I built a free, zero-ad browser tool to quickly check telescope framing and target altitudes (Aetherframes)
Hey everyone,
Like a lot of you, I always found myself jumping between different apps or loading up heavy software just to figure out if a target would fit nicely on my sensor, or to check what its altitude would look like during my narrow imaging window.
I wanted a quick, lightweight tool I could pull up instantly on my desktop or my phone while setting up gear outside, so I built **[Aetherframes.com](https://aetherframes.com)\*\*.
It’s completely free, has zero ads, and is fully optimized for mobile web browsers.
**What it does:**
* **Sensor & FOV Modeling:** Input your telescope's focal length and camera pixel size, select your sensor type (Full Frame, APS-C, Micro 4/3), and it projects an exact field-of-view rectangle over the real sky using Aladin Lite.
* **Live Altitude Tracking:** It dynamically calculates true altitudes and visibility percentages based on your local coordinates, so you know exactly when a target clears the trees.
* **Target Filters:** Includes a quick filter system for the top deep-sky objects (Nebulae, Galaxies, Clusters) sorted automatically by what is highest in your sky right now.
**What's next:**
I'm actively maintaining this and want to expand the feature set. The long-term roadmap is to transition this into a dedicated mobile application with automated scheduling and camera rotation indicators once the platform matures.
I would absolutely love to get your feedback on it! Are there specific gear presets, camera databases, or target tracking features you'd want to see added next?
Clear skies!