Astrophotography
Astrophotography forecast for imaging nights
Long exposures are sensitive to clouds, moonlight, seeing and wind. Ouranos brings these conditions together so you can choose a night for imaging and plan the targets you want to shoot.
Conditions that matter for imaging
The forecast focuses on the factors that most often affect an imaging session. Check them together before you set up.
- Cloud cover, to find clear skies for the full session
- Seeing, to judge atmospheric stability
- Moon phase, to plan around bright moonlight and find new moon periods
- Wind speed and temperature stability, to limit vibration and equipment issues
Plan your targets and timing
Target planning lets you choose what to image, such as nebulae, galaxies and planets. Object visibility shows when each target is at its best, so you can schedule the session around it.
- Target planning for nebulae, galaxies, planets and more
- Object visibility to see when targets are at their best
- Optimal time windows based on weather, moon phase and object visibility
Keep your setup and share sessions
Save your telescope, camera and mount configurations so you can reuse them on the next night. You can also create shared sessions to plan and observe with friends or other stargazers.
Questions
Does the forecast include seeing?
Yes. Seeing, the atmospheric stability that affects sharpness, is one of the factors shown in the forecast.
Can I see when a target is best placed?
Yes. Object visibility shows when nebulae, galaxies and planets are at their best, so you can choose the right time for each target.
Can I save my equipment setup?
Yes. You can save and share your telescope, camera and mount configurations.