A portable window into the night sky. Part field instrument, part sketchbook for the patterns you find overhead.
Raspberry Pi / In progress
The bright-star map with constellation overlays, a horizon guide, and sky settings. Screenshot enhanced for readability.
View full-size image (opens in a new tab)I’m developing a dedicated device for exploring the night sky and making constellations of your own. The intended experience is to find stars, connect them into a pattern, give it a name and story, and save it locally.
The Rust and Macroquad prototype displays a real bright-star catalog with touch and mouse controls. GPS and orientation sensors are planned to align the view with the device’s location and direction; the software currently uses a development location.
Hardware work includes component-fit and enclosure prototypes. Sensor integration, portable power, cooling, and outdoor testing remain part of the work ahead.
Explore the prototype branch on GitHubLoading 3D preview…
Drag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom. Arrow keys also rotate.
A cube for now. The mapper's model will live here as the project takes shape.
The documented prototype components and open hardware decisions. Listing a sensor here describes the hardware plan; GPS and orientation input are still awaiting software integration.
| Part | Quantity | Role & build notes |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 · 8 GB | 1 | Runs the native Rust application and hosts the hardware interfaces. |
| Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 · 5-inch | 1 | Primary display and touch input. On-screen zoom controls support the Pi’s touch-backend behavior. |
| Adafruit Mini GPS | 1 | Planned location and time input. Exact module revision and final connection details are not recorded. |
| Adafruit BNO085 IMU | 1 | Planned orientation and movement input. Calibration and the sensor interface are still to be integrated. |
| 3D-printed enclosure prototypes | Not recorded | Explore component fit and handling. Final printed-piece count, material, dimensions, and fasteners are not documented. |
| Portable power | To be selected | Battery, power regulation, charging hardware, and runtime targets remain open decisions. |
| Cooling | To be selected | Final cooling solution and ventilation layout remain open decisions. |
| Cables, connectors & mounting hardware | Not recorded | A final inventory of the display connection, sensor wiring, connectors, and fasteners is still needed. |
| Additional physical controls | Undecided | Touch is the current interface. Any additional buttons or controls remain a design decision. |
Notes from the software and hardware work. The native prototype is on the prototype branch, with a draft pull request tracking the work.
Working through 3D-printed enclosure prototypes with component fit and usability guiding the design. Power, cooling, sensor placement, and access to connections still need to come together in the final layout.
Build photos and enclosure files have not been added to this page yet.
Read the hardware planAdded on-screen zoom controls and refined fullscreen behavior for the Touch Display 2. A kiosk setup helper configures the Raspberry Pi desktop’s labwc window rule and panel autohide so the application can use the display cleanly.
View the kiosk updateStarted a native Rust and Macroquad prototype with a small catalog of real bright stars, sky-coordinate calculations, drag and swipe controls, zoom, and star inspection. The current time and a temporary observer location provide the first view while sensor integration is pending.
View the initial prototypeSet the direction for a dedicated sky companion: explore real stars, connect them, name a constellation, and save its story. The hardware plan centers on a Raspberry Pi 5, a touch display, GPS, and orientation sensing.
Read the project vision