ALLSKY: A RASPBERRY PI CAMERA IN A WEATHERPROOF DOME THAT FILMS THE WHOLE NIGHT SKY BY ITSELF
A Raspberry Pi in a dome that wakes at dusk, shoots all night, and assembles the timelapse by morning without you touching it.
by AllskyTeam
ScienceOpen-hardware
- difficulty
- ●●●○○
- time
- a weekend
- license
- MIT
- repo
- repo ACTIVE1,581 stars
●●●○○ · a weekend · MIT · 1,581 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 3D printer + filament — printable parts — files are in the repo
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
Allsky is software that turns a Raspberry Pi and a wide-angle camera into an automatic all-sky camera. It starts shooting at dusk, stops at dawn, and assembles a timelapse and a keogram — a single strip image compressing the whole night so you can see cloud cover, meteors and aurora at a glance — by morning. It also generates star trail composites and can upload results to a website. A typical build uses a Raspberry Pi with the HQ camera module and a fisheye lens, an acrylic dome, a printed or plastic enclosure and a small heater, coming to roughly 250 US dollars; ZWO astronomy cameras are supported at higher cost. The software is polished and the install is scripted, but you are on your own for sourcing the dome, the heater and the enclosure — the wiki points to suppliers but does not hand you a cart. The single biggest practical trap is condensation: without a dew heater the dome fogs over and you wake up to a night of grey. If you live somewhere dark and want automated sky monitoring, this is the build; if you want a guided hardware kit with every part listed, you will spend an afternoon compiling your own BOM first.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —MIT licence, 1,580 GitHub stars, last pushed 23 June 2026, active development.
- —Enclosure STL files are free on Printables, linked from the wiki.
- —No single bill of materials — the wiki lists camera options (Pi HQ camera, ZWO astronomy cameras) and dome suppliers, but you assemble the list yourself.
- —Installation guide and configuration docs are in the wiki, but there is no step-by-step build video from the project itself — community walkthroughs exist.
- —The software is the entire project; hardware is standard Raspberry Pi plus a camera module and a dome.
- —No restrictions on commercial use under MIT licence.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Videos
Building and running the Allsky camera (Alaskan Astro)
No official build video from the AllskyTeam project. Community walkthroughs exist but vary by camera and enclosure choice; start with the GitHub wiki install guide.
Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the installation wiki (Start here: camera compatibility, dome suppliers, and the scripted install process are all documented.)
- 2.Pick your camera(Pi HQ camera with a 6mm or 8mm fisheye lens is the common path for roughly 250 USD total; ZWO astronomy cameras are supported but cost more.)
- 3.Source a dome and heater(The wiki lists acrylic dome suppliers (typically 12-inch for full-sky coverage) and dew heater options — condensation is the single most common failure mode.)
- 4.Download enclosure files (Multiple enclosure designs on Printables, linked from the wiki; pick one that fits your camera and mounting setup.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Condensation fogging the dome is the documented failure mode — a dew heater is not optional, it is part of every working build.
- There is no single BOM; you assemble the parts list yourself from the wiki, and dome and heater sourcing takes longer than the software install.
- Aurora in example footage is location-dependent (Alaska, high-latitude sites); the camera captures what is in your sky, it does not create phenomena.
- The Pi HQ camera with fisheye lens is cheaper but lower resolution than ZWO astronomy cameras; decide based on whether you want full-sky coverage or detailed meteor/satellite tracking.
- First-light testing will take several nights to dial in exposure, heater timing and focus — the automation works, but the tuning is manual.
- If you live under significant light pollution, keograms will show the glow more than the stars; this build is for dark or semi-dark sites.
What is a keogram and why does it matter?
A keogram is a single strip image that compresses an entire night into one picture by taking a vertical slice from the centre of each frame and stacking them. One glance shows when clouds rolled in, when a meteor went through, or when aurora appeared — you do not have to scrub through hours of timelapse to find the event.
Do I need the dew heater, or can I skip it?
You need it. Condensation fogging the dome is the single most common reason a build fails, and a 10-20 USD heater strip wired to turn on before dusk solves it. Every working build in the community includes one.
What dome size do I need for full-sky coverage?
12-inch acrylic domes are the common choice for full 180-degree coverage with a fisheye lens; smaller domes work but clip the horizon. The wiki lists suppliers.
Can I use a webcam instead of the Pi camera module?
Allsky supports USB webcams, but the Pi HQ camera or ZWO astronomy cameras give better low-light performance and are the documented path for night-sky imaging.
How much storage does a night of shooting take?
A single night generates 1-5 GB depending on frame rate and resolution; the software deletes old frames automatically after assembling the timelapse and keogram, so a 64 GB SD card is enough for weeks of rolling operation.
Do I need a GPS module?
No, but it helps: the GPS timestamps frames accurately and provides location data for overlay graphics. The software works without it if you set the location manually in the config.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Condensation fogging the dome is the documented failure mode, and a dew heater is part of every working build. What would your heater setup look like — USB-powered strip, mains plug-in, or something else?
AllskyTeam
Allsky was originally created by Thomas Jacquin and is now maintained by the AllskyTeam organization. The project grew out of the astronomy and meteor observation community, where automated all-sky cameras are used to monitor for fireballs, aurora and satellite passes. The software is MIT licensed and built by contributors worldwide.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM20d ago
Practical notes from our verification: the repo is active with 1,580 stars and a June 2026 push, the software install is scripted and well-documented in the wiki, but there is no single official BOM or build video — you source the dome, heater and enclosure yourself from the wiki's supplier list. The single biggest upgrade is not the camera, it is spending the extra 20 dollars on a proper dew heater and wiring it to turn on automatically before dusk. Community builds on Printables show multiple enclosure designs; pick one that matches your camera and mounting preference before you start printing.