and various communication satellites. Halley - Electronic Catalog of Comets. This is a Windows program that maintains a current list of by database. It includes a fast search and export to ECS format. It provides accurate UT as well as Sun and Moon rise and set time and much more.

The program includes the current sun, moon, eclipses and ephemerides for all the planets, minor planets and comets. DeepSky - This program is a large and useful program. A quick setup to tell the program where you live will allow it to list available DeepSky objects in view for the evening.

There is also an observers log and an optional add-on for telescope control. Click on an object of interest and you are presented with a DSS image.

You can view a Moon map and create custom star charts. This will be the longest list as there are many of these types of programs available. I will keep the descriptions short for this list. This next batch of software specializes in telescope control - either from another room or across the globe.

This list is by no means complete. These just happen to be the apps I use, have used or seen. If you know of any that should be listed here, please let me know. All rights reserved. Contact Us. Want to improve your telescopes pointing accuracy? T-Point is a software that models your mounts accuracy and uses this model to improve pointing accuracy.

Yes, you can select from a list of telescopes or even a manual mount telescope , where you can define various parameters. You can open multiple sky maps here in tabs, and even set a layout to view two different maps from different time, location, etc. The tools to view sky map on this planetarium software are almost the same as a standard planetarium tool.

WorldWide Telescope is a visually appealing planetarium software with an intuitive interface. It has a high quality imagery and displays planets, stars, deep space objects, etc. On top of that, the navigation system is just excellent. You can easily point out the object you want to view and zoom to view it. According to your selection, options are displayed. Select an option and this tool will auto navigate you there. The navigation tool lets you zoom, and rotate the object you are viewing, freely.

You are also provided with guided tours to objects, get telescopic views, and set location on Earth to view sky from there at any defined time. The plus point of this software is its high definition imagery and brief intro about objects. If you have a slow processor, this software may lag a bit. Its perfect for computers with a dedicated graphics card. Space Engine is another excellent planetarium software which gives you high definition graphical experience while exploring space.

It is way different from any mainstream planetarium software, as it simulates a travel to the object you want to view. To find an object, use the Search tool, which gives a list of explorable objects as you type a keyword. There are various exciting tools available which will make you fall in love with this software.

One of these tools is Spacecraft Manager. This tool lets you build your own spacecraft, and travel to places in space with it. For the selected object, you can view its universe map. You can save a location to visit later. While viewing an object, you can change lighting angle to get a clear view. Use the mouse to zoom, move object, and use keyword shortcuts to perform various actions. Get the user manual to find out more about the software and its tools. Space Engine also requires dedicated graphics card to run smoothly.

The minimum graphics card requirement is 1 GB. Visit homepage to view other minimum specifications required to run this planetarium software. Asynx Planetarium is a very simple planetarium software.

It lets you take a view at the sky and displays all the visible stars and planets according to your location and current time. You can also change location and time manually to view the sky. You can locate a star or a planet, then click on it to view its details, such as: name, type, constellation, spectrum, mag, altitude, azimuth, etc.

There are various viewing modes to take a look at the sky: Horizontal view, Geocentric view, and Heliocentric view. You can even run animation of sky movement in different speeds. Capture the sky as image, change star density, search for a constellation, and do much more. It is a simple planetarium software with very basic features, and can be used for elementary astrology studies.

C2A is another free software to view stars, planets, and deep space objects. It has a simple and intuitive interface with tonnes of tools and options to let you study astronomy. Along with planets, galaxies, stars, constellations, it also includes asteroid and comet data.

While exploring the sky, a double click on any object displays various information about it. Navigation is pretty easy, and the availability of Find tool makes it even easier to locate an object in the sky. Just like most of the planetarium software, you can view the sky map from any location on earth for any given time: past, present, or future.

A telescope hand controller tool is available, which lets you manually zoom in and focus on to an object you want to view. The display options let you customize the sky the way you want to view it. Aciqra is a very simple planetarium software to let you explore the space. The interface is very minimalist and has few but ample tools to let you view objects in the space, such as planets, stars, nebulae, and deep space objects.

You can separately highlight and view stars, constellations, solar system, etc. A Search tool is also available, which will help you look for objects in space.

Click on an object to view a brief info about it. It also has a night mode. OpenUniverse is a very interesting planetarium tool. It lets you view objects in our Solar System by setting a Source and Target. This means, you can get a view from one object of our Solar System to another object.

There are various camera modes available, which let you view the target objects from different perspectives. Orbiter Another free and friendly Planetarium is Orbiter.

You have a chance to do several other things, including planning interplanetary slingshots, recreate historic flights, design your own rockets and much more. These catalogs have all you need to explore space including millions of stars, comets, asteroids, NGC objects and Meisser objects.

The software displays the phase and location of the moon, location of earth satellites, and day and night earth regions. With this software, you can make your own sky chart using the data provided. It has advanced features to help you make a complete sky map making it a good bet for stargazers. Winstars Winstars is yet another free software for stargazers.

It has a database of more than 2 million stars and a catalog of thousands of star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. The software makes it possible for you to view a 3D map showing the celestial objects in the solar system and has information about each object.

WinOrbit WinOrbit: Satellite Tracking software will compute, display and tell the whereabouts of artificial earth satellites, including information on their distance, bearing and elevation. The data can be updated in manual, simulation modes or in real-time.