Stellarium 0.22.0 released! Here’s how to install and keep it up to date in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04 via PPA.
Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye.
While the software package in Ubuntu repository is always old, the latest version so far is Stellarium 0.22.0 that features:
- AstroCalc: Eclipse Finder
- AstroCalc: RTS (Rises, Transits, Settings)
- Switch from Bortle scale to physical brightness values for light pollution.
- Allow tweaks for the atmosphere brightness/color model and tone mapping
- Several new calendars in the Calendars plugin
- Seasonal polar caps on Mars
- New and improved sky cultures
- Larger textures allowed in Scenery3D
- Improved OnlineQueries and Satellites plugin
- Many fixes in core and plugins.
- A large number of bug fixes and closed feature requests and enhancements
How to install Stellarium:
The software developer team provides Ubuntu packages via PPA repository. So far, it supports Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.10, and upcoming Ubuntu 22.04.
1. Add the PPA
Press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to add the PPA repository:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases
Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Install / Upgrade the Astronomy Software
If you have already installed an old version of the software package, simply launch Software Updater to update the package to the latest:
Or, run the command below in terminal to install (or upgrade) it for the first time:
sudo apt install stellarium
Ubuntu 18.04 needs to refresh cache first via sudo apt update.
Uninstall Stellarium:
To remove the software, run the command below in terminal:
sudo apt remove --autoremove stellarium
And remove the PPA repository either via command:
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releases
or by launching Software & Updates and remove source url from ‘Other Software’ tab.
