Astronomical Object Finder

Find the best imaging targets for your location, time, and sky direction

About Object Finder
How It Works

Select a specific direction in the sky (azimuth/altitude) and find all worthwhile objects visible in that direction during your observing session.

  • Direction Selection: Choose azimuth (0-360°) and altitude range for your target area
  • Time Window: Specify observation date and time range
  • Object Discovery: Find all catalog objects in the selected sky region
  • Duration Ranking: Objects ranked by total observable time without moon interference
Perfect For
  • Fixed Mount Imaging: When you can only point in one direction
  • Obstacle Avoidance: Working around trees, buildings, or other obstructions
  • Equipment Setup: Optimal targets for your specific telescope/mount configuration
  • Session Planning: Maximize imaging time with the best targets in your available sky

Result: Ranked list of objects sorted by imaging duration, with detailed visibility timelines and moon-free periods.

Object Finder Parameters

Location & Time
Observer latitude (negative for South)
Observer longitude (negative for West)
Target observation night
Sky Direction
0=N, 90=E, 180=S, 270=W
Minimum object altitude (max 85° to maintain 5° gap)
Maximum object altitude (min 5° to maintain 5° gap)
Search cone radius
Object Filters
Minimum brightness (lower = brighter)
Maximum brightness (higher = fainter)
Minimum observable duration
Minimum moon separation

Search Area Preview - 3D Sky Hemisphere

Interactive 3D preview - Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom. This shows the exact area of sky you're about to search. The visualization updates in real-time as you adjust azimuth, altitude, and cone radius parameters above.

Searching for objects... This may take a few moments.