Celestia/Navigation

Mouse and Keyboard Controls Used for Navigation in Celestia

Mouse Functions

Celestia works best with a three-button wheel-mouse. Very inexpensive ones are available which work well with Linux, Mac and Windows computers.

Left drag: Orient the view.

Right drag: Orbit the selected object.

Wheel: Adjust the distance to your current selection.

Right + Left drag: Adjust your distance to the selection.

Ctrl + Left drag: Adjust your distance to the selection.

Shift + Left drag: Changes your field of view (e.g. => Telescopic view.)

Wheel click: Toggles the field of view between 45 degrees and the previous field of view.

Left click: Select the object you click on.

Left double click: Center the selection.

Right click: Brings up the context menu.

Keyboard Navigation Commands

H  : Select the sun. (Home.)

C  : Center on the currently selected object.

G  : Go to the currently selected object.

F  : Follow the selected object.

Y  : Orbit the selected object at a rate synchronized to its rotation.

:  : Lock on the selected object.

"  : Chase the selected object. (The orientation is based on the selected object's velocity.)

T  : Track the currently selected object. (Keep the selected object centered in the view.)

HOME : Move closer to the currently selected object.

*  : Look back. Causes the view to shift from objects forward in the direction of motion, to objects rearward.

END  : Move farther from the selected object.

ESC  : Cancel the currently executing motion or script.

Shift+C  : Center/orbit. (Center the selected object without changing the position of the reference object.)

Left : Move (or roll) the camera view left.

Right: Move (or roll) the camera view right.

Up  : Move (or pitch) the camera view up.

Down : Move (or pitch) the camera view down.

Shift+ Arrow: Orbit the currently selected object in the direction indicated by the arrow selected.

1-9  : Select any of the planets orbiting our Sun. (2=Venus, 4=Mars, etc.)

ENTER  : Select a star or planet by typing its name.

Ctrl+C, or Ctrl+INS  : Copy location URL to your clipboard.

Time Control

Spacebar : Pause/Resume the flow of time and scripts (toggle)

J : Reverse/Forward time (toggle)

\ : Set time rate: 1x forward (norm), cancels faster/slower x factors

L : Change time rate : 10x faster

K : Change time rate : 10x slower

Shift+L : Change time rate: 2x faster

Shift+K : Change time rate: 2x slower

! : Set time to current system date and time

? : Display light-travel delay between ovserver / selected object

- (hyphen) : Subtract light-travel delay from current simulation time

Labels (on/off Toggles)

E : Galaxies

Shift+E : Globulars

B : Stars

P : Planets

Shift+P : Dwarf Planets

M : Moons

Shift+M : Minor Moons

W : Asteroids

N : Spacecraft

= : Constellations

& : Locations

Render/Display (on/off Toggles)

U : Galaxies

Shift+U : Globulars

^ : Nebulae

Ctrl+A : Atmospheres

I : Clouds

Ctrl+L : Night side maps

Ctrl+T : Comet Tails

Ctrl+E : Eclipse Shadows

Ctrl+B : Constellations bounaries

/ : Constellation diagrams

; : Earth-based equatorial coordinate sphere

Ctrl+K : Markers (placed on objects)

O : Orbits (toggle ALL selected orbits)

Render Options

{ : Decrease Ambient Light

} : Increase Ambient Light

( : Decrease Galaxy Light Gain

) : Increase Galaxy Light Gain

[ : Decrease Magnitude Limit :

          -  If AutoMag OFF : Decrease limiting magnitude (fewer stars)
          -  If AutoMag ON  : Decrease limiting magnitude at 45 deg FOV

] : Increase Magnitude Limit :

          -  If AutoMag OFF : Increase limiting magnitude (fewer stars)
          -  If AutoMag ON  : Increase limiting magnitude at 45 deg FOV

Ctrl+Y : Toggle Auto Magnitude (auto adaptation of start visibility of FOV)

, : Narrow Field of View [Shift+Left Drag]

. : Widen Field of View [Shift+Left Drag]

Ctrl+X : Toggle Antialias lines

Alt+Enter : Toggle Display mode (Full-Screen / Windowed)

Ctrl+P : Mark selected object

+ : Toggle Planet Texture type (Artisitic / Limit of Knowledge)

% : Star color table toggle (classic / Blackbody D65)

Ctrl+S : Cycle the Star Style (points / fuzzy discs / scaled discs)

V : Cycle the Info text verbosity (None / Terse / Verbose)

Ctrl+W : Toggle Wireframe mode

Spaceflight

F1 : Stop.

F2 : Set velocity to 1 km/s.

F3 : Set velocity to 1,000 km/s.

F4 : Set velocity to speed of light.

F5 : Set velocity to 10x the speed of light.

F6 : Set velocity to 1 AU/s.

F7 : Set velocity to 1 ly/s.

A  : Increase velocity.

Z  : Decrease velocity.

Q  : Reverse direction.

X  : Set movement direction toward center of screen.

Number pad

4  : Yaw left.

6  : Yaw right.

8  : Pitch down.

2  : Pitch up.

7  : Roll left.

9  : Roll right.

5  : Stop rotation.

Joystick Controls

X axis  : Yaw.

Y axis  : Pitch.

L trigger : Roll left.

R trigger : Roll right.

Button 1  : Slower.

Button 2  : Faster.