SpaceEngine

Space exploration is always fascinating, regardless of how you look at it. There are many discoveries and breakthroughs in this field, and if you want to explore them yourself, SpaceEngine can fulfill that wish. It lets you explore an accurate, 3D-rendered representation of our universe from the comforts of your desktop. The virtual universe is procedurally generated according to real-life knowledge of the universe, and it has billions of light years across. However, you can still find real planets, stars and other bodies, exactly where real-life scientists have found them, and the best part is that they also match the behavior and characteristics of what was observed through telescopes.

SpaceEngine is free, but it's kept afloat by donations. You will need a beefy computer to run this program, due to its high-quality rendering capabilities. While it works with a dual-core processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 1 GB graphics card, you will need a modern quad-core processor, at least 8 GB of RAM and a 2 GB VRAM if you want to run the program at high graphical settings. Also, the setup package has more than one GB, so you will have to wait a bit until you can run the program. If your graphics drivers are up to date, you can run the program right away, without having to install any other tools or services.

When launched, the program greets you with a main menu, like a video game, from where you can access general settings options, an editor or go directly to the planetarium mode, which is SpaceEngine's main attraction. You can wander around the universe, using the arrow keys and the mouse, but you can also jump directly to specific bodies. The software comes with a list of locations you can visit, to which you can add new ones yourself. Of course, it is also possible to search for a body by name to jump to it at faster-than-light speed.

While there are many planetarium applications out there, few of them manage to come close to what SpaceEngine can do. Besides the fact that everything is where it should be, all objects are rendered in 3D, with high-res textures, and they behave like they do in real life. For example, you could search for a black hole and approach it or go to a binary star and accelerate the time to see what happens. Additionally, you can click various options, on the right side of the window, to enable and disable various layers, from planets, stars and clusters to individual elements on a planet, like clouds, water and atmosphere.

Another feature that differentiates SpaceEngine from other planetarium software is the possibility of spawning in probes and space ships. What's more, the program lets you take control of them, and it places various controls at your disposal, for all sorts of operations, from orbital maneuvers to docking and even warping. This is an excellent way to make yourself feel like a spaceship captain and explore the universe, especially if you consider the fact that the program provides full support for the Oculus Rift VR headset.

SpaceEngine enables you to get intimate with the universe and discover its secrets, all from the comforts of your desktop.