---
name: "stellarium"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "stellarium"
version: "26.3-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/stellarium"
---

# stellarium(1)

A real-time realistic planetarium

## NAME

stellarium - A real-time realistic planetarium

## SYNOPSIS

stellarium \[**OPTIONS**\]

## DESCRIPTION

Stellarium is a free GPL software which renders realistic skies in real time with OpenGL. It is available for Linux/Unix, Windows and MacOSX. With Stellarium, you really see what you can see with your eyes,  binoculars or a small telescope.

## OPTIONS

- **-v, --version**

  Print program name and version and exit.

- **-h, --help**

  Print a brief synopsis of program options and exit.

- **-c, --config-file** *file*

  Use *file* for the config filename instead of the default *config.ini*.

- **-u, --user-dir** *dir*

  Use *dir* instead of the default user data directory (*$HOME/.stellarium/* on \*nix operating systems).

- **--verbose**

  Even more diagnostic output in logfile (esp. multimedia handling).

- **--scale-gui** *scale factor*

  Scaling the GUI according to scale factor.

- **-d, --dump-opengl-details**

  Dump information about OpenGL support to logfile. Use this is you have  graphics problems and want to send a bug report.

- **-f, --full-screen** *yes\|no*

  With argument *yes* or *no* over-rides the full screen setting in the  config file.  The setting is saved in the config-file and as such will be the default for subsequent invocations of Stellarium.

- **--screenshot-dir** *dir*

  Set the directory into which screenshots will be saved to *dir*,  instead of the default (which is `$HOME` on \*nix operating systems).

- **--startup-script** *script*

  Specify name of startup script.

- **--home-planet** *planet-name*

  Specify observer planet. *planet-name* is an English name, and should  refer to an object defined in the *ssystem.ini* file.

- **--altitude** *alt*

  Specify the initial observer altitude, where *alt* is the altitude in  meters.

- **--longitude** *lon*

  Specify the initial observer longitude, where *lon* is the longitude. The format is illustrated by this example: +4d16'12" which refers to 4 degrees, 16 minutes and 12 arc seconds East.  Westerly longitudes  should be prefixed with `"-"`.

- **--latitude** *lat*

  Specify the initial observer latitude, where *lat* is the latitude. The format is illustrated by this example: +53d58'16.65" which refers to 53 degrees, 58 minutes and 16.65 arc seconds North.  Southerly  latitudes should be prefixed with `"-"`.

- **--list-landscapes**

  Print a list of landscape names and exit.

- **--landscape** *name*

  Start Stellarium using landscape *name*. Refer to **--list-landscapes** for possible names.

- **--sky-date** *date*

  Specify sky date in format yyyymmdd.

- **--sky-time** *time*

  Specify sky time in format hh:mm:ss.

- **--fov** *fov*

  Specify the field of view (*fov* degrees).

- **--projection-type** *p*

  Specify projection type, *p*.  Permitted values of *p* are: equalarea,  stereographic, fisheye, cylinder, mercator, perspective, and orthographic.

- **--restore-defaults**

  Delete existing config.ini and use defaults.

## RETURN VALUE

- 0

  Completed successfully.

- not 0

  Some sort of error.

## FILES

Note: file locations on non-\*nix operating systems (include OSX) may vary.   Please refer to the Stellarium User Guide for more details, as well as information on how to customise the Stellarium data files.

- */usr/share/stellarium/*

  This is the Installation Data Directory set at compile-time.

- *$HOME/.stellarium/*

  This is the User Data Directory, which may be over-ridden using command line  option **-u**.  It contains the user's settings, extra landscapes, scripts, and can  also be used to over-ride data files which are provided with the default  install.

- *$HOME/.stellarium/config.ini*

  The default main configuration file is *config.ini*. Refer to **-c** above to use a different filename and to **-u** to use a different User Data Directory.

- *$HOME/*

  The default screenshot directory. Refer to **--screenshot-dir** to use a different path.

## SEE ALSO

[**celestia**(1)](/celestia/1.md).

## NOTES

Sources of more information:

- Websites

  Main website: \<http://stellarium.org/\>

  Wiki: \<http://stellarium.org/wiki/\>

  Forums: \<http://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/forums\>

  Downloads: \<http://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/files/\>

  Support Requests: \<https://answers.launchpad.net/stellarium\>

  Bug Tracker: \<https://bugs.launchpad.net/stellarium\>

- The Stellarium User Guide

  Visit the downloads page to get a PDF copy of the Stellarium User Guide.

## BUGS

Please report bugs using the bug tracker link in the NOTES section  of this page.

## AUTHOR

Fabien Chereau, Rob Spearman, Johan Meuris, Matthew Gates,  Johannes Gajdosik, Nigel Kerr, Andras Mohari, Bogdan Marinov,  Timothy Reaves, Mike Storm, Diego Marcos, Guillaume Chereau,  Alexander Wolf, Georg Zotti

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