Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
The purpose of this document is to provide a brief overview, installation and user tips for the OpenSpace Program.
OpenSpace is a free, open-source astronomical visualization software that allows you to explore the universe from your computer! Imagine flying through our solar system, past distant galaxies, to the edge of our visual experience.
You can observe real-time satellite trajectories, land on planets, and zoom in on objects with stunning detail. OpenSpace uses actual scientific data, making it an incredibly accurate and immersive tool for learning about celestial objects and phenomena. It’s like having a planetarium, observatory, and spacecraft all rolled into one, right at your fingertips!
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OpenSpace – Information and Setup Guide
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
It is open-source. This means you can download and use it without any cost. It's developed as a research project by NASA with contributions from institutions like the Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History and Linköping University, and its primary goal is to make scientific data accessible for public visualization and education.
OpenSpace is not a replacement for Stellarium, Sky Tools or other earth-bound astronomy applications … but is a good educational companion for presentations and fun.
Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
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OpenSpace – Data Sources
OpenSpace acts as a platform to pull together and visualize scientific data from leading NASA projects, observatories and institutions, ensuring accuracy and scientific rigor.
Images and data from;
Simulations and Models: Beyond direct observations, OpenSpace also uses data from scientific simulations and models to represent phenomena that are difficult or impossible to observe directly, such as:
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
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OpenSpace – Installation and Setup
The program download is on the project webpage https://www.openspaceproject.com/
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
NOTE; At the time of this writing, I am using version 0.20.1. I have not yet loaded the latest version (0.21.0), but will update this document once I tested it.
Click to proceed
Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
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OpenSpace – Installation and Setup continued
The program is very large both CPU and graphics intensive.
Read the System Requirements to determine if your PC is capable.
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
Important
NOTE; At the time of this writing, I am using version 0.20.1. I have not yet loaded the latest version (0.21.0), but will update this document once I tested it.
Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
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OpenSpace – Installation and Setup continued
Select the version you choose to download
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
Important
NOTE; Final reminder. At the time of this writing, I am using version 0.20.1.
I have not yet version 0.21.0. This version has some enhancements and bug fixes and may appear different than the text I am providing.
If you are comfortable with technology please feel free to load the 0.21.0 version.
Click to Download
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OpenSpace – Installation and Setup continued
The download may take 10 to 15 minutes based on your internet speed … so go make coffee
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
The downloaded file name will be “OpenSpace-0.20.1.zip”
Double click the file and extract the contents to a folder on your hard drive.
The executable file (the actual program) is located in the ‘bin’ folder and is called “OpenSpace.exe”.
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OpenSpace – Using the Application
Hint; I made a ‘shortcut’ of the OpenSpace.exe and placed it on my desktop for ease of use
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
Double-click on the OpenSpace.exe
Two windows will open;
Click to Open
Dialog window showing the data loads and status, do not close this, you can ignore it
Launch window to start open the application
Langrenus (crater)
OpenSpace – Using the Application
The ‘Start’ button initiates the load of the program. This will take some time as the application is downloading data from across the internet. This can be seen in the scrolling information in the dialog window.
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
The application loads showing a rendering of the Earth and ‘Realtime’ on the clock
The Launch window will be replaced by the ‘OpenSpace application screen
When the load is complete the dialog window will stop scrolling and a rendering of the Earth will appear
Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
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OpenSpace Basic Navigation
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
Click the picture to play the video
Image courtesy of Stellarium
Stellarium.org
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OpenSpace – Scene Menu Solar System
Stockton Astronomical Society www.stocktonastro.org
Click the picture to play the video