I built an ad free stargazing forecast tool with a Messier…
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I built an ad free stargazing forecast tool with a Messier visibility and starhop guide
I have made StarWatchr. https://starwatchr.com
It is a passion project. Free to use, no account, no ads. Just forecasting and starhopping tools for stargazers.
The main thing I wanted to improve was how stargazing forecasts are presented. Most tools I tried felt cluttered or hard to interpret in the field. I wanted something that lets you glance at the data and immediately understand whether tonight is worth setting up the telescope.
StarWatchr focuses on readability and fast comprehension. It combines cloud cover, seeing, transparency, moon phase, darkness, temperature, dew point and humidity into a clear visual overview. You can quickly see when conditions peak during the night instead of digging through raw numbers.
The second core feature is a Messier finder with a built in starhopping guide. Based on your location and time, it shows which Messier objects are actually visible in your sky. For each object you get:
A visibility chart so you can see when it reaches its highest altitude
A simple starhop map to navigate from recognizable stars to the target
Basic object info to know what you are looking at
Right now it focuses on Messier objects because they are ideal for visual observers and starhopping. Expanding to more deep sky objects is planned.
It combines several libraries and APIs. Open Meteo is used for forecasting data, SunCalc for sun and moon calculations, Astronomy Engine for planetary data, and more. Everything is listed on the about page.
Other features include NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day and a developing star atlas that will grow over time.
Planned next steps are expanding beyond Messiers to a broader DSO catalog, adding more detailed planetary information, and optional alerts when observing conditions are optimal in your area.
Tech stack is Angular 21 on the frontend and .NET 10 on the backend.
If you are into astronomy, visual observing, or just like building things, I would genuinely appreciate feedback. The feedback so far has already led to meaningful improvements. If something feels unclear or you miss a feature, I am open to implementing it if it makes the app better.
You can try it here
https://starwatchr.com
It is a PWA, so you can install it on desktop or mobile like a native app.
https://preview.redd.it/y81igpb5epmg1.png?width=1392&format=png&auto=webp&s=4adf038f754f18f4854cf6aaa9fdeb2b90dfcbde
https://preview.redd.it/ckgx15x6epmg1.png?width=1707&format=png&auto=webp&s=edd788d8c001ed0d45323922e58a4f9689e5559a
https://preview.redd.it/skft63t7epmg1.png?width=1672&format=png&auto=webp&s=01baa66879a32d5a08fdae4170f65947b75a2dbb
#space
I have made StarWatchr. https://starwatchr.com
It is a passion project. Free to use, no account, no ads. Just forecasting and starhopping tools for stargazers.
The main thing I wanted to improve was how stargazing forecasts are presented. Most tools I tried felt cluttered or hard to interpret in the field. I wanted something that lets you glance at the data and immediately understand whether tonight is worth setting up the telescope.
StarWatchr focuses on readability and fast comprehension. It combines cloud cover, seeing, transparency, moon phase, darkness, temperature, dew point and humidity into a clear visual overview. You can quickly see when conditions peak during the night instead of digging through raw numbers.
The second core feature is a Messier finder with a built in starhopping guide. Based on your location and time, it shows which Messier objects are actually visible in your sky. For each object you get:
A visibility chart so you can see when it reaches its highest altitude
A simple starhop map to navigate from recognizable stars to the target
Basic object info to know what you are looking at
Right now it focuses on Messier objects because they are ideal for visual observers and starhopping. Expanding to more deep sky objects is planned.
It combines several libraries and APIs. Open Meteo is used for forecasting data, SunCalc for sun and moon calculations, Astronomy Engine for planetary data, and more. Everything is listed on the about page.
Other features include NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day and a developing star atlas that will grow over time.
Planned next steps are expanding beyond Messiers to a broader DSO catalog, adding more detailed planetary information, and optional alerts when observing conditions are optimal in your area.
Tech stack is Angular 21 on the frontend and .NET 10 on the backend.
If you are into astronomy, visual observing, or just like building things, I would genuinely appreciate feedback. The feedback so far has already led to meaningful improvements. If something feels unclear or you miss a feature, I am open to implementing it if it makes the app better.
You can try it here
https://starwatchr.com
It is a PWA, so you can install it on desktop or mobile like a native app.
https://preview.redd.it/y81igpb5epmg1.png?width=1392&format=png&auto=webp&s=4adf038f754f18f4854cf6aaa9fdeb2b90dfcbde
https://preview.redd.it/ckgx15x6epmg1.png?width=1707&format=png&auto=webp&s=edd788d8c001ed0d45323922e58a4f9689e5559a
https://preview.redd.it/skft63t7epmg1.png?width=1672&format=png&auto=webp&s=01baa66879a32d5a08fdae4170f65947b75a2dbb
#space
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