Cartes du Ciel ("CDC" and "SkyChart") is a free and open source planetarium program for Linux, macOS, and Windows.[2] With the change to version 3, Linux has been added as a target platform, licensing has changed from freeware to GPLv2 and the project moved to a new website.

Quick Facts Developer(s), Stable release ...
Cartes du Ciel
Developer(s)Patrick Chevalley
Stable release
4.2.1 / 24 November 2019; 5 years ago (2019-11-24)
Preview release
4.3-4905[1] / December 9, 2024 (2024-12-09)
Written inObject Pascal
Operating systemCross-platform (Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux)
Typeplanetarium Educational software
LicenseGPLv2
WebsiteCartes du Ciel homepage
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CDC includes the ability to control computerized GoTo telescope mounts, is ASCOM and INDI compliant, and supports the USNO's UCAC catalogs and ESA Gaia data,[citation needed] along with numerous other catalogs and utilities.[3]

The "red bulb" feature is useful when using software outside on a laptop on a dark night.[4]

According to the programmer, Patrick Chevalley, it was released as freeware because "I’d rather see amateurs spend their money for a new eyepiece than for astronomy software".[5]

Chevalley has also created a lunar atlas program, Virtual Moon Atlas, which is also free and open source software.[6]

See also

References

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