How to Add a Comet to Stellarium
Comets are not preloaded into Stellarium, but it is quick and easy to load one so you can find where and when you can see a comet in the night sky.
Here are the steps to add a comet to the desktop Stellarium application.
- In the left hand menu, click on the Configuration Window (wrench with a star)
- Click on the Plugins Menu at the top of the window and Solar System Editor in the left hand panel
- Click on the Configure button
- Click on the Solar System tab
- Click on Import orbital elements in MPC format
- Select Comets and in the Select bookmark drop down select Gideon van Buitenen: comets and click Get orbital elements.
- Type in the beginning of the comet name “C/2020” and click the check box of the comet you would like added and click Add objects.
You should now be able to search for and find the comet in Stellarium.
Written by Martin Belan
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10 Comments
Syed Muhammad Abbas
Hello.
I want to sech Comet 67p Churyumov Gerasimenko on Stellarium , hence I found your blog , which simple and attrective . I got 100 % result.
Regards.
Syed Abbas
Astronomer from Pakistan.
Martin Belan
Hi Syed,
Thank you for the feedback! I’m glad that the blog helped!
Martin
Eric Laing
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Alan Gornik
Thank you very much. I used your tips to load the soon to arrive C/2022 E3. Hopefully will be visible.
Hendrik Engelhardt
Very helpful!
Thank you very much!
Clive
Much appreciated. The second time I’ve used your guide, now with comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan – ATLAS).
Mike
Thanks for the clear guidance on adding comets into the Stellarium application. Worked perfectly……and I would never have figured it out without much research. Looking forward to catching a glimpse of comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura)…..hopefully October. Thanks again Mr. Belan!
Willem
Thanks alot Martin , I hope we will be able to see this new green comet, at least we can now track it on Stellaruim.