# Install libnova with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper Celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library. Version 0.16 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:libnova ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install libnova ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install libnova ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: science/libnova/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add libnova ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libnova from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libnova-0.16-0t64 ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libnova-0.16-0t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install libnova ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libnova from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#libnova ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libnova/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S libnova ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: libnova from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install libnova-0_15-0 ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libnova-0_15-0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:libnova - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.16 - **Source summary:** Celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** LGPL-2.0-or-later AND GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - libnovaconfig (cli) - libnovaconfig (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - libtool ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.16 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage libnova is a C library for celestial mechanics, astrometry, and astrodynamics. It packages astronomical algorithms into a Unix-friendly library so programs can calculate planetary positions, rise and set times, coordinate transformations, lunar positions, and related values without embedding their own astronomy code. ### Project history The project is documented as the calculation engine used by the Nova project, with Liam Girdwood and Petr Kubanek listed as maintainers. Its documentation credits Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms, the ELP lunar solution, and VSOP87 planetary theory as important algorithmic sources. SourceForge file history shows public libnova releases from 0.4 in September 2002 through 0.15.0 in July 2012, with later SourceForge source-control tags for v0.13, v0.14, and v0.16. The repository view also records the 2013 move from Subversion to Git and later work on ELP lunar data and coordinate tests. ### Adoption history libnova has been adopted as a small scientific-system dependency rather than a standalone end-user tool. It is packaged across Unix-like systems and gives astronomy applications, observation planners, and command-line utilities a reusable C implementation of common celestial calculations. For Homebrew users the visible executable is libnovaconfig, but the package's real value is the development library and headers used by downstream software needing fast local ephemeris-style calculations. ### How it is used Developers link libnova into C or C++ software that needs Julian dates, sidereal time, apparent positions, solar and lunar coordinates, planetary positions, orbit calculations, angular separations, and rise-set-transit calculations. The package is useful when an application needs deterministic local computations rather than calling an online ephemeris service, especially in observatory, amateur astronomy, and scientific scripting contexts. ### Why package nerds care libnova is a classic niche library package: it turns book-grade astronomical algorithms into a reusable C dependency with a stable Unix build story. That makes it interesting to package maintainers because downstream tools can depend on a small LGPL library instead of carrying private copies of the same math. Its SourceForge-era history, Doxygen documentation, and broad distribution packaging make it a good example of long-lived scientific infrastructure that rarely draws attention but keeps old and new astronomy programs buildable. ### Timeline - 2002: SourceForge release directory records libnova 0.4. - 2003: Releases 0.6.0, 0.7, and 0.8 appear in the SourceForge archive. - 2004: Releases 0.9, 0.10, and 0.10.1 appear in the SourceForge archive. - 2012: SourceForge release directory records libnova 0.15.0. - 2013: Source repository records a move from Subversion to Git. - 2016: Source repository records additional coordinate-test work on the Git master branch. ### Related projects - Nova is the project named by libnova's documentation as using libnova as its calculation engine. - Jean Meeus's Astronomical Algorithms, the ELP lunar solution, and VSOP87 planetary theory are named in the libnova documentation as important algorithmic foundations. - Other astronomy libraries and ephemeris tools fill adjacent roles, but libnova's niche is a compact C library packaged by general-purpose Unix package managers. ### Sources - - - - ## Security Notes library-like package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - library-like package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** libnova - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libnova-0.16-0t64 - 0.16-5.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnova-0.16-0t64 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - libnova-dev - 0.16-5.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnova-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | development files for libnova astronomical library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - Debian apt - libnova-dev-bin - 0.16-5.1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libnova-dev-bin from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | development config tool for libnova astronomical library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - Nix - libnova: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/li/libnova/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - libnova-0.16-0t64 - 0.16-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnova-0.16-0t64 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libnova-dev - 0.16-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnova-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | development files for libnova astronomical library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - Ubuntu apt - libnova-dev-bin - 0.16-5.1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libnova-dev-bin from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | development config tool for libnova astronomical library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - apk - libnova - 0.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libnova from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | general purpose, double precision, celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library | https://sourceforge.net/projects/libnova/ - apk - libnova-dev - 0.15.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: libnova-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | general purpose, double precision, celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library (development files) | https://sourceforge.net/projects/libnova/ - dnf - libnova - 0.16.0-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libnova from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Libnova is a general purpose astronomy & astrodynamics library | http://sourceforge.net/projects/libnova/ - dnf - libnova-devel - 0.16.0-4.fc44: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: libnova-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libnova | http://sourceforge.net/projects/libnova/ - pacman - libnova - 0.16-3: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: libnova from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | A general purpose, double precision, celestial mechanics, astrometry and astrodynamics library. | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - libnova-0_15-0 - 0.15.0-11.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libnova-0_15-0 from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Celestial Mechanics, Astrometry and Astrodynamics Library | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - zypper - libnova-devel - 0.15.0-11.6: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: libnova-devel from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Development files for libnova | http://libnova.sourceforge.net/ - MacPorts - libnova: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: science/libnova/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Scientific computing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/scientific-computing-tools/) - Matched scientific computing metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libtool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtool/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [calceph](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/calceph/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, c-library, cli, science. - [cfitsio](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cfitsio/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, c-library, cli, science. - [ccfits](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ccfits/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, cli, science. - [cdsclient](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cdsclient/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, cli, science. - [gnuastro](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnuastro/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, cli, science. - [healpix](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/healpix/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, cli, science. - [montage](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/montage/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, cli, science. - [phoon](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/phoon/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: astronomy, cli, science. - [gnuplot](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnuplot/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, science. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/libnova.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/libnova.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph