Good skies shouldn't depend on where you live.
Most people who love the night sky live under light pollution, cloud or a balcony with a view of the neighbours. Meanwhile, excellent telescopes at dark sites sit idle for much of the year. Celestarray connects the two.
A note from Ontario.
Celestarray started with a simple frustration. Here in Ontario, a clear, moonless night is something you plan your week around, and even then the glow of the nearest town washes out the faint stuff. Meanwhile, beautifully built telescopes under some of the darkest skies on Earth sit idle on most nights, because their owners can't be at the eyepiece every hour of every night.
So the idea is to connect the two: let anyone book an hour under whichever sky is dark, and let the people who built those observatories earn from the nights they'd otherwise miss. No subscriptions, no stock photos of what you might get, and the host's own safety rules always in charge.
We're building the first part of the network now, one observatory at a time. If you run a telescope, or you just want to image something you can't see from home, I'd love to hear from you.
Clear skies,
James M. Courtice, Celestarray · Ontario, Canada · [email protected]
For astronomers
Book real instruments by the hour, from wide-field astrographs to solar scopes. Plan your target with the planner and get full-resolution data back.
For hosts
Observatories, clubs and schools earn from time their telescopes would otherwise be idle, while keeping full control of schedule, price and safety.
For the hobby
Lower the barrier to astrophotography. Try different equipment before buying, and reach southern or northern skies you can't see from home.
Honest, safe and simple.
Celestarray is built around a few principles that guide every decision.
- Clear pricing. You see the hourly rate and the total before you book. No subscriptions.
- Hosts stay in control. Every booking can be confirmed or declined by the telescope's owner.
- Safety first. The Sun can only be booked on telescopes fitted with proper solar filters.
- Your data is yours. Images captured in your session are delivered to you at full resolution.
- Open science. Our planner is built on open data and open-source tools, credited on every page.
Starting close to home.
Celestarray is a young project based in Ontario. We're working with observatories, astronomy clubs and schools to build the first part of the network. If you run a telescope, we'd love to hear from you.