DeepSpaceYoloDataset

📖 Description

DeepSpaceYoloDataset is an annotated set of smart telescopes images.

During the MILAN and MILAN2 research projects [https://www.list.lu/en/recherche/projet/milan2/], we have compiled a large collection of deep sky images during Electronically Assisted Astronomy sessions in Luxembourg, France, Belgium.

We have used two instruments for several months (from March 2022 to September 2023, and then to April 2026): a Stellina smart telescope (https://vaonis.com/stellina) and a Vespera smart telescope (https://vaonis.com/vespera). We have captured data for a representative set of deep sky objects from the Messier / NGC / IC / Sharpless2 / Barnard catalogues. Different types of celestial objects were considered: emission/reflection/dark/planetary nebula, galaxies, globular/open clusters.

Images were obtained after the capture and the stacking of sub-frames of 10 seconds exposure time.

📜 Dataset Structure

Training/validation/test images were splitted into 608x608 patches.

Images of the test26 split have high-resolutions.

Based on the YOLO format, the dataset is a ZIP file containing 4696 RGB images, and the corresponding 4696 labels text files with the positions of deep sky objets in the images.

📑 Examples

DeepSpaceYoloDataset was used to train a YOLOv7 model -- allowing to obtain the following results.

AI-powered observation of Dumbbell Nebula (M27) with a Vespera smart telescope (8/7/2024)

AI-powered annotation of a Dwarf Galaxy (NGC185) with a Vespera smart telescope (14/9/2024)

AI-powered annotation of M1 through a Vespera smart telescope (2/2/2025)

AI-powered annotation of NGC2440 Nebula with a Stellina portable smart telescope (3/3/2025)

AI-powered detection of Messier 98 Galaxy through a Vespera portable smart telescope (24/5/2025)

AI-powered Detection of Messier54 cluster with a Vespera portable smart telescope (30/6/2025)

Detection of Comet C/2025 R2 (Swan) with a Vespera smart telescope (6/11/2025)

📚 Research

The dataset can be found here:

• [2023] DeepSpaceYoloDataset: an annotated set of smart telescopes images – DOI Link

The following paper describes the dataset:

• [2024] DeepSpaceYoloDataset: Annotated Astronomical Images Captured with Smart Telescopes – DOI Link

The following papers are based on work carried out on DeepSpaceYoloDataset:

• [2023] Détection d'objets célestes dans des images astronomiques par IA explicable – DOI Link
• [2024] Deep Sky Objects Detection with Deep Learning for Electronically Assisted Astronomy – DOI Link
• [2025] Combining AI-powered detection and Immersive Technologies for Robotic Space Mission Planning – DOI Link
• [2025] Исследование возможности детектирования объектов глубокого космоса c помощью методов компьютерного зрения – Link)
• [2025] Deep sky object detection in astronomical imagery using YOLO models: a comparative assessment – DOI Link
• [2025] COSMICA: A Novel Dataset for Astronomical Object Detection with Evaluation Across Diverse Detection Architectures – DOI Link
• [2025] Method and Tools to Collect, Process, and Publish Raw and AI-Enhanced Astronomical Observations on YouTube – DOI Link
• [2025] LVM4CSI: Enabling Direct Application of Pre-Trained Large Vision Models for Wireless Channel Tasks – DOI Link
• [2025] Robustness analysis of Deep Sky Objects detection models on HPC – DOI Link
• [2025] YOLO OPTIMIZATION FOR EDGE AI: A LIGHTWEIGHT APPROACH FOR DEEP SKY OBJECT DETECTION – DOI Link
• [2025] Contrast Transformations as a Stage for Improving Deep Space Object Detection Quality in Astronomical Images – DOI Link
• [2025] Image-Based Constellation Recognition Using Deep Learning on Consumer-Grade Sky Imagery – DOI Link
• [2025] Galaxy Classification: A Comparative Study – DOI Link
• [2026] An Extended Evaluation Split for DeepSpaceYoloDataset – DOI Link

If you have a publication related to these works, please notify us to include it in this list.

🎓 Citation

If you use DeepSpaceYoloDataset in your work, please cite it as follows:

@article{parisot2024deepspaceyolodataset,
  title={DeepSpaceYoloDataset: Annotated Astronomical Images Captured with Smart Telescopes},
  author={Parisot, Olivier},
  journal={Data},
  volume={9},
  number={1},
  pages={12},
  year={2024},
  publisher={MDPI}
}

📝 License

This dataset is released under the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.

See LICENSE for details.

✉️ Contact

For questions or collaborations, please contact Olivier Parisot at olivier.parisot@list.lu or open an issue on GitHub.

Copyright 2021-2026 Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST - http://www.list.lu/).