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Field guide · SkyWatch

Build your own detection station

You do not need a government clearance to record the sky. SkyWatch covers the DIY programs and home sensor builds that amateur researchers use to log unusual aerial activity, a focus area on astronomy and astrophotography, and the CE5 contact protocol for people who want to try structured skywatching.

Browse detection programs Astronomy and astrophotography Read the CE5 protocol

Before you start

  • 01 A log of ordinary skies is what makes an unusual one stand out.
  • 02 Most reports turn out to be aircraft, satellites, balloons, or drones. Rule those out first.
  • 03 Record time, place, direction, and equipment every time, even when nothing happens.

Programs · DIY detection

Detection programs you can run at home

Each setup below is something a hobbyist can build or join. Costs and difficulty are rough estimates and vary with the parts you choose.

  • Cameras · Moderate

    All-sky camera

    A wide-angle camera in a weatherproof dome points straight up and records the whole sky on a schedule. Meteor and fireball networks use the same hardware, so the setup guides are well documented.

    Core parts
    Fisheye lens, low-light camera, small computer, dome
    Rough cost
    $150 – $600

    Best for: continuous logging, timestamped frames you can review later.

  • Cameras · Easy

    Motion-triggered night camera

    A security camera or trail camera with night mode and a wide field of view, aimed at open sky and set to save a clip whenever something crosses the frame. Pair it with a satellite and aircraft tracking app to rule out the usual suspects.

    Core parts
    Weatherproof camera, large memory card, fixed mount
    Rough cost
    $50 – $200

    Best for: beginners who want a first working station in an afternoon.

  • Cameras · Moderate

    Dual-camera triangulation

    Two cameras several miles apart, both recording at the same time, let you work out distance and speed for anything seen by both. Parallax is the strongest answer to the question of whether something was small and close or large and far.

    Core parts
    Two camera stations, a synced clock, a friend at the second site
    Rough cost
    $300 – $1,200

    Best for: turning a curious clip into something you can measure.

  • Field sensors · Easy

    Magnetometer and EMF logging

    A smartphone or a small hobby magnetometer logs changes in the local magnetic field over time. Run it beside your camera so any disturbance has a matching timestamp, and note nearby power lines, vehicles, and appliances that cause false readings.

    Core parts
    Magnetometer board or phone app, microcontroller, data logger
    Rough cost
    $0 – $120

    Best for: adding a second data stream alongside video.

  • Field sensors · Easy

    Weather and sky logging station

    Temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, and cloud cover explain a lot of odd sightings. A cheap weather station that logs to a file gives every observation a context record.

    Core parts
    Weather station or sensor board, logging software
    Rough cost
    $40 – $250

    Best for: ruling out temperature inversions, lenticular clouds, and ground effects.

  • Radio & radar · Moderate

    SDR radio monitoring

    A software-defined radio dongle and an antenna let you watch radio activity across wide frequency ranges, including aircraft transponder broadcasts that identify nearby planes. Matching a visual to a known transponder is the fastest way to close a case.

    Core parts
    USB radio receiver, antenna, free decoding software
    Rough cost
    $30 – $150

    Best for: identifying aircraft and logging unexplained signals.

  • Radio & radar · Moderate

    ADS-B flight feeder

    A small receiver picks up position broadcasts from commercial aircraft and shares them with public flight-tracking sites. It gives you a local, timestamped record of every plane in range, so you can check any sighting against it.

    Core parts
    ADS-B receiver, small computer, outdoor antenna
    Rough cost
    $60 – $200

    Best for: building your own aircraft ruling-out database.

  • Observer networks · Easy

    Skywatch and sighting logs

    Independent investigator networks accept structured sighting reports and publish aggregate data. Filing a consistent report each time you observe builds a record that others can check against theirs.

    Core parts
    Notebook or log app, compass, watch set to network time
    Rough cost
    Free

    Best for: joining an existing community without buying equipment.

  • Observer networks · Moderate

    Meteor and fireball camera networks

    Volunteer networks of all-sky cameras track fireballs and share a common software stack. Contributing a station adds your data to a scientific record and gives you a ready-made answer for the brightest false positives.

    Core parts
    Network-approved camera, mounting site, internet connection
    Rough cost
    $200 – $700

    Best for: contributing data that real researchers can use.

Focus · Astronomy and astrophotography

Astronomy and astrophotography

A telescope or a camera on a tracking mount records the sky in far more detail than a security camera. It also teaches you what the normal sky looks like, which is the best defence against false alarms. Costs are rough ranges and vary with the gear you choose.

  • Cameras · Moderate

    DSLR or mirrorless on a tripod

    A camera you may already own, a sturdy tripod, and a remote shutter record star fields, the Moon, and bright planets. Short exposures keep stars as points and make any odd streak or light easy to spot.

    Core parts
    Camera body, wide or standard lens, tripod, remote shutter
    Rough cost
    $0 – $900

    Best for: a first set of clean, timestamped sky frames.

  • Cameras · Moderate

    Dedicated astro camera

    A cooled or uncooled camera made for astronomy attaches to a telescope or lens and is controlled from a laptop. It captures faint detail and keeps raw files with full metadata, which helps when you need to show what the sensor recorded.

    Core parts
    Astro camera, laptop, capture software, telescope or lens
    Rough cost
    $300 – $2,000

    Best for: detailed imaging of planets, the Moon, and deep-sky targets.

  • Cameras · Easy

    Wide-field Milky Way rig

    A fast wide-angle lens and a fixed tripod, shooting long exposures under dark skies, capture the Milky Way and any trails that cross it. A repeating interval timer builds a time-lapse record of the whole night.

    Core parts
    Wide fast lens, tripod, intervalometer, spare batteries
    Rough cost
    $150 – $700

    Best for: continuous overnight records of a wide patch of sky.

  • Mounts and scopes · Moderate

    Star tracker and tracking mount

    A motorised mount turns the camera at the rate the sky appears to move, so long exposures keep stars sharp. Once your tracking is accurate, anything that does not move with the stars stands out clearly in the frame.

    Core parts
    Tracking mount, polar alignment aid, camera, counterweight
    Rough cost
    $250 – $1,500

    Best for: sharp long exposures and a clear baseline of fixed stars.

  • Mounts and scopes · Easy

    Smart telescope

    An all-in-one scope that finds its own targets, stacks images automatically, and saves the results to your phone. It is the fastest way to start observing, and it records time and position with every capture.

    Core parts
    Smart telescope with built-in camera and mount, phone app
    Rough cost
    $400 – $2,500

    Best for: beginners who want results on the first clear night.

  • Mounts and scopes · Moderate

    Planetary and lunar imaging setup

    A longer telescope with a fast video camera records thousands of short frames, which software stacks into a sharp image. Planets and the Moon are a useful test of how steady your sky is on a given night.

    Core parts
    Telescope, planetary camera, barlow lens, laptop
    Rough cost
    $300 – $2,000

    Best for: learning the sky and comparing seeing conditions.

  • Satellite tracking · Easy

    Satellite and ISS pass tracking

    Free apps and websites predict when satellites, the International Space Station, and bright flares will cross your sky. Photograph a predicted pass and you have a known object to compare against anything you cannot explain.

    Core parts
    Phone or laptop, tracking app, your location, a camera
    Rough cost
    Free

    Best for: ruling out the most common bright moving lights.

Method · Astrophotography

How to capture a sky image you can trust

Good astrophotography habits double as good evidence habits. These steps keep your files honest and easy to check.

  1. 01

    Pick a dark site and a clear night

    Use a light-pollution map and a cloud forecast. Dark skies show more stars, which gives you more reference points for anything unusual.

  2. 02

    Set the camera and leave it alone

    Shoot in raw, switch off noise reduction, and fix the focus on a bright star. Write down the exposure, ISO, and lens in your log.

  3. 03

    Take calibration frames

    Capture dark frames and flat frames after your session. They let you tell sensor defects and hot pixels apart from real objects.

  4. 04

    Check for the ordinary first

    Compare any streak or point of light with satellite, aircraft, and meteor records for that minute. A lens flare or a reflection can look surprising in a single frame.

  5. 05

    Keep every original

    Back up the untouched raw files and the camera timestamp. Edit only copies, so anyone reviewing your work can see exactly what the sensor recorded.

Method · Recording

How to record an observation

A clean record is the difference between a story and evidence. Use the same steps every time.

  1. 01

    Note the basics at once

    Date, exact time with time zone, your location, the direction you were facing, and the weather. Write it down before you review anything else.

  2. 02

    Keep the original file

    Save the untouched video or photo and never edit it. Make a copy for any cropping or enhancement, and keep the camera's own timestamp.

  3. 03

    Rule out the ordinary

    Check aircraft trackers, satellite passes, drone activity, balloon launches, and planet positions for that time and place.

  4. 04

    Describe, then interpret

    Write what you saw first: shape, color, motion, duration, sound. Add your interpretation separately so it never rewrites the observation.

  5. 05

    Get a second observer

    A separate witness or a second camera in the same direction is worth more than any single clip. Ask them to write their account without reading yours.

Protocol · CE5

CE5 contact protocol

CE5, short for Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind, is a practice where participants try to initiate contact with nonhuman intelligence through intention, quiet attention, and structured skywatching. It was popularised by researcher Steven Greer. Results are anecdotal and unproven, so treat it as an observation practice, not a guarantee.

Safety first

  • Go with at least one other person, and tell someone your location and return time.
  • Choose a legal, public, or permitted site. Never trespass, and stay away from military installations and restricted airspace.
  • Carry water, a charged phone, a red light, and warm clothes. Dark rural sites can be cold, remote, and far from help.
  • Do not shine lasers at the sky or at aircraft. It is illegal in many countries and dangerous to pilots.
  • Stay sober and aware of your surroundings. Leave if the area feels unsafe.
  1. Pick a site and time. Look for a dark, open sky with a clear view of the horizon on a night with little moon. Visit in daylight first so you know the ground.
  2. Gather a small team. Two to six people works well. Agree on roles: a timekeeper, a recorder, and someone who watches the surroundings.
  3. Set your equipment. Camera on a tripod, a notebook or voice recorder, a red light, a compass, and an app that shows aircraft and satellite passes.
  4. Agree your intention. Decide as a group what you are doing and how long the session will run. Keep the aim simple and respectful.

Caught something unexplained?

Send your logs to the desk

If your station records something that survives the ruling-out steps, we want to see the raw files and your notes.

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