astroterm

astroterm is a terminal-based astronomy tool that renders star maps directly in the command line using ASCII graphics. Written in C, it displays real-time positions of stars, planets, constellations, and moon phases for any specified date, time, and location on Earth. Users can configure observations for past, present, or future celestial events with precise coordinate input or by selecting from a database of cities.

The tool supports extensive customization options including star magnitude thresholds, constellation figures, azimuthal grids, and color output. It can animate the night sky at configurable frame rates and speeds, making it useful for visualizing celestial motion over time. The rendering system accounts for terminal cell aspect ratios and supports Unicode characters for enhanced display quality.

astroterm targets astronomy enthusiasts, educators, and developers who need quick access to astronomical data without GUI applications. It calculates accurate celestial positions and lunar phases, making it suitable for planning observations or educational demonstrations. The tool runs efficiently in any terminal environment and includes metadata display options for detailed astronomical information.

Installation

# via Homebrew
brew install astroterm

# via Pacman
pacman -S astroterm

# via DNF
sudo dnf install astroterm