If you want to get to know your sky better, you should know that in the past we have shared some very interesting tools that let you know the orbits of satellites, or identify special objects. But today it's the turn of Cosmonium, an open source application that seeks to continue the work of the Celestia project, bringing the entire universe to anyone who wishes to learn about astronomy. Cosmonium is a relatively young software, and beyond its current limitations, the potential is gigantic.
Space has never been so close
No matter the time, place, or device you have. If you truly want to learn about astronomy, you will most likely find the right tools for you without much difficulty. For example, Star Walk is still available for iOS and Android smartphones, while Gaia Sky from Heidelberg University has already reached version 3.0, and it looks better than ever.
Of course, it would be a gross mistake on my part not to mention the Celestia project, technically discontinued, but full of additional content and other add-ons thanks to the community's efforts. The Cosmonium program seeks to follow in Celestia's footsteps, incorporate support for many of its add-ons, and in the future, reach the same level.
How to learn about astronomy with Cosmonium
I say "in the future" because its own developers recognize that Cosmonium is in its infancy. The interface is inspired by Celestia, and in general, the keyboard shortcuts work the same way. The latest build available of Cosmonium barely exceeds 280 megabytes, and requires a graphics card compatible with OpenGL 2.1 (version 4.5 recommended), but you should have no trouble reaching a baseline of 30 FPS.
Do you want to go to a specific planet or star? All you need to do is right-click, and activate the Goto command. With the left button you can move the camera horizontally and vertically, while rotation is handled by the right button. If you want to see names, boundaries, and shapes of constellations, you will find the necessary options under the Guides category of the Render menu.
In summary
Getting lost is quite easy in Cosmonium, and to be honest, one of the best things that can happen to you. But if you want to return home, press Enter, type Earth, Enter again, letter C to center, and the letter G to fly back. This same mechanism will allow you to travel with extreme ease to any planet or moon of the Solar System, as long as you enter its name in English.
Granted, Cosmonium is still far from what Celestia offers, but it's not far behind. In fact, on its official page there are already high-definition and ultra-high-definition packs if your computer has enough firepower. Download a copy, and enjoy your sky.
Official site and download: Click here
