Data and scientific credits
The sources behind the view.
Skydust combines several kinds of information. Knowing where a number comes from helps explain what it can—and cannot—tell you.
Where calculations run
The same Python physics model can run on Skydust’s hosting service using a scheduled local worker, or in GitHub Actions. Changing the execution location does not change the source datasets, model equations or their scientific limitations. Local mode transfers results directly into WordPress without using the public ingestion API.
Measured observations are a separate source
The SQM Map uses consented observations submitted by Skydust contributors and approved by the operator. It does not convert the forecast skyglow raster into measured points. Cite “Skydust contributors / Skydust”, the map, the download date and CC BY 4.0; identify any modifications.
Instrument values are reported as submitted. Stored retrospective calculations provide Sun and Moon context where available; they do not replace the measured SQM value. Map summaries use the selection and grouping method described on the map page.
Inputs used in this release
Open-Meteo
Forecast inputWeather and aerosol API data support the observing calculations. For the UAE, the aerosol input comes from the global Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), with coarser native resolution than the hourly display suggests.
Credit: Open-Meteo and the relevant upstream providers, including CAMS/ECMWF. Data: CC BY 4.0, with provider attribution. API access and commercial use also depend on service terms.
NASA AERONET
Independent measurementSun and Moon photometry provides station-based aerosol optical depth. Skydust compares recent Level 1.5 data with raw model values at the station and matching hour. AOD at 550 nm is interpolated from available wavelength data.
We thank the principal investigators and staff who establish and maintain the AERONET sites. Follow AERONET’s data-use and acknowledgement guidance, including contact with investigators for research use where requested.
NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Airport observationsMETAR reports provide local visibility, weather and cloud information. They are contextual surface observations, not direct measurements of aerosol optical depth above an observing site.
Credit NOAA/NWS Aviation Weather Center and the reporting stations. These reports are accessed through the public data service.
Yale Bright Star Catalogue
Star catalogueCatalogue positions, magnitudes and colour information support the illustrative sky view when the catalogue is available. Displayed visibility is a model estimate, not an observation of those stars.
Credit Hoffleit and Warren, Bright Star Catalogue, 5th revised edition, with the CDS/VizieR distribution.
CelesTrak
Orbital elementsOrbital elements support SGP4 satellite-path estimates when available. Visibility and brightness add assumptions; trail-removal predictions have not been validated.
Credit CelesTrak and the upstream element sources. Respect the service’s access and update guidance; data access is separate from software licensing.
Optional inputs are labelled separately
EUMETSAT cloud observations
The experimental WMS cloud reader is disabled in this release because its layer identity, mask codes and observation timestamp have not been verified. Skydust must not describe the current cloud forecast as satellite-validated.
A future implementation must identify its exact product and licence, preserve acquisition times and include the required attribution. Current EUMETSAT policy distinguishes data categories; do not apply a blanket licence to every product.
NASA Black Marble
The supplied configuration uses population-based light sources. Black Marble ingestion is optional and is not evidence that measured night-light radiance is active on the website. If a radiance dataset is installed, record its product, collection, dates and processing.
Upward radiance is not ground-observed sky brightness. The propagation model remains provisional even when the light-source data are measured.
Interactive planetarium credits
- Positions and coordinate transforms: Astronomy Engine (MIT). Satellite propagation uses satellite.js (MIT) with the CelesTrak orbital elements credited above.
- Stars and constellations: Hipparcos star data and constellation lines distributed through D3-Celestial; its BSD notice and upstream data credits are retained in the plugin. Deep-sky targets use the Skydust catalogue.
- Milky Way photograph: ESO/S. Brunier, CC BY 4.0. Skydust resizes and aligns the panorama, masks the surrounding photographic star field and retains the central band. Its displayed brightness is illustrative.
- Moon and planet imagery: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio / LRO, CGI Moon Kit for the Moon; Solar System Scope / INOVE for planet textures (CC BY 4.0). Maps are resized and projected onto enlarged, shaded discs. They are representative imagery, not live surface or weather observations.
- Horizon landmarks: OpenStreetMap contributors for Burj Khalifa and Jebel Jais anchors; UNESCO for Wadi Wurayah. Skydust’s landmark drawings are illustrative, not a terrain survey.
These sources retain their own licences and do not imply endorsement. Camera view adds the device’s live background to calculated positions; it does not identify objects in an image. Device permissions and storage are explained in the privacy notice.
Calendar and map credits
Eclipses: Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak, NASA’s GSFC, with the Espenak–Meeus eclipse catalogues. Global circumstances and approximate local visibility have different meanings. Follow each event’s source for precise local planning.
NASA lunar catalogue · NASA solar eclipse table
Meteor showers: reference radiants and seasonal peak information attributed to the International Meteor Organization. The supplied recurring dates are planning approximations; annual peaks and outbursts require that year’s calendar.
Maps: MapLibre GL JS provides the renderer, CARTO the basemap styling and delivery, and OpenStreetMap contributors the underlying map data. Preserve the visible map attribution. These have separate software, service and database terms.
MapLibre · CARTO attribution · OpenStreetMap copyright and ODbL
Scientific foundations
- Kasten & Young (1989): relative optical airmass.
- Krisciunas & Schaefer (1991): a reference model for moonlit sky brightness.
- Winkler (2022): a revised treatment of atmospheric scattering geometry for moonlight.
- Kim et al. (2011): regional aerosol optical properties used as provisional parameter guidance.
- Unihedron documentation: the measurement response and handling of SQM instruments.
A citation supports a component of the method. It does not mean the authors endorse Skydust or that the assembled model inherits their published accuracy. Humidity adjustments, population-based skyglow, seeing and practical visibility rules remain approximations.
Reusing data responsibly
Skydust’s original text and computed outputs, and consented observations approved for sharing, are offered under CC BY 4.0 unless marked otherwise. Suggested credit: Skydust, skydust.ae, with the named upstream providers. Link to the source and licence and indicate changes.
This does not relicense third-party material. Preserve its credits and check the applicable licence and access terms for the intended use. The WordPress plugin is separately marked GPL-2.0-or-later; dependencies retain their own licences.
Report missing credits or source errors to info@skydust.ae.