Explore the universe. Free.
Open-source astrovisualization software built for planetarium domes, classrooms, and personal computers.
Windows · Linux (source)
Platforms
Windows
Pre-compiled binary for Windows 10 and newer. Includes the application and all data for the default profile. Additional profiles download on first launch.
Linux
No pre-compiled binary for Linux. Source code is freely available on GitHub — build instructions are in the documentation.
MacOS support
OpenSpace relies on OpenGL for graphics rendering. On Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs, OpenGL calls are translated to Metal, Apple’s native graphics API, through a compatibility layer rather than running natively.
This translation layer doesn’t support double-precision floating point operations Metal Shading Language Specification, Section 2.1, which OpenSpace relies on to maintain precision at both planetary and universal scales.
As of version 0.22.0, OpenSpace targets OpenGL 4.6, delivering a 3-4x performance improvement for Windows and Linux users. This update requires OpenGL features that are not available through the macOS compatibility layer, meaning OpenSpace can no longer support macOS going forward.
System requirements
Minimum
- CPU
- Intel Core i5 or equivalent
- GPU
- NVIDIA GTX 1060 or comparable
- RAM
- 8 GB
- VRAM
- 4 GB
- OS
- Windows 10/11 or Linux
Recommended
- CPU
- Modern Intel Core i7 / AMD Ryzen 7
- GPU
- NVIDIA RTX 3070 or better
- RAM
- 16 GB or more
- VRAM
- 6 GB or more
- OS
- Windows 10/11 or Linux
Before you install
Windows C++ Redistributable
OpenSpace requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2022. A copy is included in the downloaded folder. If you see “VCRUNTIME140_1.dll was not found,” install it to resolve the error.
Network access
OpenSpace will request internet access on first launch — a standard Windows security prompt. Granting permission is required for full functionality, including the user interface and live data features.
Updating from a previous version
Use the lightweight download if you’re updating an existing installation. Copy your sync and user folders from the previous version into the new OpenSpace directory.
Need help getting started?
The documentation covers installation, profiles, and configuration. The OpenSpace community on Slack is also here to help.