Astronomical

Professional astronomical visualization tools for Blender 4.4+

Features

🌌 Stellar Field Generation - Create realistic star fields with proper stellar classification 🗺️ Coordinate Systems - ICRS, Galactic, Ecliptic transformations with accurate astronomical positioning 📊 Catalog Integration - Gaia, Hipparcos, Messier catalogs with real astronomical data 🎬 Animation Tools - Orbital mechanics, proper motion, and time-based astronomical phenomena 🎨 Custom Node Groups - Geometry nodes, shader nodes, and compositing nodes for astronomical rendering 💫 Galaxy Morphology - Realistic galaxy visualization with proper structure and classification 🌐 Cosmic Web Simulation - Large-scale structure simulation with filaments and voids 🔬 Scientific Materials - Physically-based materials for astronomical objects

Installation

Method 1: Blender Extensions Platform (Recommended)

1. Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
2. In Blender: Edit → Preferences → Get Extensions
3. Click the Install from Disk button (top-right)
4. Select the downloaded .zip file
5. Enable Astronomical Blender Extension in the extensions list

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Run the build script:

   # Linux/macOS
   ./build.sh
   
   # Windows
   build.bat

3. Install the generated .zip file in Blender (see Method 1, steps 2-5)

Quick Start

Basic Usage

Once installed, access the Astronomical tools from the 3D Viewport sidebar:

1. Press N to open the sidebar
2. Navigate to the Astronomical tab
3. Choose from available operators:
   • Create Stellar Field - Generate realistic star fields
   • Add Galaxy - Create galaxy structures
   • Setup Cosmic Web - Generate large-scale structure
   • Import Catalog - Load real astronomical data

Python API

import bpy
from astronomical import (
    setup_scene,
    setup_camera,
    setup_lighting,
    render_astronomical_scene,
    get_stellar_data,
    create_sample_stellar_data
)

# Setup astronomical scene
setup_scene(bpy.context.scene)
setup_camera(bpy.context.scene)
setup_lighting(bpy.context.scene)

# Create stellar field with classification
stellar_data = create_sample_stellar_data(num_stars=1000)
bpy.ops.astronomical.create_stellar_field(count=1000)

# Render the scene
render_astronomical_scene(bpy.context.scene, output_path="/tmp/astronomy.png")

🎨 Visual Examples

Stellar Field Visualization

Create realistic star fields with proper stellar classification and HR diagram positioning:

# Create stellar field with spectral types
bpy.ops.astronomical.create_stellar_field(
    count=5000,
    distribution='realistic',  # Based on HR diagram
    magnitude_range=(0, 15)    # Apparent magnitude range
)

Features:

• Spectral classification (O, B, A, F, G, K, M types)
• HR diagram-based distribution
• Realistic color temperature and luminosity
• Proper motion animation support

Galaxy Morphology

Visualize different galaxy types with scientifically accurate structures:

# Create elliptical galaxy
bpy.ops.astronomical.add_galaxy(
    galaxy_type='elliptical',
    bulge_size=2.0,
    disk_size=0.0
)

# Create spiral galaxy with arms
bpy.ops.astronomical.add_galaxy(
    galaxy_type='spiral',
    num_arms=2,
    arm_width=0.5,
    rotation=45.0
)

Galaxy Types:

• Elliptical (E0-E7)
• Spiral (Sa, Sb, Sc)
• Barred Spiral (SBa, SBb, SBc)
• Irregular (Irr)

Cosmic Web Simulation

Generate large-scale structure with filaments and voids:

# Setup cosmic web simulation
bpy.ops.astronomical.setup_cosmic_web(
    grid_size=100,
    filament_density=0.3,
    void_probability=0.2
)

Features:

• Filamentary structure generation
• Void region simulation
• Galaxy cluster positioning
• Matter density visualization

Coordinate System Transformations

Work with multiple astronomical coordinate systems:

from astronomical.utilities.astronomical_data import (
    transform_coordinates,
    COORDINATE_SYSTEMS
)

# Transform from ICRS to Galactic coordinates
galactic_coords = transform_coordinates(
    ra=123.45, dec=67.89,
    from_system='icrs',
    to_system='galactic'
)

Supported Systems:

• ICRS (International Celestial Reference System)
• Galactic (Galactic coordinates)
• Ecliptic (Ecliptic coordinates)

📸 Screenshots coming soon - Beautiful astronomical visualizations!

Note: High-quality screenshots and demo renders will be added soon. Track progress in GitHub Issues.

Requirements

• Blender: 4.4.0 or higher
• Python: 3.11+ (bundled with Blender)
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux (x64 and ARM64)

Optional Dependencies

For advanced features, the extension can use:

• NumPy: Numerical computations (bundled with Blender)
• AstroPy: Astronomical calculations (vendored)
• SciPy: Scientific algorithms (optional)

Blender Compatibility

Blender Version	Status	Notes
4.4.x	✅ Full Support	Recommended version
4.5.x	✅ Full Support	Latest features
4.3.x	⚠️ Limited	Some features unavailable
4.2.x or older	❌ Not Supported	Use legacy addon version

Node Groups

The extension includes custom node groups for advanced astronomical rendering:

Geometry Nodes

• Stellar Point Cloud - Generate point-based star fields
• Galaxy Spiral Arms - Procedural spiral galaxy generation
• Cosmic Web Filaments - Large-scale structure filaments

Shader Nodes

• Star Surface Shader - Realistic stellar surface materials
• Nebula Volume - Volumetric nebula rendering
• Galaxy Disk Material - Galaxy disk with dust lanes

Compositing Nodes

• Star Diffraction - Diffraction spike generation
• Atmospheric Scattering - Atmospheric effects for Earth views
• Light Pollution - Urban light pollution simulation

Development

Building from Source

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/bjoernbethge/astronomical.git
cd astronomical

# Build extension package
./build.sh  # Linux/macOS
# or
build.bat   # Windows

# The output will be in the root directory: astronomical_blender_extension-2.0.0.zip

Project Structure

astronomical/
├── __init__.py              # Main extension entry point
├── blender_manifest.toml    # Extension metadata (Blender 4.4+)
├── core/                    # Core functionality
│   ├── camera.py           # Camera setup and positioning
│   ├── lighting.py         # Lighting systems
│   ├── rendering.py        # Render configuration
│   └── scene.py            # Scene setup utilities
├── nodes/                   # Custom node groups
│   ├── geometry/           # Geometry nodes
│   ├── shader/             # Shader nodes
│   └── compositing/        # Compositing nodes
├── operators/              # Blender operators
│   ├── stellar_field.py   # Stellar field generation
│   ├── galaxy.py          # Galaxy creation
│   └── cosmic_web.py      # Cosmic web simulation
└── utilities/              # Utility modules
    ├── astronomical_data.py  # Astronomical data and constants
    └── transforms.py         # Coordinate transformations

Testing

The extension includes a test suite:

# Run tests (requires Blender Python)
blender --background --python-console
>>> import astronomical
>>> astronomical.test()

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these guidelines:

1. Code Style: Follow PEP 8 and Blender addon conventions
2. Modularity: Keep functions small and focused (DRY principle)
3. Documentation: Document all public functions and classes
4. Testing: Add tests for new features
5. Pull Requests: Create feature branches and submit PRs

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.

Use Cases

Scientific Visualization

• Research paper illustrations
• Educational materials
• Planetarium content
• Documentary visualizations

Artistic Projects

• Science fiction environments
• Space-themed artworks
• Procedural starscapes
• Cosmic landscapes

Data Visualization

• Astronomical survey data
• N-body simulation results
• Observational data from telescopes
• Statistical distributions in 3D

Roadmap

Upcoming Features

• Real-time catalog data import from online databases
• Advanced animation tools for orbital mechanics
• Integration with external astronomical software
• VR support for immersive space exploration
• Machine learning-based galaxy generation
• Enhanced nebula rendering with spectral data

Track feature requests and vote on priorities in GitHub Issues.

License

GPL-3.0-or-later - see LICENSE for details.

This extension is free and open-source software. You can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation.

Credits

Built with:

• Blender - 3D creation suite (4.4+)
• AstroPy - Astronomical calculations (vendored)
• NumPy - Numerical computations (bundled)

Special thanks to the astronomical visualization community and contributors.

Related Links

Project:

• GitHub Repository - Source code and issues
• Report Issues - Bug reports and feature requests
• Releases - Download latest version

Documentation & Resources:

• Blender Documentation - Official Blender docs
• Blender 4.4 Release Notes - What's new in Blender 4.4
• Blender Python API - bpy API reference
• AstroPy Documentation - Astronomical calculations

Astronomical Data Sources:

• Gaia Archive - European Space Agency star catalog
• SDSS - Sloan Digital Sky Survey
• NASA Exoplanet Archive - Exoplanet data
• Messier Catalog - Deep sky objects

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Astronomical - Professional astronomical visualization for Blender 🌌✨