StarNest™ Network | Remote Observatory Demo

Your assignment: Your account can access only the MAS eVscope Station and your own session history. Other observatories, members, and camera feeds are hidden.

◎ ORGANIZATION NETWORK

Milwaukee Astronomical Society

A shared remote-observing concept connecting club members to approved smart telescopes while StarNest coordinates enclosure, power, weather, and access safety.

OBSERVATORIES32 online • 1 maintenance

AUTHORIZED MEMBERS244 sessions this week

NETWORK SAFETYClearLocal interlocks armed

ACTIVE SESSION18:00 PM–4:00 AM

SHARED EQUIPMENT

Remote observatories

Simulated MAS network

◉ASSIGNED TO ALEX

MAS eVscope Station

Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Unistellar eVscope

ENCLOSUREClosed & secured

TELESCOPE POWEROff

WEATHERSafe

NEXT SESSION9:00 PM

Ready for Alex's approved member session. Local safety performs the final opening check.

◉IN SESSION

MAS Seestar Station

Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Seestar S50

ENCLOSUREOpen

TELESCOPE POWEROn

WEATHERSafe

SESSION OWNERMaya R.

Member session active from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM. Other control requests are temporarily locked.

⚙MAINTENANCE

StarNest Field Test

New Berlin, Wisconsin • Seestar S50 Pro

ENCLOSUREClosed & secured

TELESCOPE POWEROff

WEATHERSafe

ACCESSAdministrators

Reserved for StarNest hardware validation. Member scheduling is temporarily disabled.

ACCESS CONTROL

People and permissions

Organization administrator controls

MAS MEMBERS

Authorized users

MV

Matt V.Club administrator

POLICY ADMIN

Organization management • cameras private

MR

Maya R.Active now

EVSCOPESEESTAR

MAS Seestar Station • operator-qualified

AL

Alex L.Next session: 9:00 PM

EVSCOPE APPROVED

MAS eVscope Station

SK

Sam K.Supervised guest

VIEW ONLY

MAS Seestar • supervised sessions

SAFETY-FIRST ROLES

Permission model

Club AdministratorManage members, roles, schedules, policies, and assignments. Administrator status never grants camera access.

Observatory OperatorMaintain assigned equipment, respond to alarms, and receive time-limited support access with member notification and an audit record.

MemberRequest sessions, see only assigned equipment, and use external telescope software during an authorized window.

GuestParticipate in supervised or view-only sessions without independent equipment controls.

Your observing access: Request sessions for the MAS eVscope Station, follow approval and weather status, and launch your assigned telescope software only during the authorized window.

▦ MAS CLUB OPERATIONS

Schedule people—not just telescopes

Coordinate reservations, training eligibility, usage policies, maintenance, notifications, and accountable access across every MAS observatory. StarNest remains the enclosure, power, and local-safety authority.

FLEET OPERATIONS

All-observatory status board

Current, next, and exception status

MAS eVscope StationUnistellar eVscope • Milwaukee

READY

Alex L.9:00 PM–5:00 AM • 8 hr

Safe • enclosure closedPower off • interlocks armed

NoneTraining verified

MAS Seestar StationSeestar S50 • Milwaukee

IN SESSION

Maya R.8:00 PM–4:00 AM • 8 hr

Safe • enclosure openPower on • lease active

Session activeAutomatic reminders armed

StarNest Field TestSeestar S50 Pro • New Berlin

MAINTENANCE

No bookingsReturns Aug 29

SecuredMember access disabled

Seal inspectionAssigned to Rami

RESERVATIONS

Upcoming observing calendar

Demonstration week • Central Time

MON24Maya • Seestar S50
8 PM–12 AMAlex • eVscope
9 PM–1 AM

TUE25Alex • eVscope
9 PM–5 AMJordan • S50
10 PM–1 AM

WED26Jordan • eVscope
10 PM–2 AMMaya • S50
8 PM–4 AM

THU27Outreach • S50
8 PM–12 AMSam + Maya • eVscope
9 PM–1 AM

FRI28Maya • S50
9 PM–5 AMAlex • eVscope
10 PM–2 AM

SAT29Alex • eVscope
8 PM–4 AMS50 open after 10 PM

SUN30Jordan • eVscope
9 PM–12 AMS50 available

1 • REQUESTED

2 • APPROVED

3 • WEATHER CHECK

4 • READY

5 • IN SESSION

6 • COMPLETED

Session lifecycle: members choose durations in one-hour increments up to eight hours. Approval reserves the telescope and time, but the local StarNest controller still performs the final weather, power, enclosure, and sensor checks.

APPROVAL QUEUE

Requests needing action

2 pending

Jordan K. • Aug 26MAS eVscope • M57 and M27 • training approved

PENDING

MAS Outreach • Aug 27MAS Seestar • supervised public program • operator assigned

PENDING

CLUB GOVERNANCE

Access rules and readiness

MAS policy concept

USAGE POLICY

Booking limits

Monthly member allowanceFair access across the club

4 sessions

Maximum session lengthChoose any whole-hour duration from 1 to 8 hours

8 hours

Advance booking windowPrevents indefinite reservations

14 days

Priority blocksOutreach and coordinated science campaigns

TRAINING AUTHORIZATION

Equipment eligibility

Alex L.Approved for eVscope • Seestar orientation pending

EVSCOPE APPROVED

Maya R.Operator-qualified on both MAS stations

OPERATOR

Jordan K.Completed eVscope checkout Aug 19

VERIFIED

Guest accountSupervised viewing only • no controls

SUPERVISED

MEMBER NOTIFICATIONS

Recent and scheduled

Your session is approvedAlex • eVscope • tonight at 9:00 PM

SENT

Weather check begins in 30 minutesAutomatic pre-session safety review

QUEUED

Session ends in 15 minutesCamera and telescope-control lease will expire

AUTOMATIC

Safety closureImmediate alert to member and on-call operator

ALWAYS ON

MAINTENANCE MODE

Equipment availability

StarNest Field TestSeal inspection • assigned to Rami • estimated return Aug 29

OFFLINE

MAS eVscope StationLast inspection Aug 22 • no open issues

AVAILABLE

MAS Seestar StationFirmware review scheduled Sep 2 • bookings remain available

AVAILABLE

Maintenance mode blocks new reservations, preserves existing records, names the responsible operator, and shows members an estimated return date.

Private session history: Only sessions associated with your MAS eVscope assignment are visible. Other members' activity and observatory records are hidden.

◷ OBSERVING RECORDS

Sessions and weather

Review simulated observing activity, enclosure events, and recorded weather conditions throughout each remote session.

Reservation policy: members choose whole-hour sessions from 1 to 8 hours. The log records the actual run, which may be shorter when weather, safety automation, or the member ends a session early.

SIMULATED HISTORY

Recent observing sessions

Weather recorded by local StarNest sensors

Session visibility follows account assignmentsAdministrator view • operational records for all MAS observatories

Aug 24 • 9:04–11:31 PMMaya R. • 2 hr 27 min

MAS Seestar StationSeestar S50

PLANNED TARGETSM31 • Andromeda
M33 • Triangulum

64→61°F52→58% RH11→18% clouds5–7 mph

COMPLETED

OPEN • 9:04 PM64°F • 52% RHClouds 11% • Wind 5 mph

10:00 PM63°F • 54% RHClouds 13% • Wind 6 mph

11:00 PM62°F • 57% RHClouds 16% • Wind 7 mph

CLOSE • 11:31 PM61°F • 58% RHNo rain • Normal shutdown

Safety checks passed at opening and closing. Telescope power was removed after the enclosure confirmed fully closed.

Aug 23 • 9:12–10:30 PMAlex L. • 1 hr 18 min

MAS eVscope StationUnistellar eVscope

PLANNED TARGETSM13 • Hercules Cluster
M92 • Globular Cluster

66→64°F49→53% RH7→9% clouds4–5 mph

COMPLETED

OPEN • 9:12 PM66°F • 49% RHClouds 7% • Wind 4 mph

9:40 PM65°F • 50% RHClouds 8% • Wind 4 mph

10:10 PM64°F • 52% RHClouds 9% • Wind 5 mph

CLOSE • 10:30 PM64°F • 53% RHNo rain • Normal shutdown

Remote access granted only to Alex L. for the scheduled interval. Camera access expired automatically when the session ended.

Aug 22 • 10:18–10:56 PMMaya R. • 38 min

MAS Seestar StationSeestar S50

PLANNED TARGETSNGC 7000 • North America
IC 5070 • Pelican

70→68°F72→88% RH64→95% clouds0.08 in rain

AUTO-CLOSED

OPEN • 10:18 PM70°F • 72% RHClouds 64% • Wind 9 mph

10:42 PM69°F • 80% RHClouds 82% • Wind 12 mph

RAIN • 10:54 PM68°F • 87% RHRain detected • Close issued

SECURED • 10:56 PM68°F • 88% RH0.08 in • Telescope power off

The local safety controller ended the remote session, closed the enclosure, confirmed both alignment sensors, and then removed telescope power.

Aug 20 • 8:45 PMAlex L. • Did not open

MAS eVscope StationUnistellar eVscope

PLANNED TARGETSM57 • Ring Nebula
M27 • Dumbbell Nebula

67°F75% RH78% clouds16 mph

WEATHER HOLD

8:30 PM68°F • 72% RHClouds 69% • Wind 14 mph

REQUEST • 8:45 PM67°F • 75% RHClouds 78% • Wind 16 mph

9:00 PM66°F • 78% RHClouds 84% • Opening blocked

CANCEL • 9:15 PM66°F • 80% RHNo rain • Enclosure remained closed

The opening request was rejected because conditions did not meet the observing profile. No equipment was powered and the camera feed remained unavailable.

Aug 18 • 10:06 PM–12:14 AMAlex L. • 2 hr 8 min

MAS eVscope StationUnistellar eVscope

PLANNED TARGETSM27 • Dumbbell Nebula
NGC 6960 • Western Veil

62→59°F55→61% RH6→14% clouds3–6 mph

COMPLETED

OPEN • 10:06 PM62°F • 55% RHClouds 6% • Wind 3 mph

11:00 PM61°F • 57% RHClouds 8% • Wind 4 mph

MIDNIGHT60°F • 60% RHClouds 12% • Wind 6 mph

CLOSE • 12:14 AM59°F • 61% RHNo rain • Normal shutdown

Session completed without warnings. Camera authorization and telescope-control lease were released at closure.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Operational and access audit

Simulated organization log

Aug 25
8:32 PM

Opening request passed to local safetyAlex L. • MAS eVscope Station • approved reservation

COMMAND

Aug 25
7:55 PM

Telescope power enabledMAS Seestar Station • Maya R. control lease • operator notified

POWER

Aug 24
11:31 PM

Camera access automatically revokedMaya R. • MAS Seestar Station • session ended

AUTOMATIC

Aug 23
9:12 PM

Assigned member camera access grantedAlex L. • MAS eVscope Station • scheduled session

SESSION

Aug 22
10:56 PM

Remote access terminated by local safetyRain closure • enclosure secured before telescope power was removed

SAFETY

Aug 21
4:10 PM

Maintenance mode enabledStarNest Field Test • seal inspection • responsible operator Rami

MAINTENANCE

Aug 20
8:45 PM

Administrator camera request deniedNo assignment or consent-based support authorization was active

PRIVACY

SMART ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Your observatory, ready when the sky is.

Monitor safety, plan the night, open the enclosure, control lighting, and view both cameras from one clean interface.

System stateReadyAll safety checks passed

Dome position78%Observing position

Best tonight86/100Around 2:00 AM

Battery backup92.0%Close-only reserve ready

QUICK CONTROL

Try the demo

Simulation only

LIVE SNAPSHOT

System overview

✓

Safety stateSafeNo alerts detected

♨

Inside temperature72.0°FHumidity 44.0%

⌁

NetworkExcellentStarNest local link

⚙

Controller simulator0.20.0 DemoFirmware behavior simulation

●

Camera feed private

Administrator status does not grant camera access, and administrators must never impersonate a member or use a member’s credentials. A designated Observatory Operator may request consent-based, time-limited support access for a specific reason. The assigned member is notified and every event is audited.

No shared credentialsMember notificationReason + expiration requiredEvery access event audited

W130° FIELD OF VIEWE

OUTSIDE • ULTRAWIDE

Outside sky cameraSimulated 130° view • Milky Way with light cloud drift

INTERIOR • NIGHT MODE

Telescope parked • enclosure clear

Interior safety cameraLow-light enclosure status view

CAMERA SETTINGS

Capture controls

◐

ExposureAutoAdaptive demo setting

◎

Resolution1080pCamera 1 preview

◌

StorageLocalBrowser download in demo

↔

Night modeEnabledLow-light optimized

Real view • Fully open

OPEN • 78%Observing position

Fully closed0%

Opening1–32%

Mid-open33–74%

Fully open75–100%

ENCLOSURE CONTROL78%

LIMIT SWITCHESNormal

Open limitNot triggered

Demo

Close limitNot triggered

Demo

LOCKSUnlocked

Available when fully closed and aligned

Internal + External LightingControl each lighting zone independently with the same scenes, brightness, animation, and color-temperature tools.

LIVE SIMULATION

ENCLOSURE INTERIORInternal lightsSetup, maintenance, and night-safe illumination.

INTERNAL

LIVE PREVIEW

Star PartyPurple, blue, cyan and gold lights shimmer like a miniature star field.

LIVE

Brightness45%

Animation speed5/10

Warm-white CCT3200K

OBSERVATORY EXTERIORExternal lightsArrival, star-party, and perimeter lighting.

EXTERNAL

LIVE PREVIEW

Star PartyPurple, blue, cyan and gold lights shimmer like a miniature star field.

LIVE

Brightness65%

Animation speed5/10

Warm-white CCT3200K

FACILITY + TELESCOPE SOFTWARE

StarNest protects the observatory. Your astronomy app controls the telescope.

StarNest coordinates enclosure motion, facility power, weather safety, permissions, and session timing. SkyMapper, Unistellar, Seestar, NINA, and other telescope applications remain the observing interface. A session handoff is enabled only after StarNest reports a safe, open, powered facility.

STARNEST FACILITY LAYERProtect • Power • Open • MonitorLocal safety can reject an opening, terminate a control lease, close the enclosure, and remove telescope power.

→

EXTERNAL TELESCOPE LAYERPoint • Observe • Capture • ShareThe member uses the approved telescope application during the assigned reservation window.

SkyMapper / SkyViewerPlanned handoff for compatible Unistellar sessions. API or partnership validation is required.

UnistellarUse the telescope’s supported application after enclosure and power readiness are confirmed.

SeestarStarNest manages the protected facility; the Seestar app remains the imaging experience.

NINA / ASCOM AlpacaStandards-based observatory services for dome, safety, weather, and protected power controls.

Concept only. No third-party telescope service is connected in this demo, and availability depends on supported interfaces, authorization, and validation with each provider.

CORE INTEGRATION • INTERACTIVE DEMO

Native ASCOM Alpaca™ Observatory Services

Connect StarNest to NINA and compatible automation software as a coordinated Dome, SafetyMonitor, ObservingConditions, and Switch system. Every remote command remains subordinate to local enclosure safety.

Interactive architecture review • Local autonomy, hardware validation, security, and ASCOM conformance testing remain production requirements.

Automation demo readyNo astronomy application is connected.

SAFETY-GATED CONTROL

PROTOCOLASCOM AlpacaNetwork-native observatory control

DEVICE SERVICES4 coordinatedDome • Safety • Weather • Switch

SHUTTER STATUSPartially open78% open • status feedback

SAFETY GATEClearRemote opening permitted

ALPACA DEVICE SERVICES

One observatory, four standard interfaces

NINA discovery simulation

DOME V3Dome / ShutterOpen, close, abort, moving state, limit confirmation, and explicit fault status.READY

SAFETYMONITOR V3IsSafe = TrueEvery local safety input is clear.SAFE

OBSERVINGCONDITIONS V2Sensors currentTemperature, humidity, dew point, rain, wind, and update age.UPDATED NOW

SWITCH V39 named controlsInternal light, external light, dehumidifier, dew heat, and five 12V outputs.AVAILABLE

CONNECTION

Observatory software

Demo disconnected

SkyMapper / SkyViewerExternal telescope-control handoff concept for compatible Unistellar sessions

Explore integration

Unistellar and Seestar appsMember launches the supported telescope app after StarNest grants a safe facility lease

Complementary

NINAReady to discover four StarNest services

Not connected

ASCOM Device HubPlanned validation target

Validation target

VoyagerPlanned validation target

Validation target

Other Alpaca clientsStandard network discovery profile

Standards-based

ASIAIR CompanionASIAIR handles imaging while StarNest independently handles enclosure, safety, environment, and facility power

Complementary

Discovery nameLocal-network device identity

StarNest Observatory

Network endpointOwner network only

starnest.local • Device 0

REMOTE COMMANDS

Try the automation flow

Simulation only

1 • REQUESTED

2 • SAFETY CHECK

3 • MOVING

4 • COMPLETE

Waiting for command
Connect the NINA demo, then try an enclosure command.

Allow remote openingOnly while every safety input is clear

Protective closureRequires a verified telescope-clear policy in production

REVIEW REQUIRED

Safety overrideRain, low battery, high wind, stale sensors, and physical faults

Locked on

Control priority: local safety inputs and motion stop override remote commands. Opening is rejected whenever state is unsafe or unknown. Production must verify that the telescope is physically clear before any closure.

DEVICE CAPABILITIES

StarNest command map

ASCOM Alpaca dome profile

↗

OpenShutterSafety gatedOpens only when conditions are clear

↘

CloseShutterAvailableNormal and protective closure

■

AbortSlewAvailableStops enclosure motion

◎

ShutterStatusLive feedbackClosed, opening, open, closing, or error

↻

SlewingFalseTrue throughout enclosure movement

!

Fault feedbackClearHardware, sensor, and communication faults

FAIL-SAFE LAB

Test observatory failure behavior

Shared across every tab

System nominal: local safety supervision remains active even when no astronomy application is connected.

AUTOMATION HISTORY

Recent integration events

Current demo session

Four Alpaca services initializedDome, SafetyMonitor, ObservingConditions, and Switch are ready for discovery

Session start

Local safety supervisor armedRain, battery, wind, sensor freshness, alignment, and enclosure faults have priority

Session start

Safe to observeAll monitored conditions are within limits.

SAFETY SIMULATION

Backup battery level

Auto-close at 20%

Battery charge92%

☂

Rain sensorDryNo rain detected

♨

Inside temperature72.0°FUpdates every 60 seconds

◌

Inside humidity44.0%Stable enclosure level

➤

Wind9.0 mphWNW • 286°

▣

Battery backup92.0%Motion use • 0.25% per full travel

⚡

Motor current0.11 AIdle current

◫

Shell alignmentAlignedBoth sensors agree

↘

Auto-closeArmedRain, battery, wind, and sensor protection

CONDENSATION SAFETY

Humidity control

External power available

INTERNAL AIR72.0°F

HUMIDITY44.0%

CALCULATED DEW POINT49.5°F

DEW MARGIN22.5°F

Output level65%

Internal temperature72°F

Internal humidity44%

Operating statusAuto standby • Dew margin is safe

0W

Auto starts when the air temperature is within 5°F of the calculated dew point and stops after the margin recovers above 8°F. Manual and automatic operation require an active external source.

Forecast date14-day forecast • recommendations recalculate for the selected night

50 sky-quality reference locations • static Bortle/SQM estimate with live weather when internet is available

INTERACTIVE NIGHT-PLANNING DEMO

New Berlin, Wisconsin, US

Compare darkness, cloud cover, weather, moonlight, and the best observing window.

Estimated BortleClass 6Bright suburban sky

Best tonight86/100Around 2:00 AM

Estimated SQM19.3mag/arcsec² • static planning estimate

Night window8:38 PMUntil 5:18 AM

TONIGHT

Hourly observing outlook

Forecast loading

SCORE BREAKDOWN

Why this score?

Clouds

24

Precipitation

82

Visibility

68

Wind

74

Moonlight

85

RECOMMENDATIONS

Suggested observing schedule

Based on cloud coverage

Target magnitude: 10.0Galaxies, brighter nebulae and compact deep-sky targets.

4 • bright14 • faint

TARGETS FOR THIS LOCATION

Recommended night-sky objects

Calculating visibility • NASA imagery when available

SKY QUALITY

Location overview

New Berlin fallback • connecting to live data

✧

Estimated BortleClass 6Bright suburban sky

◐

Estimated SQM19.3mag/arcsec² • static planning estimate

⌂

Sky-quality datasetWorld Atlas2015 reference • approximate class

◎

Location typeRegional locationSaved StarNest reference

◉

Nightfall observing score61/100Forecast at nightfall

★

Best score tonight86/100Best around 2:00 AM

☁

Nightfall cloud coverage48%Low 18% • Mid 12% • High 39%

☾

MoonWaxing Crescent15% illuminated

♨

Weather73°FPartly cloudy • Feels 73°F

◌

Air quality52 AQIModerate • PM2.5 2.2 µg/m³

↔

Visibility10.6 miHumidity 61%

➤

Wind7 mphRain chance 12%

External power connectedAC charging active • Battery charging

300W POWER SYSTEM

LIVE POWER

System capacity

12V bus • 25A maximum

SYSTEM CAPACITY300W25A at 12V

ACTIVE LOAD9.4W0.8A total

AVAILABLE HEADROOM290.6WProtected by software limits

BACKUP BATTERY92.0%Charging

INPUT SOURCES

Power connections

Simulation controls

External 12VDCDirect regulated DC input

Solar chargingMPPT-regulated solar input

AC chargingMains adapter and battery charger

Battery level92%

RESERVED CAPACITY

300W allocation

80W StarNest
Controls + humidity reserve80W Dew heat
Built-in heater reserve140W Auxiliary
Shared across five outputs

Selected telescopeLive estimate • simulated load

5.9W

StarNest control electronicsLive estimate • normally 3–4W

3.5W

StarNest active loadElectronics + dehumidifier • 80W maximum

9.4W

Dew-heater load80W reserved maximum

0W

Accessory load140W shared maximum

0W

BUILT-IN PROTECTION

Dew-heater power

80W reserved

Heater output0W

Ready • External power connected

OPTIONAL PLUG-IN ACCESSORY

StarNest 12V Power Hub

USER-INSTALLABLE

OUTPUTS5 × 12V

PER-PORT RATING10A / 120W

ACTIVE AUX LOAD0W

SHARED HEADROOM140W

12V Output 1Off • 10A hardware rating

60W • 5.0A

12V Output 2Off • 10A hardware rating

60W • 5.0A

12V Output 3Off • 10A hardware rating

60W • 5.0A

12V Output 4Off • 10A hardware rating

60W • 5.0A

12V Output 5Off • 10A hardware rating

60W • 5.0A

Each port is hardware-rated for 10A/120W, while the five outputs share a software-enforced 140W/11.7A operating budget. All accessory outputs shut down when external power is lost.

APPEARANCE

Dashboard

Text sizeUse A− and A+ in the top bar • saved on this device

115%

Night themeUse the astronomy dark interface

Reduce motionLimit demo animations

Compact cardsFit more information on screen

NOTIFICATIONS

Safety alerts

Rain alertsNotify when rain is detected

Auto-close alertsNotify when StarNest closes itself

Best-time reminderAlert before tonight's best window

CONNECTION

StarNest device

StarNest ControllerLocal observatory connection

Connected

Camera moduleDashboard status feed

Connected

Connection managementReconnect or disconnect this demo device

Remote cloud controlSecure owner access

Coming Soon

SYSTEM

Prototype information

Dashboard versionMobile and desktop release

V33

Controller simulatorFirmware behavior simulation

0.22.0

Club operationsScheduling, training, maintenance, and access workflow

Concept ready

Last safety checkDemo status

Just now