June 23, 2006

Celestia is an OpenGL based 3D space simulation for Windows, Mac and UNIX. I just like it because it appeals to the nerdy astronomer in me. Free yourself from the earthly perspective!

Celestia features a sophisticated engine that supports bump mapping, multipass rendering, and custom illumination models using vertex programs. My son loves it... Also nifty in the fact that you can render in various dates (e.g., if you want to take a look at MIR, you have to render between the years 1986/2001).

posted by sugarmilktea 18 years ago
  • Okay, that seriously rules.
  • Sweetness! I will be downloading this tonight!
  • Another nifty program you can get is Stellarium. Awesome planetarium software. Due to astigmatism, it's the only way I can see anything smaller than a planet in the night sky. /whining
  • *slaps at whining sound *stares into night sky
  • At least you have eyes ... Oh, wait. So do I. Four of them.
  • Thanks for the post. Very nice.
  • This is nifty-noo-na. Towns aren't the best place for skywatching. When my sister got the album of War of the Worlds for Christmas in 1978, with its mentions of 'green mist' trails from the invading ships, I was scared to go outside because the streetlamps made the whole sky green. They're everywhere!
  • Don't forget Capricorn, the Goat.
  • Look waaaay up there. On that pole.
  • /monocle spit