AllSky Camera Observatory

Building a Window to the Night Sky

As a long-time technology enthusiast and amateur astronomer, I wanted to build an observatory that could continuously monitor the night sky, capture meteor events, observe changing weather conditions, and provide a live view of the heavens from my location in Gloucester, NSW.

Rather than purchasing a commercial system, I designed and built my own AllSky camera from the ground up, selecting hardware and software that would provide reliability, high image quality, and 24/7 autonomous operation.

The result is a fully automated weatherproof imaging system that continuously captures the sky throughout both day and night and publishes the latest images online for anyone to view.

Features

• 24/7 automated sky monitoring
• High-resolution day and night imaging
• Meteor and satellite detection
• Timelapse generation
• Cloud and weather observation
• Remote monitoring and administration
• Automatic image uploads
• Live public viewing

The Hardware

The observatory consists of a Raspberry Pi-based imaging platform housed inside a custom weatherproof enclosure fitted with:

• Sony low-light CMOS camera
• 180° fisheye lens
• Environmental protection with optical dome
• Active cooling and heating for condensation prevention
• Automated sunrise/sunset exposure changes
• Reliable outdoor power and networking

Every component was selected to survive Australia's harsh outdoor conditions while requiring minimal maintenance.

Software

The system runs dedicated AllSky software on Linux, automatically controlling image capture, exposure, storage and publication.

Custom scripts handle:

• Image processing
• Automatic uploads
• Timelapse creation
• System monitoring
• Remote maintenance
• Performance reporting

Being open-source, I've also customised parts of the software to better suit my installation and desired workflow.

Challenges

Like many outdoor technology projects, the build wasn't without challenges:

• Preventing condensation inside the dome
• Managing extreme summer temperatures
• Optimising low-light camera settings
• Balancing image quality against file sizes
• Ensuring reliable unattended operation

Solving these issues required a combination of hardware design, Linux administration and automation scripting.

What I Learned

This project combined several areas that I enjoy:

• Linux systems administration
• Embedded computing
• Electronics
• Networking
• Automation
• Astronomy
• Environmental monitoring
• Photography

It also reinforced the importance of designing systems that can operate autonomously for months at a time while remaining remotely manageable.

Live Camera

The camera is publicly available online, allowing visitors to watch changing weather conditions, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, cloud formations, storms and the spectacular night sky over Gloucester, NSW.