This is a submission for the Hacktoberfest Open-Source AI Challenge Week 2: Side Hustle
What I Built
<!-- What does it do, and who would pay for it? What problem does it solve for them? --> AstroBuddy is an interactive astronomy companion designed to make exploring the night sky easier, more engaging, and accessible to everyone.
Looking up at the night sky can spark curiosity, but beginners often don't know which celestial objects to explore, what equipment they need, or how to plan a stargazing session. Astronomy information is also spread across different websites and tools.
AstroBuddy brings these experiences together in one space-themed interface.
✨ Key features:
Cosmic Dashboard: Explore featured celestial objects and discover astronomy-related tips.
Cosmic Explorer: Browse objects such as Saturn, Mars, galaxies, and nebulae, search the collection, and explore object details.
Stargazing Planner: Create a personalized stargazing checklist based on your planned date, location, equipment, and observing target.
Astro Assistant: Interact with a built-in astronomy assistant for introductory astronomy questions.
Responsive Design: Enjoy a space-inspired interface across desktop and mobile devices.
Who is it for?
AstroBuddy is designed for students, astronomy enthusiasts, curious beginners, and anyone who wants to explore the universe without feeling overwhelmed by technical information.
As a potential side hustle, it could grow into a freemium astronomy platform with advanced observing plans, personalized recommendations, educational content, and integrations with astronomy data services.
Demo
<!-- Share a deployed link or a video demo. --> Below are some images from my project
Code
<!-- Show us the code! You can embed a GitHub repo directly into your post. --> 💻 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/bhgo0114050-cpu/Hacktoberfest-DEV-Week-2
The project is built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The current frontend is contained in a single index.html file, making it easy to run locally and explore.
To run it:
Clone the repository.
Open index.html in your browser.
Start exploring the universe with AstroBuddy!
How I Built It
<!-- Which open-source AI did you use (open-weight models, agent harnesses, frameworks, local inference), and how is your project built around it? --> I built AstroBuddy using HTML5, CSS3, and vanilla JavaScript, focusing on an immersive cosmic design, interactive components, and a responsive user experience.
The frontend includes searchable celestial-object cards, an object-details dialog, a stargazing planner that generates a checklist, and an astronomy assistant with predefined responses.
I wanted to create something that feels like a real astronomy product rather than a static informational website.
AI integration status: The current version uses predefined astronomy responses and does not yet connect to an open-weight AI model or an inference framework. Connecting an open-source model for conversational astronomy assistance is a planned enhancement.
Why Does Open Innovation Matter?
<!-- Why does open innovation matter for what you built? What did it make possible that a closed API wouldn't? --> Astronomy is a subject that benefits from curiosity, experimentation, and shared knowledge. Open innovation makes it possible for developers, students, educators, and astronomy enthusiasts to collaborate on tools that help more people explore science.
Building AstroBuddy with web technologies that are accessible to beginners makes its code easy to inspect, learn from, and extend. The project can evolve through community contributions, including better astronomy information, accessible educational resources, improved planning features, and future open-source AI integration.
I also believe open-source AI can make personalized educational tools more flexible by giving developers the opportunity to explore different models and deployment options instead of depending entirely on a single closed provider.
My goal is to keep AstroBuddy open to experimentation and community-driven improvement.
My Agent Session
My First User
<!-- Optional, but this is where bonus points live. Did someone use it? Who were they, what did they say, and did they pay? If not, remove this section. --> What's Next?
Here are some features I'd love to add:
Integrate an open-weight AI model for natural astronomy conversations.
Add live weather information for stargazing locations.
Use astronomy APIs to display current celestial information.
Improve observing recommendations using location, date, and sky conditions.
Add moon-phase information and a solar-system visualization.
Let users save favorite objects and stargazing plans.
Final Thoughts
AstroBuddy started with a simple idea: make exploring the universe feel approachable, interactive, and fun.
I'm excited to keep developing it, learn from the open-source community, and turn it into a more useful companion for anyone curious about the night sky. ðŸŒ
Thanks for checking out AstroBuddy!
Prize Categories
<!-- Team Submissions: Please pick one member to publish the submission and credit teammates by listing their DEV usernames directly in the body of the post. --> Solo Submission
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