From your part of Earth
Observe the sky
Find a target, check its position and look at the conditions before heading outside. You can use the observing tools without an account.
Your equipment and observing sites
Keep your telescopes, binoculars, eyepieces and favourite sites in this browser. No account is needed.
Open your observatory →-
1. Choose a target
Start with a planet. Its object page has an “In the sky” section when a position is available.
Choose a planet → -
2. Set your observing location
Enter an approximate location in Your settings, or use the location controls on an object page. Altitude tells you how high to look above the horizon; azimuth gives the compass direction.
Your settings → -
3. Check the conditions
“Up after dark” means above the horizon while the Sun is below the twilight threshold used by the tool. It does not guarantee a clear view: clouds, buildings, brightness and your equipment all matter. Read the accuracy note beside each position.
An optional account lets you save email alerts. Saved alerts store their observing location with your account; ordinary browsing does not require registration.
How location and alerts are handled →
Choose a night and find targets
Choose a date and approximate location for altitude charts, darkness and observing windows, with the calculation limits explained.
Find an explained shortlist for my site and equipment →
Plan a night →Explore stars and deep-sky objects
Browse a sourced starter sample of bright stars, historical double-star records and Messier-associated deep-sky objects, with original measurements and data licences.
Browse observing targets →Follow astronomical events
Earth close approaches describe how near objects pass. Proximity alone does not tell you whether an object is bright enough to see.
Upcoming close approaches →Meteor showers connect the streaks in our sky to streams of material and their parent bodies. Explore the catalogue and compare observation campaigns; its date filter is an approximate activity guide.
Explore meteor showers →