Sky Atlas¶

The Sky Atlas provides an interactive map of the night sky, helping you visualize object positions and plan your imaging sessions.

Accessing the Sky Atlas¶

Navigate to "Sky Atlas" from the main menu.

Atlas Interface¶

Sky View¶

The main view shows a hemispherical projection of the sky as seen from your observatory location:

• Center: Your zenith (directly overhead)
• Edge: Horizon in all directions
• Cardinal Directions: N, E, S, W marked around the edge

Time Controls¶

Control the displayed time:

Zoom & Pan¶

• Scroll Wheel: Zoom in/out
• Click & Drag: Pan the view
• Double-Click: Center on a point

Display Layers¶

Toggle different elements on/off:

Sky Elements¶

Objects¶

Conditions¶

Object Interaction¶

Clicking Objects¶

Click any object on the atlas to:

• View object name and basic info
• See current altitude and azimuth
• Access quick actions (add to list, schedule)

Object Popup¶

The popup displays:

• Object Name: Primary and alternate names
• Type: Galaxy, nebula, cluster, etc.
• Coordinates: RA/Dec
• Current Position: Alt/Az at selected time
• Status: Whether it's in your schedule or lists

Quick Actions¶

From the popup:

• View Details: Open full object page
• Add to List: Add to a target list
• Schedule: Add to scheduler
• Center View: Center atlas on this object

Targets Tab¶

The Targets tab provides quick access to your saved and assigned targets directly within the Sky Atlas.

Saved Targets vs Active Targets¶

Use the toggle switch to choose which targets to display:

Saved Targets Mode¶

When "Saved Targets" is selected:

• Search through all your target lists
• Filter by target list, object type, or name
• Click a target to center the atlas on it
• Quick access to add targets to the scheduler

Active Targets Mode¶

When "Active Targets" is selected:

• View targets from your scheduler queue
• Search by name, description, or object type
• Sort by priority, name, or status
• "Center in SkyAtlas" button centers the view and displays the equipment's field of view overlay

Active Target Actions¶

For each active target, you can:

• Center in SkyAtlas: Centers the atlas view on the target and displays the assigned equipment's FOV overlay with correct rotation and mosaic settings
• View target details including priority, status, and imaging goals
• See the assigned equipment and observatory

Nearby Search Filters¶

The Sky Atlas includes a powerful nearby search feature that finds deep sky objects near the current view center. You can filter these results using the Nearby Filters button.

Accessing Nearby Filters¶

Click the filter icon button (☰) in the top-left Aladin toolbar to open the Nearby Filters popup.

Available Filters¶

Using the Filters¶

1. Click the filter button in the Aladin toolbar
2. Select one or more Object Types to include
3. Select one or more Catalogs to search
4. Optionally set a minimum observability duration (in minutes)
5. Click one of the Nearby buttons (All, Popular, Unpopular) to search

The filters apply to both manual nearby searches and the auto-nearby feature (when enabled).

Clear Filters¶

Click "Clear Filters" in the popup to reset all filter selections.

Search on Atlas¶

Search Box¶

Use the search box to find and center on:

• Deep sky objects by name/catalog
• Constellations
• Coordinates (RA/Dec input)

Go To Coordinates¶

Enter coordinates directly:

1. Click "Go To"
2. Enter RA (hours:minutes:seconds)
3. Enter Dec (degrees:minutes:seconds)
4. Click "Navigate"

Field of View Overlay¶

Equipment FOV¶

Display your equipment's field of view:

1. Select your equipment profile from the dropdown
2. A rectangle shows your camera's coverage
3. Drag to position on any location
4. Rotate to match your imaging orientation

FOV Settings¶

• Show/Hide: Toggle FOV rectangle
• Rotation: Set position angle
• Equipment: Switch between profiles

Planning Features¶

Tonight's Observable¶

The atlas can highlight objects observable tonight:

1. Enable "Tonight's Observable" layer
2. Objects meeting your criteria are highlighted
3. Dimmed objects are below your altitude threshold

Path Visualization¶

For mosaic planning, visualize the path across panels:

1. Select a mosaic project
2. See panel boundaries on the atlas
3. View panel order and overlaps

Export & Share¶

Screenshot¶

Capture the current view:

1. Click "Screenshot"
2. Image is saved or copied to clipboard

Print View¶

Generate a printer-friendly version:

1. Click "Print"
2. Adjust layout options
3. Print or save as PDF

Tips¶