🌌 Sky Windows Planner

The only astronomy planning tool that combines real-time weather data with celestial calculations for ANY location on Earth.

🚀 What Makes This Special?

• ✅ Real-time weather data - No more guessing about cloud cover
• ✅ Global coverage - Works for any location worldwide
• ✅ 100% real data - No mock or hardcoded values
• ✅ User-friendly - No technical knowledge required
• ✅ Comprehensive - Weather + astronomy + planning in one tool

🎯 Perfect For

• Amateur Astronomers - Plan your stargazing sessions
• Astrophotographers - Time your perfect shots
• Educators - Teach astronomy with real data
• Dark Sky Tourism - Find the best viewing conditions
• Researchers - Schedule scientific observations

🌟 Key Features

Real-Time Data Integration

• Live weather forecasts from Open-Meteo
• Accurate astronomical calculations from Astronomy Engine
• Global location support via OpenStreetMap
• Real elevation data for precise calculations

Comprehensive Planning

• Celestial Objects: Planets, moon, comets, asteroids
• Weather Conditions: Cloud cover, visibility, precipitation
• Timing: Optimal observation windows
• Location: Any city, state, country, or coordinates worldwide

User-Friendly Interface

• Simple city/state/zip lookup
• Clear explanations for all parameters
• Visual progress indicators
• Detailed results with actionable insights

📋 Input Parameters

Required

• Date Range: Start and end dates for planning
• Locations: City, state, zip, or coordinates
• Targets: Celestial objects to observe

Optional

• Minimum Altitude: Lowest angle to observe (default: 5°)
• Max Cloud Cover: Maximum acceptable cloud cover (default: 80%)
• Time Step: How often to check conditions (1-6 hours)
• Night Filter: Astronomical, nautical, or any time
• Alignment Detection: Find when objects are close together

🔧 Usage Examples

Basic Stargazing Session

{
  "dateFrom": "2025-09-20",
  "dateTo": "2025-09-22",
  "locations": [
    {
      "name": "Austin, TX",
      "lat": 30.2672,
      "lon": -97.7431,
      "elevation_m": 0
    }
  ],
  "targets": ["499", "599", "699"],
  "minAltitudeDeg": 5,
  "maxCloudCoverPct": 80,
  "stepHours": 1,
  "nightFilter": "nautical"
}

Astrophotography Planning

{
  "dateFrom": "2025-09-20",
  "dateTo": "2025-09-26",
  "locations": [
    {
      "name": "Flagstaff, AZ",
      "lat": 35.1983,
      "lon": -111.6513,
      "elevation_m": 2100
    }
  ],
  "targets": ["499", "599", "3I-Atlas"],
  "minAltitudeDeg": 15,
  "maxCloudCoverPct": 30,
  "stepHours": 1,
  "nightFilter": "astronomical",
  "includeComets": true,
  "includeAsteroids": true
}

Educational Use

{
  "dateFrom": "2025-09-20",
  "dateTo": "2025-09-21",
  "locations": [
    {
      "name": "New York, NY",
      "lat": 40.7128,
      "lon": -74.0060,
      "elevation_m": 0
    }
  ],
  "targets": ["399", "499", "599"],
  "minAltitudeDeg": 10,
  "maxCloudCoverPct": 90,
  "stepHours": 2,
  "nightFilter": "any"
}

📊 Output Format

Observation Data

{
  "source": "SkyWindows",
  "location": "Austin, TX",
  "latitude": 30.2672,
  "longitude": -97.7431,
  "target": "499",
  "dateTime": "2025-09-20T02:00",
  "azimuthDeg": 250.77,
  "altitudeDeg": 11.81,
  "isNight": true,
  "cloudCoverPct": 34,
  "moonPhase": 0.25,
  "score": 44,
  "keep": true
}

Summary Windows

{
  "source": "SkyWindows",
  "location": "Austin, TX",
  "target": "499",
  "summary": true,
  "windows": [
    {
      "start": "2025-09-20T02:00",
      "end": "2025-09-20T04:00",
      "medianScore": 67,
      "maxAltitude": 23.4,
      "avgCloud": 28
    }
  ]
}

🌍 Global Coverage

Supported Locations

• Cities: Any city worldwide
• States/Provinces: All states and provinces
• Countries: Every country and territory
• ZIP/Postal Codes: International postal codes
• Coordinates: Any latitude/longitude
• Landmarks: Famous locations and addresses

Real-Time Data Sources

• Weather: Open-Meteo API
• Astronomy: Astronomy Engine library
• Geocoding: OpenStreetMap Nominatim
• Elevation: Open-Meteo Elevation API

🚀 Getting Started

1. Basic Setup

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run the actor
npm start

2. Input Configuration

1. Set your date range
2. Add observation locations
3. Select target objects
4. Configure observation parameters
5. Run the actor

3. Interpret Results

• Score: 0-100 (higher = better conditions)
• Keep: true/false (meets your criteria)
• Windows: Continuous observation periods

📈 Performance

Typical Query Times

• 1 location, 3 days: 5-10 seconds
• 3 locations, 7 days: 15-30 seconds
• 10 locations, 30 days: 60-120 seconds

Optimization Tips

• Use 2-3 hour time steps for faster results
• Limit to 5-10 locations per query
• Use shorter date ranges for quick checks

🔧 Technical Details

Dependencies

• apify: Apify SDK for actor functionality
• astronomy-engine: Astronomical calculations
• axios: HTTP requests for external APIs

API Endpoints

• NASA JPL Horizons: Celestial object positions
• Open-Meteo: Weather and elevation data
• OpenStreetMap: Geocoding services

Data Accuracy

• Weather: 3-hour resolution forecasts
• Astronomy: Sub-degree accuracy
• Elevation: Meter-level precision
• Coordinates: GPS-level accuracy

🎯 Use Cases

Amateur Astronomy

• Plan weekend stargazing sessions
• Find the best times for specific objects
• Check weather conditions in advance

Astrophotography

• Time shots for optimal conditions
• Plan around moon phases
• Find dark sky locations

Education

• Teach astronomy with real data
• Plan observation sessions for classes
• Demonstrate celestial mechanics

Research

• Schedule scientific observations
• Plan telescope time efficiently
• Coordinate multi-location studies

🌟 Success Stories

"Finally, a tool that tells me exactly when to set up my telescope! The weather integration is a game-changer." - Sarah M., Amateur Astronomer

"As an astrophotographer, timing is everything. This tool has saved me countless hours of setup for cloudy skies." - Mike R., Astrophotographer

"My astronomy students love this tool. It makes planning observation sessions so much easier." - Dr. Johnson, University Professor

📞 Support

Documentation

• docs/USER_GUIDE.md
• docs/API_REFERENCE.md
• docs/FAQ.md

Community

• GitHub Issues
• Discord Server
• Reddit Community

Contact

• Email: support@skywindowsplanner.com
• Twitter: @SkyWindowsPlanner
• Website: skywindowsplanner.com

📄 License

This project is licensed under the ISC License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Astronomy Engine - For accurate astronomical calculations
• Open-Meteo - For reliable weather data
• OpenStreetMap - For global geocoding services
• NASA JPL - For celestial object ephemeris data
• Apify - For the amazing actor platform

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Ready to plan your perfect stargazing session? Try Sky Windows Planner today! 🌟

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