Dark Sky Planner
Sunset, each stage of twilight, when true darkness starts and ends, and when the Moon rises and sets, plus the best Moon-free nights in the coming month.
AstroSphere Tools
Share your universe!
Every astronomy tool you need, in one app.
The App Store is full of astronomy apps that each do one job, so it’s easy to end up paying for several and switching between them. AstroSphere puts the tools you’d otherwise buy separately into one app, right alongside the community you share your results with.
1 · PlanPick your nightDarkness, the Moon and what’s up
2 · CheckMatch your gearStraight from your saved kit
3 · CaptureGet the shotTiming, framing, exposure
4 · SharePost the resultTo the Sky Feed or your Squad
5 tools
Plan your night
Know what’s up, and when it’s worth heading out.
Planets Tonight
When each planet rises, is highest and sets tonight, and how well placed it is, with a simple rating and a day-by-day rise and set calendar.
What’s Up Tonight
Which of the 110 Messier galaxies, nebulae and star clusters are well placed tonight, when each is highest and how easy it is to see. Filter to what suits your telescope and keep your own Messier log.
Moon Phase
Tonight’s phase and how much of the Moon is lit, the Moon’s age, and the dates of the upcoming phases.
Meteor Showers
Every major shower’s peak and expected rates, whether the Moon will spoil it, and the best time to watch from where you are.
3 tools
Planets up close
For the nights you’re chasing detail on Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
Jupiter’s Moons
Where Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are at any date and time, with a play button to animate them, plus upcoming moon events, including when a moon or its shadow crosses the face of Jupiter.
Great Red Spot
A realistic, high-resolution view of Jupiter showing the Great Red Spot where it really is at any date and time. Press play to watch Jupiter rotate, and see the upcoming times the spot faces Earth that you can catch from your location.
Jupiter map: Hubble OPAL programme, NASA/ESA.
Planetary Imaging
Each planet’s size, brightness, phase and height in the sky, which side of Jupiter and Mars faces you, and the tilt of Saturn’s rings. It also shows how long you can record before the planet’s spin blurs detail, and whether your camera and Barlow give the right sampling.
3 tools
Your equipment
Using the gear and setups already saved in My Gear.
Eyepiece Calculator
Magnification, true field of view and exit pupil for your telescope, eyepieces and Barlow, your telescope’s limits, and a table covering your whole eyepiece collection.
Astrophotography Calculator
Three calculators in one. Planetary: f-ratio, sampling, a suggested Barlow and region of interest. Deep sky: image scale against your seeing, and framing compared with Messier objects, plus field rotation and the longest sub-exposure on alt-az mounts. Camera and lens: the longest untracked Milky Way exposure, using the 500 rule and the NPF rule.
Polar Alignment
Exactly where Polaris should sit in your polar scope right now, shown as a clock face (Sigma Octantis in the southern hemisphere), with a beginner-friendly explanation.
Your equipment
Your gear, built in.
The calculators work from the equipment you already use, so the numbers are for your telescope, not a generic one.
My Gear
Choose your telescopes, cameras, mounts, eyepieces, Barlows, reducers and filters from a built-in catalogue of more than 3,400 items with their specifications, or enter your own.
Setups
Save combinations such as “C8 + ASI462MC + 2.5× Barlow” and apply one with a tap. The calculators fill in the numbers for you.
On every post
Tag your gear on the photos you share, so everyone can see what you used.
Why one app?
Less switching. More observing.
One subscription
One low monthly price for the whole toolkit, instead of paying for several separate apps.
Your gear, already there
Tools that use your equipment pull it straight from My Gear, so you never retype your telescope and camera details.
Plan it, then share it
Plan the session, check your kit, capture, then post the result to the community, without leaving the app.
Works at a dark site. Most tools do their calculations on your phone, so they still work with no signal, and they use your location for accurate times. Moon Phase needs a connection.
Free vs [AstroSphere Tools]
What’s included.
| Free | With [AstroSphere Tools][£X.XX / month] | |
|---|---|---|
| Share your astronomy photos and session reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tag the telescope and camera behind every shot | ✓ | ✓ |
| Squads, crewmates, followers and threaded comments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sky Feed filters: Deep Sky, Planetary, Lunar, Solar, ISS, Rockets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Launches: every rocket launch worldwide, with live countdowns, results and statistics | ✓ | ✓ |
| My Gear equipment catalogue and NASA’s Picture of the Day | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plan your night: Dark Sky Planner, Planets Tonight, What’s Up Tonight, Moon Phase, Meteor Showers | – | ✓ |
| Planets up close: Jupiter’s Moons, Great Red Spot, Planetary Imaging | – | ✓ |
| Your equipment: Eyepiece and Astrophotography Calculators, Polar Alignment | – | ✓ |
FAQ
Questions about the tools.
Is AstroSphere free?
Yes. The AstroSphere social app and Launches are free to download and use. Add the subscription to unlock all 11 astronomy tools, from planning your night to getting the most from your gear.
What do I get with the subscription?
All 11 tools on this page, in one place, for one low monthly price.
Do I need internet at my observing site?
Most tools do their calculations on your phone, so they work offline at a dark site once the app is installed. Moon Phase needs a connection.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. You can cancel at any time in your App Store subscription settings.
Is it only for experts?
No. Every tool explains its results in plain language. If you’re just starting out, open Planets Tonight or What’s Up Tonight and you’ll know what to look at tonight.
Anything else? Email support@astro-sphere.co.uk.