Documentation
Here you will find an overview of the main parts of the website – including login and features for camera owners.
1. Overview
AllSkyKamera is a community-driven network of all-sky cameras, keograms and sensors. The goal is to observe, document and share long-term night sky data.
2. Public areas
Many parts of AllSkyKamera are publicly available without a login. You can immediately view live sky images, browse archives and explore the network.
What can I access without a login?
- Homepage with an overview of all cameras and their status.
- Individual camera pages with live image and archive.
- Keograms, timelapse videos and startrails (depending on camera/site).
- Map, network info and the support page.
Camera pages: live image, archive & data
Each camera has its own detail page. Depending on hardware and upload status you can see live images, archives and derived products.
- Current live image (image.jpg)
- Daily/date archive of images
- Long-term views like startrails (if available)
- Keograms (including long-term, depending on setup)
- Timelapse videos (daily/seasonal/yearly)
- Sensor data (e.g., temperature, SQM) if available
2.1 Cameras & camera pages
Cameras are the heart of the network. On the homepage you see an overview (cards). Each camera also has a detail page with live image, location info and generated products.
A) Camera card on the homepage
The card gives a quick overview: live preview, site name, camera ID, status and direct links.
- Live image preview (updates regularly).
- Site name and camera ID (ASKxxx).
- Online/offline status.
- Level/XP (community gamification element).
- Buttons: camera page, sensor page and (if available) the camera profile.
B) Camera detail page
The detail page bundles everything for a camera: live image, map position, live values and links to sub pages.
- Map view with marker and status.
- Location details (name, coordinates, optionally contact/website).
- Share buttons (e.g., copy link / social).
- System status (online, disk usage, uptime, temperatures etc.).
- Sensor column (BME280, DS18B20, SQM etc. depending on hardware).
- Direct links: show sensor values, open camera profile.
C) Latest files & generated products
Many cameras automatically generate additional products which are accessible on the detail page or via sub pages.
- Latest timelapse video.
- Latest keogram.
- Latest startrails.
- Long-term products like seasonal video or long-term keogram (if enabled).
D) Highlights
Highlights are a curated collection of special events (e.g., aurora, clear skies, impressive startrails) and make the network exciting for visitors.
2.2 Sensor page
The sensor page shows live values and measurements for a camera. Which values are available depends on the installed hardware (e.g., temperature, humidity, SQM sky brightness).
- Temperatures (Pi, housing, outdoor – depending on sensors).
- Humidity and air pressure (e.g., BME280).
- System metrics like uptime or disk usage (depending on camera).
- Sky brightness (SQM / TSL2591 – if available).
- Additional values like Kp index or weather (if integrated).
- Grafana links or detail pages (if enabled).
Not every camera has the same sensors. Missing blocks usually mean: hardware not installed or data is not (yet) uploaded.
2.3 Camera profile page
The camera profile page (“Steckbrief”) is a public profile for a camera: it shows location details, setup information, community links and (optionally) images and external links. It only exists if the camera owner enables the profile in their user account and provides content.
- Camera details (name, location, contact, coordinates).
- “About us” / site description text.
- Camera setup (hardware, sensors, dome, housing, etc.).
- Discord/Signal info (optional, if provided).
- Image gallery (optional).
- External links (website, MakerWorld, TinkerCAD, etc.).
If the profile is not enabled, the “Profile/Steckbrief” button will not appear. The page is intentionally optional so camera owners can decide what information is publicly displayed.
If you operate a camera, a login is useful: it allows you to manage your profile, camera description and community features.
3. Special pages
This section documents special overview and detail pages that provide additional content and filters – available without login.
Every camera page contains a “Detail pages” box. It provides direct access to special lists and overviews.
- Open sensor page: direct view of all sensor data for the camera.
- Show all videos: list of timelapse videos.
- Show all keograms: keogram archive.
- Show all startrails: startrail archive.
- Open Grafana panel: advanced dashboards/charts (if available).
Show all videos
This page lists all timelapse videos of a camera in a calendar view. You can limit the time range and quickly jump to specific days.
Time range filter
- Select “From month” and “To month”.
- Use “Apply” to load the selected range.
- “Reset” clears the filter and returns to the default range.
Calendar view
- Each day is a tile – when a video exists, a preview thumbnail appears.
- Below each day tile you may see quick buttons (e.g., keogram / startrail) if those products exist for that day.
- Use “Back to camera” to return to the camera detail page at any time.
If no preview is shown for a day, there is either no video for that date or it has not been generated/uploaded yet.
Show all keograms
This page lists a camera’s keograms in a calendar view. A keogram is a compact visualization of the sky over time and is great for quickly spotting clouds, brightening or special events.
Time range filter
- Select “From month” and “To month”.
- Use “Apply” to load the selected range.
- “Reset” clears the filter and returns to the default range.
Calendar view
- Each day is a tile – when a keogram exists, a preview thumbnail is shown.
- Use the per-day buttons to jump directly to the video or startrail view (if available).
- Use “Back to camera” to return to the camera detail page.
Keograms are great for comparing night quality: clear nights often look more uniform, while clouds or haze create distinctive patterns.
Show all startrails
This page lists a camera’s startrails in a calendar view. Startrails are images composed from many frames of a night, visualizing the apparent motion of stars across the sky.
Time range filter
- Select “From month” and “To month”.
- Use “Apply” to load the selected range.
- “Reset” clears the filter and returns to the default range.
Calendar view
- Each day is a tile – when a startrail exists, a preview thumbnail is shown.
- Use the per-day buttons to jump directly to the video or keogram view (if available).
- Use “Back to camera” to return to the camera detail page.
Startrails work best on clear nights. Clouds, dew or strong light pollution can significantly affect the result.
Open Grafana panel
Grafana provides advanced dashboards and charts for status and sensor data. The link opens an external Grafana server (not directly hosted on allskykamera.space).
What will I see there?
- Camera status (online/offline) and uptime.
- System metrics such as disk usage and free space.
- Temperature charts (e.g., Raspberry Pi, BME280, DS18B20, camera) depending on installed sensors.
- Additional panels like Kp index or upload status depending on the dashboard.
Grafana is hosted on a separate server/host. Depending on your configuration, access may be public or require login. When opening it, you leave the allskykamera.space website.
Join & request a secret key
To integrate your own AllSky camera into the network, you need a personal secret key. This key allows a secure assignment of your camera to the AllSkyKamera network.
Request a secret key
Camera owners can request a secret key using the form on the join page.
- Name and email address of the camera operator.
- Location of the camera (e.g. city or region).
- Optional link to the camera or a website.
- Additional notes or comments.
After submitting the form, no automatic email is sent. The request is stored and reviewed manually. You will receive a personal reply and your secret key via email from gottie@web.de.
Login for camera owners
The login area is intended for camera owners in the AllSkyKamera network. After logging in you can manage camera-related features (e.g. camera profile, community info and badges).
Each camera owner receives their login personally from Stefan. There is no self-service registration or automatic account creation on the website.
How login works
- Open the login page.
- Enter your username and password.
- After a successful login you will be redirected to your user profile.
User profile for camera owners
After login you enter your personal area. There you can manage camera-related settings and optional content such as the camera profile (“Steckbrief”).
Details & data size
This section shows an overview of your camera and a summary of stored data volumes (e.g. videos, keograms, startrails).
- Camera ID (ASKxxx) and name.
- Location name and coordinates.
- Status (e.g. online).
- Quick links to the camera and sensor pages.
- File counts by product type (videos, keograms, startrails, images, SQM).
- Total size per product type.
- Overall volume (sum of all data).
Camera profile (“Steckbrief”)
In the camera profile you can introduce your camera and site. The profile is only shown publicly on the website if you enable it and provide content.
You decide what becomes public. Only enter information you explicitly want to publish (e.g., do not include private addresses).
Enable the camera profile
- Enable the toggle “Enable profile” to make the profile publicly visible.
- Use “Open profile” to preview the public view directly.
- If the profile is not enabled, it will not be shown and the “Profile/Steckbrief” button will not appear on the camera card/page.
What can I edit?
- Camera details shown on the profile (name, location, coordinates, etc.).
- “About me/us”: free text about the camera, the site or your motivation.
- Camera setup: hardware, dome, heater, sensors (as a list).
- Images: upload a few photos of the camera/installation (optional).
- Links: website, LinkedIn, GitHub, MakerWorld, TinkerCAD, AstroBin, etc.
- “Other”: additional URLs or notes (e.g., Mastodon, Discord handle).
- Community status: Discord/Signal membership (optional).
- Nicknames/usernames: only if you want them to be shown publicly.
Don’t forget to save: changes are applied only after clicking “Save”. Depending on content, the public profile view may look slightly different.
Change password
Here you can change your login password. You will need your current password.
How to change your password
- Enter your current password.
- Enter the new password and confirm it.
- Click “Save”.
Choose a strong password (long, unique, do not reuse). If you forgot your password, contact Stefan so a new password can be issued.
Files & paths
This section provides direct URLs to the current images and videos of your AllSkyCamera. You can use these paths to embed your camera content on your own website.
What is shown here?
- Direct paths to current images (e.g. SQM, keogram, startrails).
- Direct paths to current videos (e.g. night timelapse, daily video).
- All URLs always point to the latest available files.
Typical use cases
- Embedding images or videos via <img> or <video> on your own website.
- Displaying up-to-date camera content without maintaining your own server logic.
- Use on websites, blogs or project pages related to your AllSkyCamera.
The displayed paths are intentionally abstracted and accessed via a proxy. Internal server structures or credentials are not exposed.
Internal sensors
This section lists the internal sensors of your camera that are read directly on the Raspberry Pi. Available sensors depend on your hardware and the camera’s config.json.
How it works
- Sensors are enabled/disabled with the setup script on the camera.
- The table shows which sensors are active and whether they are available.
- “Show on camera page” controls which active sensors are publicly displayed on kamera.php and/or sensor.php.
The website cannot enable sensors that are disabled in config.json or not physically connected. In that case they are shown here for informational purposes only.
External sensors (API)
Using the AllSkyCamera API, you can connect external sensors and measurement devices (e.g. weather stations or custom sensor projects) to your camera. The data is stored server-side and later displayed on the sensor page.
How it works
- External sensors send their measurements to the AllSkyCamera server via the API.
- The data is stored in InfluxDB and assigned to your camera.
- Once the first data has been received, additional configuration options become available here.
External sensors can only send data using a valid secret key. Without this key, no measurements will be accepted or stored.
Highlights & monthly preview
Here you can mark special keograms, startrails and videos as highlights. These highlights will then be shown on your public camera page.
Add and remove highlights
- In “Existing highlights” you see all currently active highlights.
- You can hide individual highlights using the “Deactivate highlight” checkbox.
- In “Monthly overview & new highlights”, select month and type (e.g. keogram) and click “Show”.
- Mark an item as a highlight and choose a category (if available).
Deactivating a highlight does not delete any files. It only removes the item from the highlight display and it can be re-enabled at any time.
Select data / actions
This area allows you to select multiple files, download them in bulk, or delete them if needed. It is a management tool for camera owners.
Deleted files are no longer available. Deleting can impact your camera’s XP and may cause automatically generated products (e.g. daily videos) to look different or be re-rendered on the next processing run.
How to use this section
- Select month and type (e.g. keograms, videos, startrails) and click “Show”.
- Select individual files or use “Select all” to choose multiple items.
- Use “Download selected” to download the selected files in bulk.
- Use “Delete selected” to permanently remove the selected files.
Only delete data when truly necessary (e.g. obvious test data, corrupted frames, duplicate uploads). In general, normal cloudy or bad-weather nights should usually remain part of the dataset.
Services of the AllSkyKamera Network
The AllSkyKamera network offers much more than simply displaying sky images. Camera operators benefit from a wide range of technical, organizational and community services.
Client-side services (camera)
A central open-source Python library is provided for all cameras in the network.
- Upload of images, videos and metadata
- Unified sensor handling (internal & external)
- Calibration and test scripts (e.g. SQM / TSL2591)
- Diagnostic and helper scripts for camera operation
Project on GitHub: github.com/gottie29/AllSkyKamera
Server-side services
The network server infrastructure handles storage, processing and data preparation.
- API for external sensors (secured by secret key)
- Automatic generation of keograms
- Long-term keograms (monthly overviews)
- Startrails generated from night images
- Automatic daily, monthly and yearly videos
Public presentation & integration
Each camera receives its own public camera and sensor pages.
- Public camera & sensor pages
- Network map view
- Highlights for special events
- Easy integration of images and videos into external websites
Community & network
The AllSkyKamera network is a collaborative project.
- Exchange on hardware, sensors and calibration
- Joint development of software and concepts
- Official member badges for camera operators
Many of these services run fully automatically in the background and require no additional configuration.