Interactive astronomy image viewer and analysis toolkit for accessing real telescope data from virtual observatories.

# Install dependencies
pip install astropy numpy matplotlib requests

# Run the interactive sky map
python interactive_sky_map.py

# Or run the simplified viewer
python astronomy_viewer_gui.py

• 🌌 Interactive Sky Map: Click anywhere on an all-sky map to explore that region
• 🔭 Real Telescope Data: Download FITS images from NASA SkyView and other archives
• 📊 Multiple Surveys: DSS2, 2MASS, WISE, and 30+ sky surveys
• 🎨 Advanced Visualization: Multiple colormaps, scaling options, and analysis tools
• 💾 Export: Save FITS files and publication-quality PNG images

Full-featured GUI with:

• Clickable all-sky map showing constellations and famous objects
• Real-time coordinate selection
• Adjustable field of view and resolution
• Multiple survey options

Simplified interface with:

• Catalog of popular astronomical objects
• Manual coordinate entry
• Quick download and visualization

Educational demonstration featuring:

• Physics-based simulation of dark nebulae
• Comprehensive 9-panel analysis
• API usage examples
• FITS file creation with WCS headers

All public data access is free and requires no authentication. The SkyView API is open for educational and research use.

See claude.md for complete technical documentation, API details, and usage examples.

MIT License - Free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose, including commercial applications.

All astronomical survey data accessed through this tool is publicly available and can be used freely with proper attribution:

• License: Public Domain (U.S. Government Work)
• Policy: https://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/about.html
• What you CAN do:
  • ✅ Use for research, education, or personal projects
  • ✅ Post images on GitHub, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any social media
  • ✅ Include in presentations, papers, and publications
  • ✅ Use commercially without restrictions
• Attribution: Recommended but not required. Example: "Image courtesy of SkyView/NASA"

• License: Public Domain
• Policy: https://www.ipac.caltech.edu/2mass/overview/about2mass.html
• What you CAN do: Same as NASA data (public domain)
• Attribution: "This publication makes use of data products from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)"

• License: Free for research and educational use
• Policy: https://archive.stsci.edu/dss/acknowledging.html
• What you CAN do:
  • ✅ Use for academic research and education
  • ✅ Post on websites and social media with attribution
  • ✅ Include in publications with citation
• Attribution Required: "The Digitized Sky Survey was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute"

All astronomical data from SkyView and 2MASS is public domain - use it however you want! DSS data requires simple attribution.