Designed for exactly this kind of setup

Most weather stations are designed for general use: agriculture, meteorology, aviation. The CloudWatcher was designed from the start for an astronomical observatory in someone's garden. That specificity shows in what it measures, how it connects, and how it behaves under pressure.

Unlike a general weather station, the CloudWatcher measures what matters to astronomers: cloud cover (via infrared sky temperature), rain presence, darkness level, wind speed, ambient temperature and humidity. These are the parameters that determine whether you can observe safely tonight, and whether your dome should stay open.

Installs in minutes

Mount it outside, connect USB to your observatory PC, install the software. No configuration wizard, no cloud account.

Works with your software

ASCOM, INDIGO, INDILib, TheSkyX, ACP, MaxIm DL and more. All drivers are free.

Built-in relay output

Directly trigger a dome or roll-off roof via the relay, with no additional hardware needed for basic automation.

Always on, always watching

Runs 24/7 in your observatory. Sensors are designed for continuous outdoor exposure, not occasional spot readings.

Straightforward to set up, serious in operation

The CloudWatcher connects to your observatory PC via USB. The free Windows software displays all sensor readings in real time and lets you configure the thresholds for SAFE/UNSAFE decisions. The ASCOM driver then makes those decisions available to any compatible automation platform.

For Linux and macOS users—and for setups running INDI or INDIGO—native drivers are available. There is no need to run a Windows emulation layer.

Getting alerts when you're not watching the screen

Imaging in your backyard often means you're indoors, or even in bed, while the session runs overnight. If conditions deteriorate, you want to know, ideally before your automation software has to act.

CloudWatcher software can display alerts and send push notifications to your phone. But there is also a low-tech solution that many users swear by.

Field tip—from the community

Low-cost weather alerts with walkie-talkies

Place a pair of low-cost walkie-talkies with VOX (voice-activated transmission) near your observatory computer. No wiring needed. Prop one unit (its charging cradle works well) right in front of the PC's loudspeaker, and keep the other with you in bed. When CloudWatcher announces a weather alert through the software, the VOX function picks it up and activates the remote unit, so you hear it from your bedroom even with the observatory door closed. Swap which unit you use each night to keep both batteries in good shape. Simple, cheap, and it works, thanks to Antonio Fernández for this tip!

Safety first—even on clear nights

Clouds can roll in quickly, especially in summer. A well-configured CloudWatcher will close your dome before you would notice conditions had changed. The key thresholds to configure are:

  • Cloud sensor temperature delta—how much colder the sky needs to be than ambient for a SAFE reading
  • Rain sensor sensitivity—detect rain immediately, before significant precipitation begins
  • Wind speed limit—close the dome when wind exceeds your mount's tracking tolerance
  • Darkness threshold—useful for solar observing setups that should only operate during daylight

Once these thresholds are set, the CloudWatcher makes SAFE/UNSAFE decisions autonomously. Your automation software acts on them. You sleep.