Data Sources
& Attribution
Clear‑Skies Club relies on trusted astronomical datasets and APIs to provide accurate observation planning. We respect each provider's terms of use and provide proper attribution as required.
| Source | Data Provided | License | Attribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPL Horizons | Solar system ephemerides, planetary positions, and orbital mechanics | Public domain (U.S. Government work) | NASA/JPL-Caltech |
| Minor Planet Center (MPC) | Asteroid and comet orbital elements | Free for non-commercial use with attribution | International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center |
| Pan-STARRS / MAST | Deep-sky object imagery | Publicly available with attribution | Pan-STARRS1 Surveys (PS1) and the PS1 public science archive have been made possible through contributions by the Institute for Astronomy, the University of Hawaii, the Pan-STARRS Project Office, the Max-Planck Society and its participating institutes, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, The Johns Hopkins University, Durham University, the University of Edinburgh, the Queen's University Belfast, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network Incorporated, the National Central University of Taiwan, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX08AR22G issued through the Planetary Science Division of the NASA Science Mission Directorate, the National Science Foundation Grant No. AST-1238877, the University of Maryland, Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE), the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. |
| Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) | All-sky photographic survey imagery | Publicly available | Space Telescope Science Institute / Digitized Sky Survey |
| NASA Image Library | Astronomical imagery and photographs | Generally public domain unless otherwise noted | NASA |
| N2YO Satellite Tracking | Satellite orbital data and visible pass predictions | API access with attribution | N2YO.com satellite tracking service |
| NOAA GFS (Global Forecast System) | Atmospheric forecast data | Public domain (US Government) | NOAA / National Weather Service |
| Himawari-9 (JAXA / JMA) | Satellite cloud imagery | Public domain (via NOAA AWS Open Data) | Japan Meteorological Agency / NOAA |
| OpenWeather | Weather forecasts | API subscription (ODbL for data) | OpenWeather |
| HYG Star Database | Star catalog for bright stars and constellations | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Compiled by David Nash from Hipparcos, Yale Bright Star, and Gliese catalogs |
Solar system ephemerides, planetary positions, and orbital mechanics
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Asteroid and comet orbital elements
International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center
Deep-sky object imagery
Pan-STARRS1 Surveys (PS1) and the PS1 public science archive have been made possible through contributions by the Institute for Astronomy, the University of Hawaii, the Pan-STARRS Project Office, the Max-Planck Society and its participating institutes, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, The Johns Hopkins University, Durham University, the University of Edinburgh, the Queen's University Belfast, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network Incorporated, the National Central University of Taiwan, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NNX08AR22G issued through the Planetary Science Division of the NASA Science Mission Directorate, the National Science Foundation Grant No. AST-1238877, the University of Maryland, Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE), the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
All-sky photographic survey imagery
Space Telescope Science Institute / Digitized Sky Survey
Astronomical imagery and photographs
NASA
Satellite orbital data and visible pass predictions
N2YO.com satellite tracking service
Atmospheric forecast data
NOAA / National Weather Service
Satellite cloud imagery
Japan Meteorological Agency / NOAA
Star catalog for bright stars and constellations
Compiled by David Nash from Hipparcos, Yale Bright Star, and Gliese catalogs
Licensing & Commercial Use
We cache and attribute data according to each provider's terms of service. Most sources permit free use for typical astronomy applications with proper attribution.
For high-volume commercial use or API rate limit upgrades, additional licensing may be required from individual providers. We will surface any necessary licensing information to commercial users as needed.
Last updated: July 2026
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