Function Repository Resource:

AstroListPlot

Source Notebook

Visualize a list of astronomical positions or entities on a star map

Contributed by: Jeff Bryant

ResourceFunction["AstroListPlot"][{astro}]

highlights the specified astronomical position or entity astro for your current location and date.

ResourceFunction["AstroListPlot"][{astro1,astro2,}]

highlights multiple astronomical positions or entities.

Details and Options

astroi can be given in the following forms:
Entity[…]astronomical entity
AstroPosition[]astronomical position
Constellation entities do not generate a marker since the default behavior already includes constellation borders and name labels.
ResourceFunction["AstroListPlot"] has the same options as AstroGraphics with the following additions:
"MarkerColor"Whitemarker color
"MarkerSize"Scaled[.05]marker size

Examples

Basic Examples (5) 

Visualize Polaris from your location:

In[1]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Polaris"]}]
Out[1]=

Visualize a less prominent star:

In[2]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "LambdaCassiopeiae"]}]
Out[2]=

Visualize an arbitrary astronomical position:

In[3]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{AstroPosition[{Quantity[6.257, "AngularDegrees"], Quantity[30.122, "AngularDegrees"], Quantity[3, "AstronomicalUnit"]}]}]
Out[3]=

Visualize a list of stars:

In[4]:=
bigdipper = EntityList[EntityClass["Star", "BigDipper"]]
Out[4]=
In[5]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][bigdipper]
Out[5]=

Visualize Polaris and an arbitrary astronomical position:

In[6]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Polaris"], AstroPosition[{Quantity[6.257, "AngularDegrees"], Quantity[30.122, "AngularDegrees"], Quantity[3, "AstronomicalUnit"]}]}]
Out[6]=

Scope (3) 

Visualize the current position of Altair from a specified location:

In[7]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Altair"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", Entity["City", {"Johannesburg", "Gauteng", "SouthAfrica"}]}, AstroRange -> All]
Out[7]=

Visualize Mizar from a specified location and time:

In[8]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Mizar"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2020, 8, 4, 15, 30}], GeoPosition[{40.11, -88.22}]}]
Out[8]=

Visualize the sky from a specified location and time and highlight Polaris and Venus:

In[9]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Planet", "Venus"], Entity["Star", "Polaris"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2020, 8, 4, 15, 30}], GeoPosition[{40.11, -88.22}]}, "MarkerSize" -> Scaled[.1]]
Out[9]=

Options (19) 

AstroBackground (6) 

Visualize the sky with a white background:

In[10]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Alioth"]}, AstroBackground -> "WhiteSky"]
Out[10]=

Use a background showing the Milky Way:

In[11]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Deneb"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2022, 10, 23, 15, 0, 0}]}, AstroBackground -> "GalacticSky", AstroRange -> All]
Out[11]=

Add constellation illustrations and remove the equatorial, ecliptic and galactic planes:

In[12]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Betelgeuse"]}, AstroRange -> Quantity[30, "AngularDegrees"], AstroReferenceFrame -> "Equatorial", AstroBackground -> AstroStyling[{"BlackSky", "ShowConstellationIllustrations" -> True, "ShowMainPlanes" -> False}]]
Out[12]=

In[13]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Shaula"]}, AstroRange -> Quantity[20, "AngularDegrees"], AstroBackground -> "GalacticSky", AstroReferenceFrame -> "Ecliptic"]
Out[13]=

Visualize the sky and highlight specific constellation boundaries:

In[14]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Mizar"], Entity["Star", "Alnitak"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", GeoPosition[{40.11, -88.22}], DateObject[{2020, 8, 4, 10, 30}]}, AstroRange -> All, AstroBackground -> AstroStyling[{"BlackSky", "ShowConstellations" -> {Entity["Constellation", "Orion"], Entity["Constellation", "UrsaMajor"]}}]]
Out[14]=

Visualize the sky with constellation lines:

In[15]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Spica"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2020, 8, 4, 15, 30}], GeoPosition[{40.11, -88.22}]}, AstroRange -> All, AstroBackground -> AstroStyling[{"BlackSky", "ShowConstellations" -> True}]]
Out[15]=

AstroCenter (1) 

Display Mercury and Venus, centering the map at the position of the Sun:

In[16]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Planet", "Mercury"], Entity["Planet", "Venus"]}, AstroCenter -> Entity["Star", "Sun"], AstroReferenceFrame -> "Ecliptic", "MarkerSize" -> Scaled[.1]]
Out[16]=

AstroGridLines (2) 

Visualize the sky with the equatorial coordinate grid visible:

In[17]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Arcturus"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2020, 8, 4, 15, 30}], GeoPosition[{40.11, -88.22}]}, AstroGridLines -> Automatic, AstroRange -> All]
Out[17]=

Use equatorial grid lines in the same ecliptic map:

In[18]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Arcturus"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2020, 8, 4, 15, 30}], GeoPosition[{40.11, -88.22}]}, AstroGridLines -> {"Equatorial" -> Automatic}, AstroRange -> All]
Out[18]=

AstroGridLinesStyle (1) 

Change the default style of the astro grid lines:

In[19]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Capella"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Horizon", DateObject[{2025, 7, 25, 10}, TimeZone -> -5]}, AstroGridLines -> Automatic, AstroGridLinesStyle -> Directive[Dashed, Opacity[0.4, Lighter[Red]]],
  AstroRange -> All]
Out[19]=

AstroProjection (1) 

Use different projections:

In[20]:=
date = DateObject[{2020, 12, 21, 18, 0, 0}, TimeZone -> "America/Chicago"];
In[21]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Planet", "Jupiter"]}, AstroProjection -> "LambertAzimuthal", AstroRangePadding -> None, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Equatorial", date, Here}, AstroRange -> {All, All}]
Out[21]=
In[22]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Megrez"]}, AstroProjection -> "WinkelTripel", AstroRangePadding -> None, AstroRange -> {All, All}]
Out[22]=

AstroRange (1) 

Show 10 angular degrees around the current position of Jupiter:

In[23]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Planet", "Jupiter"]}, AstroRange -> Quantity[10, "AngularDegrees"]]
Out[23]=

AstroRangePadding (1) 

Add 5 angular degrees of padding in all directions around the range including two stars:

In[24]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Rigel"], Entity["Star", "Betelgeuse"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> "Ecliptic", AstroRangePadding -> Quantity[5, "AngularDegrees"]]
Out[24]=

AstroReferenceFrame (4) 

By default, AstroListPlot uses the local horizon frame and the "Stereographic" projection:

In[25]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Mizar"]}, AstroRange -> All]
Out[25]=

Show the full sky, using the equatorial frame, in the "Equirectangular" projection:

In[26]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Mizar"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Equatorial", Now, Here}, AstroRange -> All]
Out[26]=

Show the full sky, using the ecliptic frame, in the "Equirectangular" projection:

In[27]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Polaris"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Ecliptic", Now, Here}, AstroRange -> All]
Out[27]=

Show the full sky, using the galactic frame, with the result using the "Mollweide" projection:

In[28]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Polaris"]}, AstroReferenceFrame -> {"Galactic", Now, Here}, AstroRange -> All]
Out[28]=

MarkerColor (1) 

Change the color of the marker:

In[29]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Star", "Polaris"]}, "MarkerColor" -> Magenta]
Out[29]=

MarkerSize (1) 

Zoom in around Jupiter until you see the positions of the Galilean satellites:

In[30]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Planet", "Jupiter"]}, AstroRange -> Quantity[0.04, "AngularDegrees"], "MarkerSize" -> Scaled[.3]]
Out[30]=

Neat Examples (1) 

Specify styling directives for a constellation:

In[31]:=
style = {"ShowConstellationIllustrations" -> True, "ShowConstellationRegions" -> True, "ConstellationRegionStyle" -> Darker[Blue, .2], "ConstellationLineStyle" -> Opacity[0.6, LightBlue], "ShowConstellationBoundaries" -> True, "ConstellationBoundaryStyle" -> Directive[Dashing[{0, Tiny}], Yellow], "ConstellationNameStyle" -> GrayLevel[0.7], "ShowSolarSystemObjects" -> False};
In[32]:=
ResourceFunction[
 "AstroListPlot", ResourceSystemBase -> "https://www.wolframcloud.com/obj/resourcesystem/api/1.0"][{Entity["Constellation", "Scorpius"]}, AstroBackground -> AstroStyling[{"GalacticSky", "ShowConstellations" -> {Entity["Constellation", "Scorpius"]}, style}], AstroReferenceFrame -> "J2000"]
Out[32]=

Requirements

Wolfram Language 13.0 (December 2021) or above

Version History

  • 1.1.1 – 15 September 2025
  • 1.1.0 – 29 August 2025
  • 1.0.0 – 22 August 2025

Related Resources

License Information