Stellarium is a beautiful, realistic planetarium software that brings the night sky to your desktop. Whether you’re an astronomy enthusiast, educator, or casual stargazer, Stellarium lets you explore stars, planets, and constellations in real time, directly from your computer. In this guide, you’ll learn how to install Stellarium on FunOS using two simple methods: from the Ubuntu repositories or from the official Stellarium Team PPA for the latest version.
What is Stellarium?
Stellarium is an open-source planetarium application that displays a 3D simulation of the night sky — just as you would see it with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope. It features an extensive catalog of stars, planets, constellations, and deep-sky objects. Stellarium is used by amateur astronomers and professionals alike to plan observations, identify celestial objects, or simply enjoy virtual stargazing.
Some of its key features include:
- Realistic sky view with atmospheric effects and shooting stars
- Telescope control for supported models
- A catalog of over 600,000 stars and thousands of nebulae and galaxies
- Extensible plugin system and scriptable automation
With its intuitive interface and high-quality visuals, Stellarium is a must-have tool for anyone curious about the universe.
How to Install Stellarium on FunOS
There are two main methods to install Stellarium on FunOS. The first method installs it from the Ubuntu repositories (stable version), while the second uses the Stellarium Team PPA (which provides the latest updates).
Method 1: Installing from the Ubuntu Repositories
Work on: 22.04.5 ✅ | 24.04.3 ✅ | 25.04 ✅ | 25.10 ✅ | 26.04 ✅
This is the easiest and most stable method since the package is available in the official Ubuntu (and therefore FunOS) repositories.
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal in any of the following ways:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T
Step 2: Update the Package List
Before installing Stellarium, update the local package index to ensure you get the latest version available in the repositories:
sudo apt updateStep 3: Install Stellarium
Run the following command to install Stellarium:
sudo apt install stellariumStep 4: Reload the Menu
After installation, reload the application menu so Stellarium appears in the list:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner
- Click Reload menu
Method 2: Installing from the Stellarium Team PPA
Work on: 22.04.5 ✅ | 24.04.3 ✅ | 25.04 ✅ | 25.10 ✅ | 26.04 ❌
If you want to install the latest version of Stellarium with the most recent features and updates, you can use the official Stellarium Team PPA.
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal using any of these methods:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T
Step 2: Add the Stellarium Team PPA
Add the official Stellarium repository to your system:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releasesStep 3: Update the Package List
After adding the PPA, update the package index so the system recognizes the new source:
sudo apt updateStep 4: Install Stellarium
Now install Stellarium from the newly added PPA:
sudo apt install stellariumStep 5: Reload the Menu
Once the installation is complete, reload the application menu:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner
- Click Reload menu
Launching Stellarium
After installation, you can start Stellarium by clicking the Menu button in the lower-left corner, then navigating to the Education category. Select Stellarium to launch the application and begin exploring the stars and planets in real time.
How to Uninstall Stellarium on FunOS
If you no longer need Stellarium or want to reinstall it cleanly, you can easily remove it from your system. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you installed Stellarium from the Ubuntu repositories or from the Stellarium Team PPA.
Uninstall Stellarium Installed from the Ubuntu Repositories
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal using one of the following methods:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T
Step 2: Remove Stellarium
Run the following command to uninstall Stellarium and remove its associated configuration files:
sudo apt remove --purge stellariumStep 3: Remove Any Unused Dependencies
Clean up packages that were installed as dependencies but are no longer needed:
sudo apt autoremove --purgeStep 4: Remove User Data (Optional)
If you also want to delete Stellarium’s user configuration and cache files, run:
rm -rf $HOME/.stellarium
rm -rf $HOME/.cache/stellariumStep 5: Reload the Menu
After uninstalling, reload the application menu to remove Stellarium from the list:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner
- Click Reload menu
Uninstall Stellarium Installed from the Stellarium Team PPA
Step 1: Open a Terminal
You can open the Terminal in any of these ways:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray
- Press Ctrl + Alt + T
Step 2: Remove Stellarium
Uninstall Stellarium and purge its configuration files:
sudo apt remove --purge stellariumStep 3: Remove Any Unused Dependencies
Clean up unnecessary packages:
sudo apt autoremove --purgeStep 4: Remove the Stellarium Team PPA
If you installed Stellarium from the PPA, you can remove it with:
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:stellarium/stellarium-releasesStep 5: Update the Package List
After removing the PPA, update your package list to refresh the system’s sources:
sudo apt updateStep 6: Remove User Data (Optional)
To remove all Stellarium user settings and cached data, run:
rm -rf $HOME/.stellarium
rm -rf $HOME/.cache/stellariumStep 7: Reload the Menu
Finally, reload the menu to ensure Stellarium is completely removed from the system:
- Click the Menu button in the lower-left corner
- Click Reload menu
Conclusion
Stellarium is a powerful and visually stunning open-source planetarium that turns your computer into a window to the cosmos. Whether you installed it from the Ubuntu repositories for maximum stability or from the Stellarium Team PPA for the latest updates, FunOS makes the installation process simple and straightforward.
If you ever decide to remove Stellarium, the uninstallation steps are equally easy and help keep your system clean. With its realistic sky simulation and detailed celestial data, Stellarium remains an excellent tool for learning astronomy, planning telescope sessions, or simply exploring the night sky from your desktop.
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