Policies

Credits

Orbit's deep-sky photos, sky data, and open-source libraries come from the sources below.

Kevin Jones' own astrophotography

These Messier objects use Kevin Jones' own telescope images, released under CC BY 4.0: M1, M11, M16, M17, M27, M31, M42, M45, M51, M55, M77, M81, M82.

Other deep-sky photo credits

The remaining Messier object photos come from the sources below. Each photo in the app shows its own credit line and license when you open the object sheet.

SourceLicenseObjects
NASA/ESAPublic domainM2, M3, M4, M13, M15, M19, M22, M30, M43, M49, M53, M57, M60, M65, M69, M71, M72, M74, M79, M85, M87, M89, M92, M95, M104, M107
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY 4.0M14, M21, M32, M34, M37, M39, M40, M48, M75, M80, M91, M94, M96, M103, M105
ESOCC BY 4.0M7, M8, M18, M47, M54, M68, M83, M98, M100
Wikimedia CommonsCC0M5, M6, M20, M41, M46, M50, M63, M64, M97
NOIRLabCC BY 4.0M25, M35, M36, M67, M90, M101, M108, M109
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0M23, M26, M29, M33, M56, M76, M86, M93
NASA/ESACC BY 4.0M9, M70, M84, M102, M106
NASA/ESACC BY 2.0M59, M62, M88
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0M28, M73
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY 2.0M44, M66
Wikimedia CommonsPublic domainM52, M110
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY 2.5M58, M61
ESOCC BY 3.0M12
ESOPublic domainM99
NASA/ESACC BY 3.0M10
NASA/ESACC BY-SA 4.0M24
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 2.5M38
Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 3.0 igoM78

NGC object photos

Each NGC object's photo comes from Wikimedia Commons and is public domain or shared under a Creative Commons license. Some are cropped to a square thumbnail. The photographer and license are shown below and under each photo in the app.

ObjectCreditLicenseSource
NGC 40PanSTARRS & Melina ThévenotCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 55ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 104NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble CollaborationCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 185NASA Hubble Space TelescopeCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 188NOIRLab/NSF/AURACC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 246Unknown authorPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 247ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 253Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 281Chuck AyoubCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 288NASA, STScI, WikiSkyPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 300ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 362NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Virginia/R. Schiavon (Univ. of Virginia)Public domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 457Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 663HewholooksCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 752Roberto MuraCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 869Markus PösselCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 884GenusonCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 891HewholooksCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1097ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1232ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1300NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA)Public domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 1333ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Scholz, K. Muzic, A. Langeveld, R. JayawardhanaCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1499AroughroadCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1501ESA/Hubble & NASACC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1502Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1514International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA; processing: J. Miller & M. RodriguezCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 1535Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of ArizonaCC BY-SA 3.0 usWikimedia Commons
NGC 1851NASA Hubble Space TelescopeCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2024Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2070ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2158Unknown authorPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 2237Stephen RahnCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2244Stephen RahnCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2261Judy SchmidtCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2264NASA - NASA/JPL-Caltech/P.S. Teixeira (Center for Astrophysics)Public domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 2359KudoipenguinCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2360Sloan Digital Sky SurveyCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2362Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2392European Space AgencyCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2403KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. T. Patterson; processing: T. A. RectorCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2419NASA HubbleCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2438Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of ArizonaCC BY-SA 3.0 usWikimedia Commons
NGC 2440NASA, ESA, and K. Noll (STScI)Public domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 2467ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2477Guillermo AbramsonCC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2506YayLol123CC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2516G FurtadoCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 2683NASAPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 2841NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble CollaborationPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 2903Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 3115NASA Hubble Space TelescopeCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 3132NASA, ESA, CSA, STScIPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 3201NASA, STScI, WikiSkyPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 3242Judy SchmidtCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 3372Harel BorenCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 3532ESO/G. BeccariCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 3628Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4038ESA/Hubble & NASACC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4039ESA/Hubble & NASACC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4244Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4449NASA, ESA, A. Aloisi (STScI/ESA), and The Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble CollaborationPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 4490Jschulman555CC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4565Ken CrawfordCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4631KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/John Vickery and Jim Matthes/Adam BlockCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4656Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4755ESO/Y. BeletskyCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 4945ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 5128ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (Submillimetre); NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray)CC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 5139Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 5907R. Jay GaBanyCC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6193RbarbaCC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6231LithopsianCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6302NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO TeamPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 6357NASAPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 6397NASA/ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI)Public domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 6543ESA/Hubble & NASA, Z. TsvetanovCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6633BobFrankeCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6729ESOCC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6744ESOCC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6752NASA, STScI, WikiSkyPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 6781ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6819Tom WildonerCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6822ESOCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6826Bruce Balick (University of Washington) et al., NASAPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 6888Chuck AyoubCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6946AndreigusanCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6960NOIRLab/NSF/AURACC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6992T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and WIYN/NOIRLab/NSF/AURACC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6995Stephen RahnCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7000gjdonatielloCC0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7009ESO/J. WalshCC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7023AndreigusanCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7293NASA, ESA, C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt University), M. Meixner and P. McCullough (STScI)Public domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 7331Ngc1535CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7380Chuck AyoubCC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7479NASA HubbleCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7538ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Whitman CollegePublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 7635NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage TeamPublic domainWikimedia Commons
NGC 7662Judy SchmidtCC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons
NGC 7789Bortle7CC BY 4.0Wikimedia Commons

Constellation data

Orbit's constellation lines and names are adapted from the Stellarium "modern" sky culture dataset, by Stellarium contributors, released under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Source: github.com/Stellarium/stellarium, pinned revision daace2add6a1 (2026-03-05).

Star positions come from the ESA Hipparcos catalogue, through CDS/VizieR (catalogue I/239).

Moon map

Orbit's Moon map is made from the Stellarium lunar albedo map by Ruslan Kabatsayev, built from Hapke-normalized NASA LRO Wide Angle Camera data and released under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Orbit reprojects it into the view of the Moon's near side seen from Earth and adjusts its contrast. That adapted image is shared under the same license.

Source: github.com/Stellarium/stellarium, textures/moon_4k.jpg, revision 898c360 (2026-10-27).

Weather data

Hourly forecasts (cloud cover by layer, precipitation chance, temperature, dew point, wind and visibility) are weather data by Open-Meteo.com, licensed CC BY 4.0. Place search and time zones also use Open-Meteo; location data is based on GeoNames. If Open-Meteo can't be reached, current conditions come from OpenWeather.

Comet and solar system data

Comet orbits come from NASA/JPL. The list of comets and their orbital elements come from the JPL Small-Body Database, and Orbit refreshes the elements regularly from JPL Horizons.

The Sun, Moon and planets are calculated on your device with Astronomy Engine by Don Cross, used under the MIT License.