Is Stellarium More Accurate Than VSOP87?

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Thread starter Tegalad
Start date Dec 3, 2016

In summary, Stellarium is a highly accurate program that uses data from professional astronomical catalogs to map stars, constellations, and other celestial objects. It also takes into account atmospheric conditions and can accurately predict astronomical events. The program adjusts for different time zones and while it may have some minor inaccuracies due to limitations in our understanding of the universe and errors in data sources, it is generally considered to be a reliable tool for viewing and predicting the night sky.

Dec 3, 2016

Tegalad

How accurate is stellarium in time? Does it add something more to VSOP87 or it just uses it ?

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Dec 3, 2016

jedishrfu

Mentor

Insights Author

While I don't know the answer to your question, I found this reference of folks talking about its accuracy:

https://answers.launchpad.net/stellarium/+question/244463

Jan 1, 2017

alexwolf

Stellarium can use VSOP87, DE430 or DE431

Related to Is Stellarium More Accurate Than VSOP87?

1. How accurate is Stellarium's depiction of the night sky?

Stellarium is considered to be highly accurate in its depiction of the night sky. It uses data from various sources, including professional astronomical catalogs, to accurately map stars, constellations, and other celestial objects.

2. Does Stellarium take into account atmospheric conditions?

Yes, Stellarium takes into account atmospheric conditions such as air density and refraction when calculating the position and appearance of celestial objects. Users can also adjust the atmospheric conditions in the program's settings to further customize their viewing experience.

3. Can Stellarium accurately predict astronomical events?

Stellarium can accurately predict astronomical events such as eclipses, planetary alignments, and meteor showers. However, it is important to note that these predictions are based on the current known data and may change as new information is discovered.

4. How does Stellarium handle different time zones?

Stellarium uses the user's computer clock to determine the current date and time, so it will adjust for different time zones automatically. Users can also manually change the time and date in the program's settings.

5. Are there any known inaccuracies in Stellarium's data?

While Stellarium is highly accurate, there may be some minor discrepancies in the data due to limitations in our current understanding of the universe. Additionally, Stellarium relies on data from various sources, so errors in these sources may also lead to inaccuracies in the program's depiction of the night sky.