# Let Claude Code run a sky camera through an MCP server that carries its own rules

PaperChase agent use case (free feed entry), version 1.0. Source: [u/Terrible_Award_2124 on r/ClaudeAI](https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1xfqc9x/i_built_an_open_source_sky_camera_that_claude/), 2026-10-26.

## What they did

The builder made an all-sky camera that watches for meteors and wired it to Claude Code with an MCP server. The server comes with its own skills (build a workflow, find detections, verify changes), so any agent that connects learns how to use it the right way. Guardrails live in the server: no API key can mint new keys, deletes show a preview and need a confirm, and edits based on stale data are rejected. Claude then retrained the detector on detections the owner had approved, and the author reports star false alarms dropping from about half of all alerts to 7% while still catching about 90% of meteors.

## Worth knowing

The reusable idea is to put the rules where the agent cannot edit them. Prompts and instruction files can be ignored or rewritten, but a server that refuses a stale edit or an unconfirmed delete cannot. Bundling skills with the server also means you do not have to re-explain the tool in every project. Accuracy numbers are the author's own.

## Workflow template

```text
Apply this workflow to [your project]:
1. List the actions your device or app allows and mark each one read, write or destructive
2. Wrap them in a small MCP server and return raw data, not verdicts
3. Enforce the rules in the server: keys cannot create keys, deletes need preview then confirm, stale edits fail
4. Bundle two or three skill files with the server that explain the safe way to do common jobs
5. Retrain or tune only on examples a person approved, and measure false alarms before and after
Stop and ask me before anything irreversible: deploys, payments, sends or deletes.
```

## Steps

1. **List the actions your device or app allows and mark each one read, wri.** List the actions your device or app allows and mark each one read, write or destructive
2. **Wrap them in a small MCP server and return raw data, not verdicts.** Wrap them in a small MCP server and return raw data, not verdicts
3. **Enforce the rules in the server: keys cannot create keys, deletes need.** Enforce the rules in the server: keys cannot create keys, deletes need preview then confirm, stale edits fail
4. **Bundle two or three skill files with the server that explain the safe .** Bundle two or three skill files with the server that explain the safe way to do common jobs
5. **Retrain or tune only on examples a person approved, and measure false .** Retrain or tune only on examples a person approved, and measure false alarms before and after

## Credit

Workflow reported by u/Terrible_Award_2124 on r/ClaudeAI: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1xfqc9x/i_built_an_open_source_sky_camera_that_claude/
Related: https://github.com/Deibler/openskycam
Related: https://docs.openskycam.org/

Summary and template written by PaperChaseWebb in our own words. Questions: mgmt@paperchasewebb.com