https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot

✨ Star charts and maps in Python
https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot

astronomy constellations maps python sky stars

Last synced: 2 months ago
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✨ Star charts and maps in Python

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot
• Owner: steveberardi
• License: mit
• Created: 2023-05-29T22:04:55.000Z (almost 3 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2026-01-10T23:52:34.000Z (2 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2026-01-11T04:34:08.553Z (2 months ago)
• Topics: astronomy, constellations, maps, python, sky, stars
• Language: Python
• Homepage: https://starplot.dev
• Size: 160 MB
• Stars: 143
• Watchers: 8
• Forks: 28
• Open Issues: 9
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
  • Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
  • License: LICENSE
  • Code of conduct: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
  • Citation: CITATION.cff

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README

          
#  Starplot

![Python](https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/starplot?style=for-the-badge&color=6388b0)

![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/starplot?style=for-the-badge&color=57a8a8)

![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/steveberardi/starplot?style=for-the-badge&color=8b63b0)

![GitHub Workflow Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/steveberardi/starplot/test.yml?style=for-the-badge&color=88b063)

**Starplot** is a Python library for creating star charts and maps of the sky.

- 🗺️ **Maps** - including 10+ customizable projections

- ⭐ **Zenith Charts** - shows the entire sky at a specific time and place

- 🌃 **Horizon Charts** - shows the horizon at a specific time and place

- 🔭 **Optic Simulations** - shows what you'll see through an optic (e.g. telescope) at a specific time and place

- 🪐 **Planets and Deep Sky Objects (DSOs)** - with support for plotting their true extent

- ☄️ **Comets and Satellites** - easy trajectory plotting

- 🎨 **Custom Styles** - for all objects and with 8+ built-in themes

- 📥 **Export** - png, svg, jpeg

- 🚀 **Data Backend** - powered by DuckDB + Ibis for fast object lookup

- 📓 **Custom Data Catalogs** - with helpers for building and optimizing

- 🧭 **Label Collision Avoidance** - ensuring all labels are readable

- 🌐 **Localization** - label translations for French, Chinese, and Persian (coming soon!)

## Examples

*Zenith chart of the stars from a specific time/location:*

![starchart-blue](https://starplot.dev/images/examples/star_chart_basic.png)

*Map around the constellation Orion:*

![map-orion](https://starplot.dev/images/examples/map_orion.png)

*The Pleiades star cluster, as seen through a refractor telescope from a specific time and location:*

![optic-pleiades](https://starplot.dev/images/examples/optic_m45.png)

## Basic Usage

To create a star chart for tonight's sky as seen from [Palomar Mountain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palomar_Mountain) in California:

```python

from datetime import datetime

from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo

from starplot import ZenithPlot, Observer, styles, _

tz = ZoneInfo("America/Los_Angeles")

dt = datetime.now(tz).replace(hour=22)

observer = Observer(

    dt=dt,

    lat=33.363484,

    lon=-116.836394,

)

p = ZenithPlot(

    observer=observer,

    style=styles.PlotStyle().extend(

        styles.extensions.BLUE_MEDIUM,

    ),

    resolution=4096,

    autoscale=True,

)

p.constellations()

p.stars(where=[_.magnitude < 4.6])

p.constellation_labels()

p.horizon()

p.export("starchart.png")

```

## Documentation

[https://starplot.dev](https://starplot.dev)

## Demo

For a demo of Starplot's zenith charts, check out: 

[Sky Atlas - Star Chart Creator](https://skyatlas.app/star-charts/)

## Getting Help / Updates

- Chat with other starplotters on our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/WewJJjshFu)

- [Follow us on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/starplot.dev)

- [Join our newsletter](https://buttondown.com/starplot)

- [See more examples at Starplotting.com](https://starplotting.com/)

## Contributing

Contributing to Starplot is welcome and very much appreciated! Please see [here](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details.

## Coming Soon

- 🧮 Coordinate system helpers

- 🌑 Planet moons

- ✴️ Custom markers

- 😄 🔭 Clear skies

See more details on the [Public Roadmap](https://trello.com/b/sUksygn4/starplot-roadmap)

## Related Repositories

- [starplot-bigsky](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot-bigsky)

- [starplot-constellations](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot-constellations)

- [starplot-ongc](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot-ongc)

- [starplot-hyg](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot-hyg)

- [starplot-gaia-dr3](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot-gaia-dr3)

- [starplot-hyperleda](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot-hyperleda)

## License

[MIT License](https://github.com/steveberardi/starplot/blob/main/LICENSE)