# Planetarium software

Planetarium software is application software that allows a user to simulate the celestial sphere at any time of day, especially at night, on a computer. Such applications can be as rudimentary as displaying a star chart or sky map for a specific time and location, or as complex as rendering photorealistic views of the sky.
While some planetarium software is meant to be used exclusively on a personal computer, some applications can be used to interface with and control telescopes or planetarium projectors. Optional features may include inserting the orbital elements of comets and other newly discovered bodies for display.

## Comparison of planetarium software

| Name | Latest release | License | License | Operating system | Operating system | Operating system | Operating system | Operating system |
| Name | Latest release | License | License | Windows | Linux | macOS | Android | iOS |
| Astrarium | September 9, 2024 | MIT License | MIT License | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| C2A | May 1, 2021 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Cartes du Ciel | November 24, 2019 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Celestia | November 4, 2023 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Digital Universe Atlas | July 18, 2024 | Illinois Open Source License | Illinois Open Source License | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| HNSKY | June 14, 2024 | GNU General Public License v3 | GNU General Public License v3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| KStars | December 5, 2024 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Stellarium | September 22, 2024 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial (limited) | Partial (limited) |
| OpenSpace | July 18, 2024 | MIT License | MIT License | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Nightshade | 2022 | GPLv3 (Nightshade Legacy) | Nightshade Public License (Nightshade NG) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| SkyExplorer | 2024 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Sky Map | November 30, 2024 | Apache License, Version 2.0 | Apache License, Version 2.0 | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| SpaceEngine | December 5, 2024 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | Yes (Proton) Native build Planned | Planned | No | No |
| XEphem | February 13, 2024 | MIT License | MIT License | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| WorldWide Telescope | July 12, 2022 | MIT License | MIT License | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Redshift | May 19, 2024 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SkySafari | December 10, 2024 | Proprietary | Proprietary | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Starry Night | - | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Sky Guide | August 18, 2021 | Proprietary | Proprietary | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| TheSky | July 12, 2024 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| WinStars | December 28, 2023 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Google Sky | - | Proprietary | Proprietary | - | - | - | - | - |
| Digistar | - | Proprietary | Proprietary | - | - | - | - | - |
| Shira Player (software) | May 20, 2024 | GPLv2 | GPLv2 | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Shira Universe (software) | July 27, 2024 | MIT License | MIT License | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| PlanetariumVR (virtual reality) | December 17, 2021 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Yes | No | No | No | No |