The name is our address. We live in one of the outer spiral arms of the Milky Way, a long way from the galactic center, on a planet Carl Sagan taught us to call the pale blue dot. outerspiralarm.org starts from that address and works its way down to tonight.

It's built for contemplation rather than reference. "Today in the Cosmos" shows the current moon phase and sky conditions for wherever you're standing. "On the Horizon" keeps track of what's coming: as I write this, a total solar eclipse crosses Greenland, Iceland, and Spain on August 12, and the Perseids peak the night after. NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day rounds out the daily visit.

The intended use is simple: check the site, step outside, look up. Most of what's on the internet is engineered to keep you looking at it. This one is engineered to send you out the door.

It closes every page with the Sagan line that holds the whole thing together: "For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love."