Active observatory monitoring
GNS monitors your unattended observatory session from your smartphone. When something goes wrong — a hang, power failure, guide failure, unexpected cloud — you're alerted immediately, wherever you are.
GNS pairs a lightweight PC program with a smartphone app that stays connected to your observatory session all night long.
A small, discreet program runs on your observatory PC. It tracks session progress — counting down timers, catching process hangs, detecting unexpected shutdowns — without needing to understand your automation software. It acts as a silent, always-on watchdog for everything running on the machine.
The GNS app on your phone connects to the PC software and continuously monitors your session. You can see what's happening in real time — and the moment something goes wrong, your phone rings, vibrates and shows the alarm. Sleep soundly knowing you'll be woken if needed.
GNS doesn't only wait for your software to tell it something went wrong. It catches the failures that automation software itself cannot see.
If a task takes too long — slewing, calibrating, imaging, closing — GNS alerts you before equipment is left at risk.
Extended silence from your observatory PC — power cut, crash, network dropout — triggers an immediate alarm.
GNS monitors the entire PC for process failures. If your automation software hangs silently, GNS catches it system-wide.
Your automation software can trigger a GNS alarm directly — for guide failures, cloud detection, dome problems or any custom condition.
Not just alarms — GNS also gives you continuous status updates so you always know what the observatory is doing, not just when it fails.
Pair with LLLOD for a complete safety net: if LLLOD closes the observatory due to an unsafe condition, GNS confirms it happened and warns if it didn't.
GNS integrates directly with the most popular observatory automation platforms — no workarounds, no custom scripting needed.
A N.I.N.A. plugin is available for native GNS integration inside N.I.N.A. sequences. For other platforms, GNS can be triggered via the Windows PC software API.
The GNS app shows real-time session status, alert state and configuration — in a clear, readable format designed to be understood at a glance, even half-asleep.
The smartphone app and PC software are completely free to download and use. No paid upgrades or subscriptions required.
Free download. Compatible with Android smartphones and tablets.
Google Play →Free download. Compatible with iPhone and iPad.
App Store →Windows installer for the observatory monitoring daemon that runs on your control PC.
Download →Native GNS plugin for Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy — install directly from the N.I.N.A. plugin manager, no manual download needed.
How to install →GNS + LLLOD is the complete observatory protection stack. LLLOD closes the dome; GNS tells you if it didn't.
See LLLOD →Questions about GNS setup or integration? We're happy to help.
info@lunaticoastro.com →