Stellarium for PC: How to Download and Install on Windows (2026 Guide)

Point your phone at the night sky and you get a tiny label on a tiny screen. Open Stellarium on a PC and the whole sky unfolds: a photorealistic planetarium that shows exactly what you would see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope — from your own location, at any date in the past or future. It is free and open source, and astronomers, teachers and astrophotographers rely on it daily.

This guide shows you how to download Stellarium for PC from its official website, install it on Windows 11 or 10, set your location, and plan your first evening of stargazing — plus an honest note about the one Stellarium product that does cost money, so there are no surprises.

What Is Stellarium?

Stellarium is a free, open-source planetarium program that renders the sky in realistic 3D. It draws more than 600,000 stars in its default catalog (with extra downloadable catalogs reaching over a billion stars), the planets of the solar system, and thousands of nebulae, galaxies and star clusters, all wrapped in a realistic atmosphere with sunrise, sunset and light-pollution simulation.

Because it shows the sky from any place and time, Stellarium is both a learning tool and a planning tool. You can rehearse tonight’s observing session in the afternoon, check when the International Space Station passes over, see the constellations as other cultures drew them, and — through its telescope-control plugins — even drive a real computerized telescope to the object on screen.

Key Features of Stellarium

Realistic 3D sky: A photorealistic sky with atmosphere, sunrise and sunset, and stars that twinkle and fade correctly near the horizon.
Massive star catalogs: Over 600,000 stars built in, with optional extra catalogs of more than a billion stars and deep-sky objects.
Constellations from many cultures: Lines, labels and artwork for Western, Chinese, Egyptian, Polynesian and dozens of other sky traditions.
Planets and satellites: Accurate positions for planets, moons and bright satellites, with fast time controls to watch them move.
Deep-sky imagery: Photographs of nebulae, galaxies and clusters shown in place, so you see what a telescope reveals.
Telescope control: Plugins that connect to popular computerized telescope mounts and slew them to your selected object.
Powerful plugins and scripting: Oculars view simulation, satellite tracking, exoplanets, pulsars and scripted sky tours for teaching.

System Requirements

Operating System: Windows 11 or Windows 10 (64-bit recommended)
Processor: Modern Intel or AMD CPU, dual-core or better
RAM: 2 GB minimum; 4 GB or more recommended
Graphics: A 3D-capable GPU with current OpenGL drivers (integrated Intel/AMD graphics are fine)
Storage: Around 1 GB of free space for the application; optional extra star catalogs need more
Display: 1280×800 or higher recommended; a dark room or night mode helps viewing
Internet: Required for the download and optional catalogs; the sky itself works offline

How to Download Stellarium (Official Method)

Stellarium’s popularity makes it a magnet for unofficial sites that repackage the installer with their own downloaders or bundle outdated builds. The program is free at the source anyway, so there is never a reason to risk a third-party copy. Download Stellarium only from the official Stellarium website.

Official Website: Download Stellarium from the official website

Step-by-Step Installation

Open the official Stellarium website linked above and click the download button for Windows (64-bit).
Save the installer file to your Downloads folder.
Double-click the installer and approve the Windows permission prompt.
Accept the license agreement (Stellarium is released under the GPL) and keep the default installation folder.
Choose whether to create a desktop shortcut, then click Install.
Click Finish when setup completes.
Launch Stellarium from the Start menu — it opens on tonight’s sky.

First-launch note: Stellarium guesses your location from your system settings. Open the Location window (F6), search for your town, and save it — accurate location means the sky, sunset times and object positions on screen match what you see outside.

How to Plan Your First Night of Stargazing in Stellarium

Set your exact location with the Location window (F6) so the horizon and sky match your backyard.
Use the Date/Time window (F5) to jump to tonight at 9 or 10 PM and preview what will be visible.
Press the constellation lines and labels buttons in the bottom toolbar to learn the patterns, then turn on constellation art for the classic figures.
Search for an object with F3 — try “Saturn”, “Andromeda Galaxy” or “ISS” — and let Stellarium center it for you.
Scroll to zoom in: the view simulates binoculars and then a telescope as you narrow the field of view.
Before going outside, switch on night mode (the red-light view) so the screen does not spoil your dark-adapted eyes.

Is Stellarium Really Free? The Desktop vs Mobile Difference

Here is the honest picture. Stellarium for PC is completely free and open source, released under the GNU GPL. Every feature described above — the catalogs, plugins, telescope control — is included at no cost, with no trial and no premium desktop edition. The project is supported by donations, which are optional.

The one paid product with the Stellarium name is Stellarium Mobile, the separate smartphone app, which is sold in the app stores to fund development. It shares the same sky engine, but it is a different program: you never need it to use the full desktop version on your PC. So on Windows, the answer is simple — the complete planetarium is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Stellarium safe to download and use?
Yes, from the official website linked above. Stellarium is a long-established open-source project distributed directly through stellarium.org, so the installer there is the genuine build. Repackaged copies on unofficial download portals are the risky ones.

Is Stellarium free?
Yes — the PC version is completely free and open source with all features included. Only the separate Stellarium Mobile phone app is a paid product.

Does Stellarium work offline and is it accurate?
Yes. After installation the sky simulation runs fully offline, and its positions are accurate enough for planning observing sessions, astrophotography and telescope pointing. Internet is only needed for downloads such as extra star catalogs and satellite data updates.

Can Stellarium control my telescope?
Yes, for many popular computerized (GoTo) mounts. The Telescope Control plugin connects over serial or network, and clicking an object in Stellarium can slew the telescope to it. Check the plugin’s supported-mount list for your model.

Conclusion

Stellarium turns your PC into the best seat under the night sky: accurate, beautiful and free. Download it from the official website, set your location, rehearse tonight’s sky this afternoon — then go outside and find the real thing waiting for you.

Download Stellarium from the Official Website

Stellarium for PC: How to Download and Install on Windows (2026 Guide)