Stellarium is a free open source planetarium application that renders realistic three-dimensional skies in real time using OpenGL.
Stellarium solves the problem of visualizing the night sky as it appears from Earth at any given time and location. The tool uses OpenGL rendering to display stars, constellations, planets, and other celestial objects with accuracy matching what can be seen with the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope. Users can navigate through time and space, adjust viewing parameters, and explore astronomical phenomena interactively.
The application runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, macOS, and Haiku, making it accessible across major platforms. Stellarium suits anyone interested in astronomy education, stargazing preparation, or casual exploration of the night sky. The project is built in C++ and uses Qt5 and Qt6 for its user interface, indicating a mature codebase designed for cross-platform compatibility and maintainability.
The project maintains active continuous integration with automated testing across multiple platforms. Code quality is monitored through static analysis tools and coverage tracking. The development effort is supported by both code contributors and financial backers through an open collective model, indicating sustained community investment in the project's evolution.
