Pressing the ‘return’ key on a successful search will immediately centre that object on the screen. Stellarium’s search menu can be accessed by pressing F3. To zoom in on a specific target first left click on it, then press the spacebar to centre it before using the zoom keys (as above). To zoom in and out use ‘ctrl’ (or ‘cmd’ on a Mac) plus the up and down arrows, or you can use a roller wheel on a mouse. To explore the sky in Stellarium you can drag it round with your mouse or use the arrow keys on a keyboard. You can even select an extra-terrestrial viewing location if you want to simulate the sky from other bodies within the Solar System. In that window, you can then choose a location by either by: clicking on a world map then selecting from a list of nearby places typing in a town or city or, alternatively, inputting an exact longitude and latitude. The menu can be accessed by clicking on the compass icon in the left-hand toolbar or by pressing F6 to bring up the ‘Location’ window. Selecting the location from which you want to view the sky in Stellarium is simple. Set Stellarium's viewing location Stellarium set viewing location. In general use, if you want to display the sky for a specific date and time, simply click the clock icon on the left toolbar (or use F5) and input the desired values. However the program has a handy ‘startup date and time’ feature on the ‘Navigation’ tab of the Configuration Window (F2) that allows you to specify a time that Stellarium will default to – say 11pm – every time you open the program. ![]() You’ll need to advance the time to see the stars come out. So if you open it during the day it’ll show a simulated daytime sky. When Stellarium first opens it is synchronised to your computer’s date and time. How to change the date and time in Stellarium Stellarium set date and time. You can customise this display in the ‘Information’ tab of the Configuration Window, which can be accessed by pressing F2.Ĭlicking on the ‘eye’ symbol on the bottom toolbar activates a night-vision mode that tints the whole Stellarium window red, to help preserve your dark adaptation if you’re using the program while observing. You’ll see information about the object appear at the top of the screen, including its name and other useful astronomical data, such as its magnitude and catalogue numbers. These access further configuration windows which enable you to select the location you’re observing from and set the date and time, along with several display and general program configuration menus allowing you to tailor what’s shown on screen, plus the Search tool and the Help window.ģ If you have the Oculars plug-in enabled (see further down in Simulating eyepiece and camera fields of view) you will see a set of icons relating to it in the top right-hand corner of the screen.Ĥ If you left click on a celestial object from the main screen, the object will acquire a small rotating ‘target’ around it (stars) or a bouncing blue ‘frame’ (other objects). This bar is also where some plug-in buttons will appear.Ģ Hidden on the bottom-left edge of the screen is another toolbar with several icons. Placing your cursor over this bar will raise it to reveal buttons that can toggle various display settings such as constellation lines and star labels. ![]() The bar along the bottom shows key information such as the location, the field of view (FOV) and the time. Credit: Stellariumġ The Stellarium main screen has two main toolbars. Getting started with Stellarium Stellarium main screen. We suggest you fire up the program while you read this so you can experiment as we go.To download, visit .ĭid you know that you can change Stellarium's landscape? Find out how with our guide on how to create a customised Stellarium landscape. Here we'll look at the basics of the program with an introduction to how to use the software, before examining Stellarium’s plug-ins and other useful tools. Not only can Stellarium do everything you’d want from a planetarium program – simulate the night sky and the positions of planets and other celestial bodies at a given date and time – it’s also packed with other features that are useful for experienced observers and astrophotographers. Available from for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux systems, it is popular with beginners and advanced stargazers alike. ![]() There are few pieces of software that have made such a contribution to amateur astronomy as the free planetarium program Stellarium. How to install and use Stellarium astronomy software
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