Free space exploration for Windows
Do you have an interest in astronomy? Would you like to explore space? While we all wait for Elon Musk to develop commercial space flight, we’ll have to settle with a simulation. Cosmonium—a free open-source software—lets you learn about the intricacies of the universe straight from your office chair.
Whether by free-roam or through specific searches, Cosmonium lets you search the vastness of space however you’d like. Bear in mind that space is vast, so as tempting as it’ll be to play the role of a space explorer, you’re probably much better off searching for a specific location.
Explore the stars and manipulate time
Although the time is set to our current day-night cycle, you can change the time to view what the earth looks like during different phases. Access the menu to freeze, decrease, or increase the time. Time is ultimately under your control.
Learn more with keyboard shortcuts
If you’ve always had a love for learning, then Cosmonium is for you. Whether you’re visiting a star, a planet, or any other sort of celestial body, the program will provide you with general information about it. This includes the name of the body, the presence of an atmosphere, clouds, rings, the polar radius, and much more.
This is the perfect open-source software for the students of the stars. You can also use various keyboard shortcuts to make your exploration more efficient; use Shift and F1 to bring up the options.
System requirements
Cosmonium is a relatively large download at a little over 280 MB. The installation will require over 500 MB of free space before it can download. You’ll also need a decent graphics card that can at least run OpenGL 2.1+. You can also install HD and UHD textures if your computer can handle them.
Going beyond
Cosmonium is a fascinating application that’s like No Man’s Sky in that it lets you explore space. We expect that many new features are still to come. If you constantly find yourself looking through the wiki pages of different planets, and talking about space exploration with your friends and family, then you should give this software a try.
