Guide · Moonlight Tracking

Magic in the Night – How the ohoya Heliostat Tracks the Moon

A mirror that follows the moon automatically through the night and directs its mysterious light precisely into your room or garden — without any intervention. What might sound like science fiction is already a reality with the ohoya Heliostat.

In this guide we explain how the fascinating lunar tracking works, what to keep in mind, and how to set it up in seconds.

Why moonlight at all?

The moon doesn't produce its own light — it reflects sunlight back to Earth, much weaker of course, but with a fascinating, soft and cool character. Concentrated moonlight has an unparalleled effect: it creates an almost mystical atmosphere, provides subtle, entirely natural illumination for the evening garden, and is — quite incidentally — a guaranteed conversation-starter at any gathering.

How does the app calculate the moon's position?

For the moonlight to arrive precisely where you want it, the mirror needs to know exactly where the moon is at any given moment. Analogous to the high-precision Solar Position Algorithm (SPA) used for daytime tracking, we use equally sophisticated astronomical algorithms for the moon. The ohoya app calculates the exact azimuth (compass direction) and elevation (vertical angle) of the moon in real time — tailored to your precise location, the current date, and the exact time.

What does the mirror do then?

Once the moon's position is known, the mechanics take over. The heliostat continuously aligns the mirror surface so that the fundamental law of optical reflection is maintained at all times: angle of incidence = angle of reflection.

The result is magical: the silvery beam hits your chosen target point precisely — whether that's your windowsill, the surface of a garden pond, or a cosy seating area on your terrace.

Are there any challenges?

As fascinating as moonlight tracking is, it operates within natural constraints. Three things to keep in mind for the best experience:

• Light intensity: Moonlight is approximately 400,000 times weaker than direct sunlight. The atmospheric effect comes into its own only in a quiet, dark environment, free from competing street lamps or floodlights.
• Moon phases: A bright full moon naturally delivers a significantly brighter and more impressive result than a thin crescent.
• Weather: When a thick cloud cover moves in and obscures the moon, the beam is interrupted and the mirror takes a brief pause.

Setting it up in the app — it's this simple

You don't need to be an astronomer for this experience. Simply open the ohoya app, activate the moon-tracking function, and save your desired target point. That's it! From that point on, the mirror runs entirely automatically and captures the moonlight for you.