TARGET · MAG
NO OBJECTS VISIBLE THIS NIGHT
SKY WORKS OUT WHAT'S WORTH LOOKING AT FROM YOUR SPOT, ON ANY NIGHT — PLANETS, STAR CLUSTERS, NEBULAE, GALAXIES. EVERYTHING IS COMPUTED IN YOUR BROWSER. RED-ON-BLACK PROTECTS YOUR NIGHT VISION; ◐ SWITCHES TO PAPER MODE.
THE BAR IS YOUR NIGHT, SUNSET → SUNRISE. DARKER BANDS = DARKER SKY. THE THIN LINE BELOW MARKS WHEN THE MOON IS UP — MOONLIGHT WASHES OUT FAINT TARGETS.
A PALE HAZE OVER THE STRIP IS THE FORECAST CLOUD COVER, HOUR BY HOUR — DENSER HAZE MEANS CLOUDIER SKIES. THE CORNER NOTE READS NOW (CLOUD RIGHT NOW) → NIGHT (AVERAGE ACROSS THE NIGHT) — SO A NIGHT THAT CLEARS STILL READS LOW EVEN IF IT'S CLOUDY OUT NOW.
DRAG ANYWHERE ON THE STRIP TO PLAN FOR A SPECIFIC TIME. TAP THE TIME CHIP'S ✕ TO COME BACK TO LIVE.
MIN ALT — HOW HIGH AN OBJECT MUST CLIMB BEFORE IT COUNTS. NEAR THE HORIZON YOU LOOK THROUGH FAR MORE ATMOSPHERE (HAZE + SHIMMER); 20° IS A GOOD DEFAULT.
TWILIGHT — WHAT COUNTS AS NIGHT: SUN 6° (CIVIL), 12° (NAUTICAL) OR 18° (ASTRO) BELOW THE HORIZON. ASTRO IS STRICTEST — TRULY DARK.
NAKED EYE / BINO / SCOPE — SHOW ONLY WHAT YOUR EQUIPMENT CAN REACH. THE TYPE CHIPS NARROW BY KIND — GALAXY, NEBULA, CLUSTER…
EACH ROW IS ONE OBJECT. ITS BAR SHOWS WHEN IT'S WELL PLACED — ABOVE YOUR MIN ALT WHILE THE SKY IS DARK. THE BRIGHT TICK IS ITS PEAK. THE NIGHT'S BEST TARGETS SORT TO THE TOP.
MAG = BRIGHTNESS, AND SMALLER IS BRIGHTER: 0 IS BRILLIANT, 6 IS THE NAKED-EYE LIMIT, 9 NEEDS BINOCULARS.
ALT / AZ — ALTITUDE IS DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON (0° HORIZON, 90° STRAIGHT UP). AZIMUTH IS THE COMPASS BEARING (0° N · 90° E · 180° S · 270° W). SCRUB THE SLIDER TO WATCH IT MOVE THROUGH THE NIGHT.
WHERE TO LOOK — THE ROSE GIVES THE DIRECTION TO FACE; THE GAUGE, HOW HIGH UP. A FIST AT ARM'S LENGTH SPANS ABOUT 10° — STACK FISTS UP FROM THE HORIZON.
POINT ME (PHONE) — LIVE MODE: TURN AND TILT YOUR PHONE AS DIRECTED. AT ● ON TARGET THE PHONE IS AIMED STRAIGHT AT THE OBJECT — LOOK WHERE IT POINTS. ASKS FOR MOTION-SENSOR ACCESS.
BEST NIGHTS — THE YEAR AT A GLANCE: BRIGHTER CELLS = BETTER NIGHTS FOR THIS OBJECT FROM YOUR SPOT.
FULL COLOR — PHOTOS ARE RED-TINTED TO PRESERVE DARK ADAPTATION; TAP TO SEE THEM IN COLOR.
M 31 = NUMBER 31 IN MESSIER'S 1781 LIST OF SHOWPIECE DEEP-SKY OBJECTS. THE SMALL BADGE (HER, ORI, UMA…) IS THE CONSTELLATION IT SITS IN.
SKY IMAGES — SURVEY PLATES ARE FROM THE DIGITIZED SKY SURVEY (DSS2), RETRIEVED ON DEMAND FROM THE CDS HIPS2FITS SERVICE AT THE CENTRE DE DONNÉES ASTRONOMIQUES DE STRASBOURG. IMAGES ARE © THEIR RESPECTIVE SURVEYS, USED HERE FOR PERSONAL OBSERVATION PLANNING.
OBJECT DATA — ADAPTED FROM THE MESSIER, NGC AND IC CATALOGS. POSITIONS FOLLOW THE ALGORITHMS IN JEAN MEEUS'S ASTRONOMICAL ALGORITHMS.
FORECASTS & SEARCH — CLOUD-COVER FORECASTS AND PLACE SEARCH ARE FROM OPEN-METEO, LICENSED CC BY 4.0.
MAP TILES — © OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS, © CARTO.