Observer Eye Symbol

It marks the viewpoint of someone observing an object.

The observer symbol ⏿ is for scientific diagrams, especially astronomy: it shows where the viewer is relative to a star, planet, or other object.

The proposal listed the Sun, Moon, comets, and stars as symbols this observer could accompany. The suggested pairing ⏿ — ✧ gives a diagram sightline from an observer to a four-pointed star.

How did ⏿ become an observer mark?

It was designed to mark the observer in scientific diagrams.

Simon Griffee submitted his design in 2015 after encountering a similar observer mark in a Yale astronomy lecture. The proposal noted that astronomical diagrams already had symbols for celestial bodies and atmospheric phenomena, but Unicode had no symbol for the observer.

What does ⏿ mean in a message?

The sender's context has to do the explaining.

As of 2026, ⏿ has no broadly established chat meaning. One reader's reported use is as a terminal prompt; in a message, it may instead point to a diagram or carry a private meaning.