Observatory

NextBlock City: Observatory F.A.Q.

What is the Observatory?

The Observatory is NextBlock City’s timekeeper that turns Bitcoin’s blockchain into an astronomical calendar.

Bitcoin creates a new “block” roughly every 10 minutes - like pages in a digital ledger recording transactions worldwide. The Observatory takes this steady rhythm and transforms it into virtual celestial bodies: a virtual moon that cycles every 4,032 blocks and a virtual sun that completes seasons every 210,000 blocks.

This creates a unique time system that produces timestamps like 4|2|4|1|430 AG - capturing everything from major Bitcoin cycles down to the exact block within a moon phase. Instead of arbitrary calendar dates, time flows with Bitcoin’s natural rhythms.

How do I read Observatory dates?

The Observatory uses a 5-part date format: Solar Cycle | Season | Moon Number | Moon Phase | Blocks Into Phase followed by AG (After Genesis) or BG (Before Genesis)

Example: 4|2|4|1|430 AG means:

• 4 = 4th Solar Cycle
• 2 = 2nd Season (Summer 🌞)
• 4 = 4th Moon (Whale Moon 🐳)
• 1 = 1st Phase (Full Moon 🌕)
• 430 = 430 blocks into current phase
• AG = After Genesis (block 0)

What’s the emoji format?

Passionate users can replace the middle three numbers with emojis:

• 4|2|4|1|430 AG becomes 4🌞🐳🌕430 AG

What about shorthand formats?

The Observatory supports cron-like shorthand syntax using - as a wildcard for referencing the start of specific celestial periods:

• 3|- = Start of 3rd solar cycle (halving moment)
• 4|2|-AG = Start of Autumn (Autumn Equinox of 4th cycle)
• 4|2|7|-AG = Start of 7th moon of autumn in 4th cycle
• 4|2|7|3|-AG = Start of 3rd phase of 7th moon of autumn in 4th cycle

The dash acts as a wildcard indicating the beginning moment of whatever period you’re referencing, making it easy to denote significant astronomical transitions.

Emoji shorthand: You can also combine emojis with shorthand syntax:

• 4|🍂|-AG = Start of Autumn in 4th cycle
• 4|🍂|🐳|-AG = Start of Whale Moon in autumn of 4th cycle

What celestial bodies does the Observatory track?

At the heart of the Observatory are two celestial bodies and a special astronomical event that mark the passage of time:

• Virtual Moon: Waxing and waning every 4,032 blocks (approximately 4 weeks in Roman calendar time), our virtual moon creates a lunar calendar that guides daily operations. Bitcoin’s very first block (block 0) marks a full moon, and each cycle brings 13 named moons, from the Orange Moon to the Satoshi’s Moon.

• Virtual Sun: Operating on a grander scale, our virtual sun completes its cycle every 210,000 blocks - exactly one Bitcoin “halving” period (approximately 4 years). During a halving, Bitcoin’s block rewards are cut in half, making new Bitcoin more scarce. This solar cycle creates our seasons, with each phase lasting 52,500 blocks. The halving events mark our spring equinoxes, creating a natural rhythm.

• Eclipses: These special astronomical events occur at the midpoint of each season, marking moments when the virtual moon crosses the virtual sun. These events create three types of eclipses - Total during New Moon, Annular during Full Moon, and Partial during all other phases - adding another layer of temporal significance to our system.

How does the virtual moon cycle work?

The virtual moon functions as NextBlock City’s lunar calendar, tracking time through the blockchain. Each lunar cycle spans 4,032 blocks (roughly 4 weeks in Roman calendar time) and contains 8 distinct phases, with each phase lasting precisely 504 blocks. The cycle begins with a full moon at Bitcoin’s genesis block (block 0). Our calendar features 13 uniquely named moons per year - starting with the Orange Moon and concluding with Satoshi’s Moon - with each named moon progressing through all 8 phases during its cycle.

Remarkably, the virtual moon’s 4,032-block cycle closely mirrors the real moon’s ~29.5-day synodic period. This alignment means our virtual lunar calendar stays synchronized with actual astronomical events, creating a bridge between Bitcoin’s digital time and the natural rhythms of our physical universe.

This connection to real lunar cycles is particularly meaningful because the moon served as humanity’s primary timekeeper for thousands of years, from ancient civilizations all the way up until the 1800s. By aligning our Bitcoin Moon with these natural cycles, we’re reviving this ancient tradition in the digital age.

Even today, many cultures continue to follow lunar calendars - China celebrates Lunar New Year, and many other societies maintain lunar-based traditions. The virtual moon honors this ongoing cultural significance while bringing lunar timekeeping into the blockchain era.

How do I calculate the current moon phase?

1. Find position within current moon cycle: current_block % 4032
2. Determine phase: Divide result by 504 and round down

Example: Block 30,240 (15 difficulty adjustments)

Position in cycle: 30,240 % 4,032 = 1,008
Phase index: 1,008 ÷ 504 = 2 → Phase 2 (🌗 Last Quarter)

What are the moon phases?

What are the named moons?

Each named moon cycle (4,032 blocks) follows the sequence below, repeating throughout the Bitcoin blockchain. Each named moon goes through all 8 phases during its cycle. Remarkably, this sequence aligns perfectly with our seasons - each season contains approximately 13 moons (52,500 blocks ÷ 4,032 blocks ≈ 13.02 moons per season).

To determine the current named moon:

1. Find which moon cycle: floor(current_block ÷ 4032)
2. Find position in 13-moon sequence: moon_cycle % 13

Example: Block 100,800 (50 difficulty adjustments)

Moon cycle: floor(100,800 ÷ 4,032) = 25
Position in sequence: 25 % 13 = 12 → ₿ Satoshi's Moon

How does the virtual sun cycle work?

Our virtual sun operates on a grander scale, completing its cycle every 210,000 blocks - exactly one Bitcoin halving period (approximately 4 years). Bitcoin halvings are significant events where the rewards given to miners are cut in half, making new Bitcoin more scarce. This solar cycle creates our seasons, with each phase lasting exactly 52,500 blocks. The halving events mark our spring equinoxes, creating a natural rhythm.

How do I calculate the current season?

1. Find position within halving cycle: current_block % 210000
2. Determine season: Divide by 52,500 and round down
3. Find position within season: (current_block % 210000) % 52500

Example: Block 420,000 (2 halvings)

Position in cycle: 420,000 % 210,000 = 0
Season: 0 ÷ 52,500 = 0 → Season 0 (🌱 Spring)
Position in spring: 0 % 52,500 = 0 (at the spring equinox - halving event)

What are the solar seasons?

How do I track my position within a season?

Each season is divided into four distinct periods, allowing us to track our progress through the seasonal cycle with great detail.

To determine which quarter of the season you’re in:

1. Find position within current season: (current_block % 210000) % 52500
2. Calculate quarter: Divide by 13,125 and round down

Example: Block 433,440 (2 halvings + 860 difficulty adjustments)

Position in cycle: 433,440 % 210,000 = 13,440
Season: 13,440 ÷ 52,500 = 0.25 → Season 0 (🌱 Spring)
Position in spring: 13,440
Quarter: 13,440 ÷ 13,125 = 1.02 → Quarter 1 (Second Quarter)

What are eclipses and when do they happen?

Eclipses are special celestial events that occur at the midpoint of each Bitcoin Season - exactly 26,250 blocks after each season begins. These eclipse events happen at blocks 26,250, 78,750, 131,250, 183,750, and continue this pattern, creating special celestial moments that punctuate the middle of each seasonal period.

What types of eclipses are there?

How does it work?

Every ~10 minutes, Bitcoin creates a new “block” containing transaction records and cryptographic proofs. The Observatory transforms this steady blockchain rhythm into virtual celestial cycles - a virtual moon (4,032 blocks) and virtual sun (210,000 blocks) - creating an astronomical calendar synchronized with Bitcoin’s natural timing.

This is powered by Telescope, a TypeScript library that provides the mathematical foundation for all astronomical calculations, requiring no external data sources.

How does the Observatory determine atmospheric conditions?

The Observatory uses the ratio of transactions to block size to determine observational conditions during our celestial observations. Just as atmospheric conditions affect how clearly we can see celestial bodies in the night sky, the efficiency of Bitcoin’s network influences our observational clarity.

From our celestial vantage point above NextBlock City, we observe how the virtual moon and virtual sun illuminate our digital metropolis below, with atmospheric conditions reflecting the real-time state of the Bitcoin network.

How do I calculate atmospheric conditions?

1. Calculate block weight utilization: block_weight ÷ 4,000,000 (MAX_BLOCK_WEIGHT)
2. Calculate efficiency ratio: transaction_count ÷ utilization_percentage
3. Determine atmospheric condition: Compare ratio to scale below

Example: Block with 2,400 transactions and 1,200,000 weight units

Utilization: 1,200,000 ÷ 4,000,000 = 0.30 (30% of max block weight)
Efficiency ratio: 2,400 ÷ 0.30 = 8,000 tx per full block equivalent
Condition: 8,000 → ☀️ Excellent Observational Conditions (clear skies with exceptional visibility)

What are the atmospheric conditions?

How often do atmospheric conditions change?

Every ~10 minutes when a new block is mined, the Observatory’s sky updates:

• Block 850,123 with 2,800 txs and 2,800,000 weight units → 2,800 ÷ 0.70 = 4,000 → ⛅ Scattered clouds affecting observations
• Block 850,124 with 1,200 txs and 1,600,000 weight units → 1,200 ÷ 0.40 = 3,000 → ⛅ Scattered clouds affecting observations
• Block 850,125 with 800 txs and 3,200,000 weight units → 800 ÷ 0.80 = 1,000 → ☁️ Dense overcast limiting visibility

This creates a living, breathing atmospheric system where:

• Network efficiency directly affects sky clarity
• Each block brings new observational conditions
• The Observatory’s view of celestial events changes based on real Bitcoin network performance

The Observatory is more than just a timekeeper - it’s a window into the fundamental rhythms of our digital world.