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AstroBackground

is an option that specifies the background style of an AstroGraphics map.

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AstroBackground

AstroBackground

is an option that specifies the background style of an AstroGraphics map.

Details

  • The astro background of an AstroGraphics[prims,…] output is the actual map that appears underneath the primitives prims. A map like AstroGraphics[{},…] with no primitives will only show the astro background, and possibly auxiliary elements like astro grid lines.
  • AstroBackground values can be given as AstroBackgroundAstroStyling[skystyle] for any valid AstroStyling sky style. For named sky styles, such as "BlackSky" or "GalacticSky", AstroBackgroundAstroStyling["skystyle"] may also be given as AstroBackground"skystyle".
  • Possible sky styles include:
  • "BlackSky"stars and planets on black background
    "GalacticSky"stars and planets on Milky Way image
    "WhiteSky"stars and planets on white background
  • AstroBackgroundAutomatic uses the "BlackSky" sky style by default.
  • AstroBackgroundNone specifies that no astro background should be used, meaning no background regions are displayed.
  • AstroBackground takes precedence over Background in astro graphics.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (3)

Sky map with the default astro background:

Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[Entity["Star", "Betelgeuse"], AstroRange -> Quantity[20, "AngularDegrees"], AstroReferenceFrame -> "Equatorial"]

Use a background showing the Milky Way:

Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[Entity["Star", "Shaula"], AstroRange -> Quantity[20, "AngularDegrees"], AstroBackground -> "GalacticSky", AstroReferenceFrame -> "Ecliptic"]

Show constellation illustrations and remove the equatorial, ecliptic and galactic planes:

Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[Entity["Star", "Betelgeuse"], AstroRange -> Quantity[30, "AngularDegrees"], AstroReferenceFrame -> "Equatorial", AstroBackground -> AstroStyling[{"BlackSky", "ShowConstellationIllustrations" -> True, "ShowMainPlanes" -> False}]]

Scope  (4)

Use the default background sky:

Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[AstroReferenceFrame -> "Equatorial"]

Use a background showing the Milky Way:

Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[AstroReferenceFrame -> "Equatorial", AstroBackground -> "GalacticSky"]

Use a white background sky in AstroGraphics:

Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[AstroReferenceFrame -> "Equatorial", AstroBackground -> "WhiteSky"]

Specify styling directives for constellation:

Wolfram Language code: style = { "ShowConstellationIllustrations" -> True, "ShowConstellationRegions" -> True, "ConstellationRegionStyle" -> Darker[Blue, .2], "ConstellationLineStyle" -> Opacity[0.6, LightBlue], "ShowConstellationBoundaries" -> True, "ConstellationBoundaryStyle" -> Directive[Dashing[{0, Tiny}], Yellow], "ConstellationNameStyle" -> GrayLevel[0.7] };
Wolfram Language code: AstroGraphics[Entity["Constellation", "Scorpius"], AstroBackground -> AstroStyling[{"GalacticSky", "HideObjects" -> {"Sun"}, "ShowConstellations" -> {Entity["Constellation", "Scorpius"]}, style}], AstroReferenceFrame -> "J2000"]
Wolfram Research (2022), AstroBackground, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AstroBackground.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (2022), AstroBackground, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AstroBackground.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2022. "AstroBackground." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AstroBackground.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2022). AstroBackground. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AstroBackground.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_astrobackground, author="Wolfram Research", title="{AstroBackground}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AstroBackground.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_astrobackground, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={AstroBackground}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/AstroBackground.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}