Starplot

Starplot is a Python library for creating star charts and maps.

• ⭐ Zenith Plots - showing the stars from a specific time/location
• 🗺️ Map Plots - including North/South polar and Mercator projections
• 🔭 Optic Plots - simulates what you'll see through an optic (e.g. binoculars, telescope) from a time/location
• 🪐 Planets and Deep Sky Objects (DSOs)
• 🎨 Custom Styles - for all objects
• 📥 Export - png, svg
• 🧭 Label Collision Avoidance

Examples

Zenith plot of the stars from a specific time/location:

Map around the constellation Orion, with M42 marked:

Optic plot of The Pleiades through a refractor as seen from a specific time/location:

Basic Usage

To create a star chart for tonight's sky as seen from Palomar Mountain in California:

from datetime import datetime
from pytz import timezone
import starplot as sp

tz = timezone("America/Los_Angeles")

p = sp.ZenithPlot(
    lat=33.363484, 
    lon=-116.836394,
    dt=datetime.now(tz).replace(hour=22),
    limiting_magnitude=4.6,
    resolution=2000,
)
p.export("starchart.png")

Documentation

https://starplot.dev

Demo

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

Sky Atlas - Star Chart Creator

Core Dependencies

• matplotlib
• pandas
• numpy
• geopandas
• cartopy
• skyfield
• pydantic
• adjustText

Coming Soon

• ⚖️ Better auto font-size adjustment
• ☄️ Better label collision detection and handling

License

MIT License