Planning
Analyse one object over seven nights from the location you choose. Use this tool once you know what you want to photograph; all calculations, dates, and times are expressed in UTC.
Planning guideReading of the week
4. Seven-night comparison
| UTC night | Astronomical night | Night max. alt. | >30° window | Moon down | Best Moon-down time | Best Moon-up time | Moon | Separation |
|---|
UTC
5. Night detail
How to interpret the Moon
| Separation | Likely effect |
|---|---|
| Under 20° | Very unfavourable, especially with a bright Moon |
| 20–40° | Significant interference |
| 40–60° | May be acceptable with a moderate Moon or narrowband filters |
| 60–90° | Generally manageable |
| Over 90° | Favourable, although a high full Moon still brightens the sky |
Lunar illumination changes the interpretation considerably:
- 0–20%: separation usually matters little.
- 20–60%: aim for a separation greater than 50–60°.
- Over 60%: even beyond 90° it can noticeably brighten the sky background.
— Object— Moon┄ 30° limit■ Astronomical night
Move the pointer; on touchscreens, tap to inspect and drag to scroll across the chart. Segments outside astronomical night are dimmed.
6. Check the framing
What is your reference FOV?
Only if the catalogue or SIMBAD does not provide the object size, or if you want to correct it.
Select the Analyser FOV or override the FOV size to generate the framing.
This object has no apparent size available, so its framing cannot be generated.