Sunset over the mountains beyond the flat, seen from the Viewing Area

Tonight

Tonight at the Viewing Area

Working out the sky for tonight…

Conditions tonight

Weather

Loading the National Weather Service forecast…

Refraction

Loading the temperature forecast near the ground…

⌖Camera sky finder

Times are Central Time at the Viewing Area. Sky positions from Astronomy Engine. Open the full website →

What's that light?

Enter the direction, or tap the strip below where you see it.

Bearing

Height

Measure it with the camera

Your sightings

Saved on this phone only. Write what you saw before you compare notes with anyone.

Quick log

What did you see?

Bearing (compass)

The time is saved automatically. You can turn any entry into a full report later.

Tools

The full tools from the website. The camera sky finder and the identifier work offline; the maps need a connection.

⌖Camera sky finderPoint your phone at the view: skyline, roads, towers and stars over the camera. Records a calibrated bearing. ⌗Map and identifierSatellite map with every known light source along a bearing, and the refraction slider. ▣Photo checkerLine up a photo from the platform and check where each light sits. Runs on your phone. ◭3D terrainFly over the land: the stretches of US-67 and Nopal Road the platform can see. Best on a larger screen. ✉Report a sightingA guided form that checks your light against every known source.

More

Light bingo

Most lights over the flat are ordinary. Spot each kind and tick it off. Knowing them is how you spot the one that isn't. Tap a square to learn how to recognise it.

Read

Plan a nightTiming, what to record, what to rule out History and folkloreThe lights in history and legend Sightings catalogueDocumented sightings and photographs, with sources The scienceWhat studies found and what the model shows The placeMountains, climate and the dark sky Community and dark skiesBeing a good neighbour, local knowledge The full websiteEverything, including the paper

Works without signal

Checking…

After you open the app once with a connection, it keeps working offline, including the identifier, the sky finder and your log. The satellite map, the 3D terrain and the forecasts need a connection.