When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works .
What makes Skylight extraordinary is that it uses its own data collection method rather than simply pulling data from flight-tracking services like Flightradar24. The project leverages an affordable USB radio antenna, in this case the RTL-SDR Blog V4, to capture ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) signals emitted by commercial planes, then uses a Raspberry Pi 5 to decode and render them.
The device then sends this information to a 1080p (1920×1080) projector to make the magic happen. Skylight then creates the illusion of the sky on your ceiling, with the airplane in view and various details, such as the model, destination, altitude, and distance to the destination. The project doesn't just track airliners; it can also detect aircraft and helicopters, since Skylight checks flight data to adjust how each plane appears.
Skylight offers a planetarium experience since it doesn't just track the aircraft; it recreates the real sky behind them. The pure black ceiling background not only shows the illuminated aircraft but also displays the sun, moon, stars, and constellations, all rendered at their precise positions for your location and current time, along with live satellite tracking, including the International Space Station (ISS). Paczek lives near San Francisco International Airport (SFO), so the reference build centers on that location, but Skylight adapts to any location worldwide since all you have to do is enter your coordinates.
Skylight is an open-source project; therefore, the instructions and the parts list are available on the project’s official GitHub repository . You’ll need an RTL-SDR Blog V4 with a dipole antenna, a Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB recommended for smooth performance), a native 1080p projector, a micro-HDMI-to-HDMI adapter, and a rotating 1/4-20 stand for the projector.
Engineer open-sources DIY radar system that's 95% cheaper than $250,000 commercial offerings, has 20 kilometer range
The 'ultimate mosquito killer' uses lasers and AI
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/aviation-enthusiast-uses-raspberry-pi-and-abs-b-radio-to-create-viral-real-time-airport-tracker-open-source-skylight-intercepts-aircraft-signals-and-projects-flight-paths-onto-your-ceiling#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/subscription
- Taiwan’s Industry Titans Turbocharge World’s AI Infrastructure Buildout With NVIDIA
- Hyte shows off Y50 chassis, aesthetic cable accessory kit, new fans, and updates Nexus Software — sub $100 Y50 brings value to Y-series, Nexus 3.0 goes web-base
- Retro gaming enthusiast attempts loading games to Sega Genesis from a vinyl record player, recording game data as sound — Mega EverDrive Pro and Pi Pico 2 board
- Why Financial Institutions Are Converging on Transaction Foundation Models to Build Their Own Intelligence
- NVIDIA Research Advances Robotics From Simulation to the Real World
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.