Sky Observer
Accurate astronomy that helps you find what you can actually observe.
Explore planets, the Moon, deep-sky targets, comets, observing conditions, and practical telescope guidance, without needing expensive equipment or a paid subscription.
Coming up in the sky
Dates are UTC, and meteor shower dates are the night of the peak.
Built for actually observing the sky
Orbit is designed around a simple question: what can I realistically see, where is it, and how do I find it?
Real-time sky positions
See altitude, azimuth, rise and set information, and a live sky map for the Moon, planets, and other targets.
Practical observing advice
Difficulty ratings translate astronomy data into useful guidance, from naked eye and binoculars to larger telescopes and imaging.
Plan the right time
Choose a date and hour, compare visible objects, and see which targets are worth your time under the selected conditions.
Runs in your browser, works offline
Orbit is a web app. Open it on your phone, tablet or computer. To use it like an app, add it to your home screen, and it keeps working at dark sites with no signal.
- Open app.orbitskyobserver.com.
- Android (Chrome): tap Install when Orbit offers it, or use the menu and choose Add to Home screen.
- iPhone (Safari): tap Share, then Add to Home Screen.
A Google Play version is planned.