Aladin Desktop

Spec sheet

Purpose

Aladin Desktop visualizes and manipulates digitized astronomical images and surveys, overlays catalogue entries, and accesses related data from SIMBAD, VizieR, and other archives.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

License

The official release is free and distributed under the GPL v3 license.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Founded

1999Read 28 Sep 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Analysis tools

Image tools include color mapping, contours, cropping, mosaicking, astrometric calibration, and photometric measurements; catalogue tools include filtering, merging, cross-matching, and scatter plots.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Beta limitation

The beta version includes features in testing whose stability is not guaranteed, and the page says it is not open source and all rights are reserved to the right owner.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Data access

Aladin Desktop provides direct access to astronomical servers including CDS, NED, ESO, CADC, MAST, HEASARC, NRAO, ROE, and IMCCE, as well as local user data.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Data collections

The feature list states that Aladin provides access to more than 20,000 data collections, including DSS, SDSS, PanSTARRS, Gaia, SIMBAD, NED, and VizieR.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Documentation and support

The project provides an FAQ, user manual, filter manual, and script reference, and lists [email protected] as a contact address.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Extensibility

Users can extend Aladin Desktop with Java plugins and control it through its VOApp interface.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Formats and image scale

The feature list supports common astronomical image, cube, table, and region formats and states there is no image size limit and that million-source overlays are supported.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Intended audience

The site describes Aladin Desktop as a professional sky atlas and highlights data exploration, distributed datasets, and multi-wavelength visualization for scientific work.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Platform and runtime

The official download page lists Windows, Linux, Mac ARM, and Mac AMD x86 packages and says Aladin requires a Java Virtual Machine.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Plugin caveat

Community plugins are provided as-is without guarantee, and the project directs users to contact plugin authors about bugs or remarks.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Standards and interoperability

The site lists VO standards including JSAMP, TAP, CS, SSA, and SIA, and describes interconnection with other visualization or analysis tools.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Visualization

Features include zoom, pan, rotation, overlays, multiple views, multiple map projections, and multiple coordinate systems.Read 10 Oct 2026 · aladin.cds.unistra.fr

Plans and prices

Every Aladin Desktop plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Astronomy Apps#9 of 358.2