See A Satellite Tonight

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

See A Satellite Tonight provides schedule-based satellite visibility viewing for the night sky, allowing users to see when a satellite will be overhead without a telescope, with location-based search, reminders, and Street View integration.

Target Customer

General public and outdoor enthusiasts interested in observing satellites; educators and hobbyists who want location-based satellite viewing information.

Key Differentiator

Solo-built, end-to-end satellite viewing web app that demonstrates how to integrate frontend, satellite calculations, and backend services; achieved broad user adoption (5 million users since launch in 2019).

Implementation Timeline

Launched in 2019; reached 5 million users by 2022 (as referenced in 2022 post).

Pain Points

1Difficulty determining when and where satellites are visible from a given location.
2Complexity of using multiple APIs/services to assemble satellite viewing data.
3Need for a simple, telescope-free way to discover satellite passes and viewing opportunities.

Key Features

1Location-based satellite viewing times
2Schedule reminders to go outside and look
3Change location and search for viewing times
4Open Street View integration for viewing context

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Graphics & Machine Learning Engineer

Client Results

15 million users since launch in 2019

Competitive Advantages

1Demonstrates solo, end-to-end development of a complex, consumer-facing web app
2Proven ability to scale to millions of users using a heterogeneous set of APIs and services
3Public-facing, hands-on project that integrates mapping, time-based predictions, and user reminders

Key Benefits

1No telescope required to find satellites

2Location-based viewing times and reminders

3Integrated Street View context to help users locate viewing spots

Case Studies & Success Stories

Eyefluence eye tracking system (Google acquisition 2016)

Case #1

Created an end-to-end eye-tracking system with machine learning; Google acquired Eyefluence in 2016; the system received positive press coverage (TechCrunch, CNET, PC World, USA Today, and more).

See A Satellite Tonight

Case #2

A solo-built satellite visibility tool with 5 million users since launch in 2019; relies on dozens of APIs and services to deliver viewing times and predictions.

Additional Product Information

Product Description

A web-based tool that shows satellites visible in the night sky without a telescope, with location-based viewing times, reminders, and Open Street View integration.

Target Market

General public, satellite enthusiasts, educators

Unique Value Proposition

A widely adopted, end-to-end satellite viewing tool built by a solo developer that combines location-aware predictions, reminders, and Street View context in a single web experience.

Technical Requirements

Web-based application employing frontend, satellite-related calculations, and backend services; relies on multiple APIs and services; includes Open Street View integration.

Pricing Model

Not disclosed

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