Inspiration
As an avid stargazer based in the Pacific Northwest, I grew frustrated with disjointed tools for exploring the night sky – clunky star charts, outdated event lists, and confusing telescope guides. I wanted to create a one-stop app that made astronomy accessible, blending my love for tech and cosmic exploration to turn casual sky-gazing into meaningful discovery.
What it does
Astronomy Guide is an interactive assistant that lets users point their phone at the sky to identify stars, constellations, and planets in real time. It curates upcoming astronomical events (meteor showers, eclipses), delivers personalized stargazing recommendations based on location/light pollution, and guides users through telescope selection/setup – plus a gallery of stunning deep-space imagery.
How we built it
We started by mapping core user journeys (e.g., "identify a constellation" or "plan a stargazing trip") and designing a dark-mode UI optimized for night use. We built offline-capable AI recognition with CoreML, integrated geolocation/weather APIs for personalized tips, and curated a comprehensive database of astronomical events and telescope specs.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest hurdle was balancing offline functionality with real-time accuracy – ensuring basic sky recognition worked without internet while keeping event data/planet positions up-to-date online. We also struggled to calibrate AI recognition for varying sky conditions (light pollution, cloud cover) across different regions.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We created a seamless offline/online experience that works across North America, Europe, and Oceania. The AI recognition hits 90% accuracy for bright celestial objects, and user testing showed even beginner astronomers could set up a telescope using our guide in under 10 minutes.
What we learned
We deepened our understanding of astronomical data modeling and how to translate complex cosmic concepts into accessible, user-friendly content. We also learned to prioritize core features (like real-time recognition) over nice-to-haves, ensuring the app delivers value first.
What's next for this project
We plan to add AR constellation overlays, expand the telescope database to include more regional brands, and integrate real-time weather alerts for stargazers. We’re also exploring a community feature where users can share their stargazing spots and photos.
Built With
- amazon-web-services
- firebase
- kotlin
- reactnative
- swift
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