The night sky has always captivated us with its vastness, beauty and mystery. So we naturally have the impulse to pick it up. While doing this in the past was expensive, with the advancement in technology we can turn our iPhones into powerful tools with some great astrophotography apps.
Photographing the universe is a whole different ball game. You can’t just hit the shutter button and expect your phone to take an amazing shot. For the same, you need a reliable smartphone camera and a suite of astrophotography apps.
In this article, we are going to talk about 4 apps that will take your astrophotography game to extraordinary heights. These apps are great at spotting constellations, give you a detailed weather report, and help you with the best camera settings for the night. So, let’s dive into exploring the best astrophotography apps for iPhone.
1. STELLARIUM MOBILE – Best for advanced astrophotography
Stellarium is one of the most important applications in the astrophotography journey. The main agenda of the application is to help detect celestial bodies in the night sky. For the same, it holds comprehensive data for more than 1.6 billion stars. In the free version, you get access to all the famous stars and constellations, but to view deep sky objects, a subscription is required.
The application has a relatively simple interface. You can point your phone at the sky to locate the stars and planets in real time and tapping on them will pull up all the necessary information. On top of that, Stellarium also works offline, so you are classified even in remote locations.
The free model works well for hobbyists, but if you’re an advanced user, we suggest upgrading to Stellarium Plus. Why? With a Plus subscription, you get features such as the Telescope Management Module that enables you to use the app with any telescope, an observatory layout that details celestial body observations and transit times, a calendar of upcoming astronomical events and satellite passes, a 3D view of cosmic bodies and more.
Positives
- User-friendly interface
- Loaded with features
- It can be paired with a telescope
- Currently it works
Negatives
- Most of the advanced features are locked under paywall
- Low customization options
Price: Free Subscription: $18.99 (one-time)
2. ASTROPHERIC – Best astronomical weather app
If you still rely on general weather apps for astrological weather forecasts, give it up already. Instead, use an app dedicated to the same. We recommend Astropheric, an app loaded with advanced weather tools for professional astronomers and stargazers.
You get CMC astronomy data updated every 6 hours, extended cloud forecast, pollution map, sky data, Kp-index for aurora viewing, and detailed solar and lunar eclipses.
The free version is missing features like Ensenble Cloud forecasts with hourly updates, ISS reminders, extended cloud layer, weather alerts, and an ad-free experience. Honestly, it’s not much, and you’ll be better off with the free version unless you have very specific requirements.
While the features are great, they could have been put in better. Getting used to the apps is tough, especially with their cluttered user interface. But once you do, there is no going back. Its advanced meteorological weather tracking features will always keep you ahead.
However, there is one major drawback, Astropheric is only available in the United States and Canada. For those who are based in other areas, MetoBlue is another reliable option.
Positives
- Advanced meteorological features
- CMC astronomy data every 6 hours
- Currently it works
Negatives
- Cluttered user interface
- ads
- limited to a specific region
Price: Free, Subscription: $29.99 (annually)
3. SKY GUIDE – An app for beginners in radiography
Sky Information is one of the most popular astrophotography apps out there. Although it is similar to Stellarium, some features make this app stand out. First, Sky Information has an easy-to-use interface for all astrophotography applications. Unlike other apps, we didn’t have to struggle to get its features.
During setup, it asks you to choose to receive notifications about events, satellites, and astronomy news. Additionally, you can choose between binoculars, a phone, and smartphone cameras as your equipment. Secondly, you get a calendar option that provides information about upcoming astronomical events. Not only that, but it puts together a guide for how to view that event with exact times and directions.
We love the search section of the app, where you can get detailed instructions on seeing stars, moons, planets, and deep-sky objects on a given day. However, the best feature is the augmented reality mode, where the app aligns with actual shots from the camera to show celestial objects in real time. For those who just can’t get enough, Sky Information has a great selection of articles and feature articles on meteorology and related topics.
Calendar, AR Mode, Vision, Legends, Articles, and more are included in the free version. While Sky Information Plus offers 100 times higher magnification, 100 times more stars, 10,000 times more satellites, expanded solar system objects, weather forecasts and meteorites, spectral filters for different wavelengths of light, and a dark sky finder.
Positives
- AR mode
- No ads
- Great for building knowledge
Negatives
- It lacks stars compared to other apps
- Not suitable for advanced astrophotographers
Price: Free, Subscription: $19.99 per year onwards
4. PHOTOPILLS – APP for planning radiography
Picture Drugs is the one stop solution for most astrophotography needs. It offers a wide range of features ranging from an augmented reality star guide to advanced camera features for astrophotography. Despite having quite a number of features, the app has managed to achieve a clutter-free look with its grid-based user interface. All the essential features are placed on the home page, so they are easy to access whenever needed.
You have the chart and the sun and moon providing essential information for planning astrophotography. In addition, it gives you the exact dates and times of sunrise, sunset, twilight, golden hour, blue hour, moonrise/sunset, and supermoon.
The app also offers custom camera tools for FOV (field of view), DOF (depth of field) and exposure so that you can capture the best of the night sky with ease. While the app is great for astrophotography, you can’t use it for free. PhotoPills is a one-time $10.99 purchase, which is worth considering the range of features it offers.
Positives
- Clean and simple user interface
- Custom camera features
- It has all the essential features for astrophotography
Negatives
- beloved
- The learning curve is steep
Price: $10.99 (one-time)
Strophotography questions and answers for IPHONE phones
1. Do I need additional equipment for astrophotography using these apps?
While astrophotography apps paired with a modern iPhone can produce surprisingly good results, some shots may require additional equipment such as tripods, external lenses, or telescope mounts.
2. Which iPhone models are recommended for astrophotography?
The latest iPhones will be best suited for astrophotography, but that doesn’t make your iPhone 10 worthless. Although the results may not be amazing, you can still use them to capture astronomical moments. However, to get really clear and detailed photos, we recommend considering Professional Max models starting with iPhone 12 or later.
3. Can I use the Astrophotography Apps for free?
Some astrophotography apps are free to use, but may include in-app purchases for advanced features.
Take pictures of the brightest night sky
These amazing astrophotography apps for iPhone are packed with advanced features to fulfill your desire to capture the night sky. Fortunately, you don’t need to be an experienced stargazer to use these apps. So what are you waiting for, install these apps on your iPhone and take a journey towards astrophotography.
Tell us in the comments if you like these apps or if you have any suggestions for astrophotography apps.
