GUIDES
What is that bright star in the sky?
Identify a bright star or planet using your location, local time, direction and height above the horizon.
Open the sky mapStart with direction and time
Open Orion, choose your observing location, and tap Live. Face the bright point and compare its direction with the map. The same direction can contain different objects later in the night, so a saved screenshot is not a reliable identification by itself.
Compare the brightest candidates
Open What’s up tonight or the Object list. Look for a bright planet or star at a similar altitude. Select it to center the map. A low object near the horizon and a high object overhead are different candidates, even if both lie toward the west.
Confirm with nearby stars
Zoom out slightly and compare the surrounding pattern. A phone compass can drift, so use the map manually if the pattern does not match. Do not identify an object from brightness or twinkling alone.
If nothing matches
Check your location, time zone and the Live setting. Orion’s catalog covers stars, planets and selected deep-sky objects; it does not identify every satellite, aircraft or other moving light. The sky map does not use a camera photograph.