What the product or service is:
WikiSky.org is an interactive online sky map that provides a detailed view of over half a billion celestial objects, functioning as a virtual star atlas for astronomy enthusiasts.
User Case
Users can explore the night sky by panning, zooming, and clicking on stars, constellations, and other celestial bodies to access information such as names, distances, magnitudes, and associated data from surveys like the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).
Key features
The site incorporates a wiki component, allowing users to edit star information, add links, upload images, or join special interest groups, though activity has been minimal since 2010, with some reported vandalism issues. It offers features like constellation overlays, location-based sky views, and an API for developers to access its data. Described as a "Google Earth for the heavens," WikiSky is user-friendly, loads quickly even on modest connections, and supports multiple languages. However, the site has experienced periodic outages, with reports of instability as recent as 2024, though it remains accessible for non-commercial use