Sky Guide

Updated solar eclipse widget with graphical display of eclipse progress.

Eclipse countdown widget — see a live countdown to the upcoming solar eclipse, right on your Home Screen!

+ Learn about the lore, history, and astronomical sights of every one of the 88 standard constellations through new, richly illustrated articles!
+ Bug fixes

+ Featured Article and Solar Activity widgets are now available on the Lock Screen for iPad
+ Automatic/custom location is indicated on the main menu
+ Bug fixes

+ Added next opposition date to planet and asteroid information pages
+ Bug fixes

+ Saved locations. Save and recall up to 20 custom locations: your home, favorite observing sites, or an upcoming dark sky campsite.
+ Search for locations by name
+ Updated Dark Sky Finder
+ Exoplanets are now available to PLUS users

Bug fixes and performance enhancements.

Redesigned Settings
Access common toggles quicker than ever

Great Circles
Added Celestial Equator, Ecliptic, Galactic Equator, Meridian and Horizon Line to new ‘Great Circles’ preference page

3D Moons and Dwarf Planets
View 3D models of Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon Mimas, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and dwarf planets Ceres and Haumea

Fields Of View
New indicators in three styles: Finder, Visual, and Astrophotography

Imaging Calculator
Calculate useful imaging parameters based on current seeing conditions

Coordinate Display
Go to a particular coordinate in either equatorial, horizon, or galactic coordinate systems with an optional display on screen

Bug fixes

New in 10.1
+ Planets widget
Embellish your home screen with a beautiful new widget that shows you when the bright planets are visible.

+ New Milky Way map
Explore a new Milky Way map with more detail than before. All Sky Guide versions benefit, and there's an extra detailed version for PRO subscribers.

+ All the moons (PRO)
Sky Guide now has accurate orbits and information on all known moons of the planets and Pluto — a grand total of 212 moons!

+ Deep sky catalogs (PRO)
Search the Collinder, Trumpler, and Melotte star cluster catalogs. And galaxy hunters can now find targets by their Arp designation.

+ Planets widget
Embellish your home screen with a beautiful new widget that shows you when the bright planets are visible.

+ New Milky Way map
Explore a new Milky Way map with more detail than before. All Sky Guide versions benefit, and there's an extra detailed version for PRO subscribers.

+ All the moons (PRO)
Sky Guide now has accurate orbits and information on all known moons of the planets and Pluto — a grand total of 212 moons!

+ Deep sky catalogs (PRO)
Search the Collinder, Trumpler, and Melotte star cluster catalogs. And galaxy hunters can now find targets by their Arp designation.

+ Added Triton (moon of Neptune)
+ Added moons of Uranus
+ Bug fixes

+ Show multiple passes on satellite info pages
+ Bug fixes

Fixed a bug with delivery of some notifications
Corrected the radiant of the Alpha Capricornids meteor shower

+ Show Great Red Spot transit time with Jupiter information
+ Added new comets C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) and C/2019 U6 (Lemmon)

+ Updated Starlink satellites
+ New asterisms: Spring Triangle, Winter Hexagon, Sickle, and others
+ Bug fixes

+ Fixed missing satellites

+ Updated Starlink satellites
+ Added Comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN)

Added tracking of Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)

+ Added Earth's temporary "moonlet" 2020 CD3
+ Added near-Earth asteroid 1998 OR2
+ Bug fixes

+ Bug fixes
+ Improved rendering of Sun for planetary transits

Fixed missing ISS notifications.

Sky Guide is ready for iOS 13 and iPadOS 13!

+ ARKit 3
Sky Guide’s AR viewer takes advantage of ARKit 3 to embed 3D objects into the environment more naturally. With ARKit's people occlusion, humans will realistically block rendered objects behind them.

+ Siri Shortcuts
“Hey Siri, where’s the Space Station?”
Sky Guide has new Siri shortcuts to quickly locate planets, stars, and satellites. Use the convenient new shortcuts page in the app to set up and manage your voice shortcuts, or use the iOS Shortcuts app for even more customization.

+ Dark Mode
Sky Guide has been designed for the dark and is perfectly at home in iOS’s new dark mode. The main app, today widget, and notifications have all gotten “dark adapted“ for the new look.

+ Language Setting
Want to use a different language in Sky Guide than you do for other apps? Now you change the language in Sky Guide’s preferences menu.

+ Added interstellar comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov

Bug fixes

Minor bug fixes

+ Bug fixes
+ Added LightSail 2 satellite
+ Added Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)

+ Size of sky labels adapts to system text size setting
+ Bug fixes

Added SpaceX Starlink satellites.

Completely re-engineered to harness the power of Metal, Sky Guide 8 has the smoothest graphics ever. Experience 120FPS on supported devices and a new horizon terrain illuminated by a dynamic sky.

+ This version improves the tracking and low-light performance in AR mode.

+ Added asteroids Ryugu, ‘Oumuamua, 1999 KW4, and comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS).

+ New for SUPERMASSIVE users: ultrawide zoom lets you see a planisphere-style full sky view. We've also added a field of view indicator.

+ Fixed a bug which prevented some users from receiving event notifications.

Bug fixes

+ Exciting new AR content! Experience a detailed model of the Hubble Space Telescope on your desk top or in your backyard at full life size. Go to the Featured tab and look for the Hubble Space Telescope AR article.
+ Added 2018 VG18 (Farout), the most distant known object in the Solar System
+ Bug fixes

+ iOS 12.1 and new iPad Pro support
+ Pencil support on iPad Pro: more precise selection, double tap to zoom in and out
+ Added 3D Touch shortcut for Calendar
+ Bug fixes

+ iOS 12.1 and new iPad Pro support
+ Pencil support on iPad Pro: more precise selection, double tap to zoom in and out
+ Added 3D Touch shortcut for Calendar
+ Bug fixes

+ Improved AR quality at night on iPhone X and iPhone XS
+ Fixed bug causing occasional duplicate notifications
+ Improved notifications for calendar events
+ Added Moon complication for the new Infograph faces on Apple Watch Series 4

Added Siri Shortcuts to main menu. New in 7.0:
Our biggest update ever! Support for iOS 12 and much more...
+ Featured: If it's worth knowing about, you're sure to find it in Featured, a curated collection of in-depth news, stories, reviews, tips and more. You may not see stars every night but there's always something to see in Sky Guide.

+ Calendar: From supermoons to solar eclipses, planetary alignments, meteor showers and more, you’ll know well in advance when something is about to happen. Plus, events are filtered to your location so you’ll never be let down by an event that was not visible to you in the first place.

+ Tonight: View the evening agenda, all in one place. Tonight is the first item in your Calendar and provides a detailed summary of visible planets, stargazing weather conditions, satellite passes and a handy light pollution map that lets you check conditions at home or your favorite observing site.

+ Siri Shortcuts: “Hey Siri, what star is that?”
Identifying something in the sky is now quicker than ever. With Shortcuts available in iOS 12 you can simply point your iPhone at a bright star, planet or satellite in the sky, say your preferred Shortcut phrase like “What star is that?” and Siri will tap into Sky Guide, identifying the object from your homescreen—no app launch required.

Our biggest update ever! Support for iOS 12 and much more...

+ Featured: If it's worth knowing about, you're sure to find it in Featured, a curated collection of in-depth news, stories, reviews, tips and more. You may not see stars every night but there's always something to see in Sky Guide.

+ Calendar: From supermoons to solar eclipses, planetary alignments, meteor showers and more, you’ll know well in advance when something is about to happen. Plus, events are filtered to your location so you’ll never be let down by an event that was not visible to you in the first place.

+ Tonight: View the evening agenda, all in one place. Tonight is the first item in your Calendar and provides a detailed summary of visible planets, stargazing weather conditions, satellite passes and a handy light pollution map that lets you check conditions at home or your favorite observing site.

+ Siri Shortcuts: “Hey Siri, what star is that?”
Identifying something in the sky is now quicker than ever. With Shortcuts available in iOS 12 you can simply point your iPhone at a bright star, planet or satellite in the sky, say your preferred Shortcut phrase like “What star is that?” and Siri will tap into Sky Guide, identifying the object from your homescreen—no app launch required.

Bug fixes

New in 6.7
+ Enabled higher resolution camera in AR mode
+ Added the Tesla Roadster launched in February by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket
+ Added three comets that will be observable later this year
+ Added new amateur radio satellite AO-92 and de-orbited Tiangong-1
+ New for SUPERMASSIVE subscribers: 1.7 billion stars now in your pocket! This is the latest star catalog from the European Space Agency's groundbreaking Gaia mission. When you launch Sky Guide the new catalog will download and replace the old catalog. No additional storage is required since the additional stars are streamed from a server.
We find it hard to believe that it has now been five years since Sky Guide debuted on the App Store! To all those who have had moments under the stars with Sky Guide, THANK YOU, and we hope you continue to spread the word to those who have not yet caught the stargazing fever! -Nick and Chris

+ Enabled higher resolution camera in AR mode
+ Added the Tesla Roadster launched in February by SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket
+ Added three comets that will be observable later this year
+ Added new amateur radio satellite AO-92 and de-orbited Tiangong-1
+ New for SUPERMASSIVE subscribers: 1.7 billion stars now in your pocket! This is the latest star catalog from the European Space Agency's groundbreaking Gaia mission. When you launch Sky Guide the new catalog will download and replace the old catalog. No additional storage is required since the additional stars are streamed from a server.

We find it hard to believe that it has now been five years since Sky Guide debuted on the App Store! To all those who have had moments under the stars with Sky Guide, THANK YOU, and we hope you continue to spread the word to those who have not yet caught the stargazing fever! -Nick and Chris

What's that twinkle moving slowly across the sky? It's a few gifts for you this holiday season...
+ Added Voyager 1 and 2 so you can see where they are now or any time in the past
+ Custom satellite notification times! 5 minutes advance notice was not ideal for everyone. Now you can specify how much time is right for you. (Go to Main Menu > Notifications > Satellite Passes)
+ Added Fox-1B amateur radio satellite (RadFXSat AO-91)
+ Added 3200 Phaethon, the parent body of the Geminids meteor shower

iPhone X support is here!
Plus some UI changes and bug fixes

6.5.1
+ Added Chiron and Sedna.
+ Bug fixes and typo corrections.

6.5
With iOS 11, Sky Guide 6.5 adds an exciting new feature: augmented reality! You’ve been so patient and Sky Guide AR is here, at last!

Requirements:
+ iOS 11
+ iPhone 6s and later or iPad Pro and later (includes 2017 iPad)

Finding stars, constellations and planets is easier than ever thanks to augmented reality. To activate it, first tap the center compass button to turn motion on. You will then see a new camera button appear which toggles AR mode.

Some tips for getting the best results from AR mode:

Augmented reality mode works great under a blue, daytime sky, but it has also been designed to function under a twilight and even nighttime sky. When your surroundings are very dark, you may notice some ghost-like trails behind moving objects. This is normal behavior due to the longer camera exposures needed.

Sky Guide automatically tries to adjust the blending of the augmented reality constellations with your real sky but if the constellations are not appearing quite right (if they appear noisy or patchy), you can use a two-finger up/down gesture to fine-tune the blending point.

Sometimes real objects and their corresponding augmented objects are not perfectly aligned. We first recommend giving the compass a few moments to settle in. If things are still not lined up, use a touch and hold gesture to activate the Compass Correction option. Then drag left or right to offset the augmented object until it is aligned with the real object. Sky Guide will retain this offset preference for your current session.

Also in this release, for those with a new iPad Pro: Sky Guide now supports 120 frames per second (requires iOS 11).

With iOS 11, Sky Guide 6.5 adds an exciting new feature: augmented reality! You’ve been so patient and Sky Guide AR is here, at last!

Requirements:
+ iOS 11
+ iPhone 6s and later or iPad Pro and later (includes 2017 iPad)

Finding stars, constellations and planets is easier than ever thanks to augmented reality. To activate it, first tap the center compass button to turn motion on. You will then see a new camera button appear which toggles AR mode.

Some tips for getting the best results from AR mode:

Augmented reality mode works great under a blue, daytime sky, but it has also been designed to function under a twilight and even nighttime sky. When your surroundings are very dark, you may notice some ghost-like trails behind moving objects. This is normal behavior due to the longer camera exposures needed.

Sky Guide automatically tries to adjust the blending of the augmented reality constellations with your real sky but if the constellations are not appearing quite right (if they appear noisy or patchy), you can use a two-finger up/down gesture to fine-tune the blending point.

Sometimes real objects and their corresponding augmented objects are not perfectly aligned. We first recommend giving the compass a few moments to settle in. If things are still not lined up, use a touch and hold gesture to activate the Compass Correction option. Then drag left or right to offset the augmented object until it is aligned with the real object. Sky Guide will retain this offset preference for your current session.

Also in this release, for those with a new iPad Pro: Sky Guide now supports 120 frames per second (requires iOS 11).

Are you ready for the 2017 solar eclipse?

This version adds some fantastic tools for planning and watching the eclipse:

+ A new menu option in Search will lead you to some helpful tips on preparing for the eclipse along with a map showing the eclipse path. Move the map and you will see the eclipse times automatically update.

+ Sky Guide now has a super-precise solar eclipse simulator—accurate down to the second. If you can't travel or are unlucky with the weather, watch the eclipse happen in Sky Guide! Instructions are provided in the previously mentioned menu option.

Also in this version:
+ Updated map of Jupiter with more detail in the poles (thanks NASA/Juno!)
+ Fixed a bug that might have caused your favorites to crash.

Radio check...

This is Fifth Star Labs with a QST...

Sky Guide now includes a bunch of popular radio satellites used by amateur radio operators.

Spread the word, Hams!

Over and out.

+ Updated 3D model of Titan complete with liquid methane lakes. You can view it by searching for Titan, opening its article info and pulling down on Titan to view the whole moon. Find the lakes near its North Pole :)

+ Added moons of Mars: Deimos and Phobos

+ Added moons of Saturn: Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Hyperion, and Iapetus

+ Bug fixes and typo corrections

Thanks everyone for your continued support!

-Nick & Chris

New Features Added in 6.2!

+ Added some of the best comets in history
+ Added some comets visible in the coming months
+ Added the Chinese space laboratory Tiangong-2
+ Updated the map of Mercury
+ Improved quality of sky imagery
+ Performance improvements


New Optional Features in 6.2!

We’ve been in the lab for the past two years working on something really big. It’s so big, in fact, that only one name seemed to fit: SUPERMASSIVE.

SUPERMASSIVE is an optional add-on for Sky Guide that gives you access to three amazing features:

+ HIGH DEFINITION ZOOM
Enjoy seamless detail in thousands of galaxies, nebulae, clusters and planets!

+ 50× LARGER CATALOGS
Dive in to 114 million stars, the complete NGC/IC catalog and so much more.

+ CINEMATIC TOURS
Discover the cosmos with breathtaking tours, an exclusive audiovisual series.

Who is SUPERMASSIVE for?
In short, it’s for people who love astronomy! If you like exploring the beauty and vastness of the universe, this is your ticket. We’re offering a free two-week trial period followed by an annual subscription ($9.99 USD annually, price varies by country) so try it and see if you like it. If you wish to cancel at any time during the trial period, you can find a Manage Your Subscriptions link both in the confirmation email or on the page where you download SUPERMASSIVE.

How do I get it?
Update to the latest version and look for the new SUPERMASSIVE option in the main menu.

Enjoy!

6.0.2
Bug fixes

6.0.1
NEW FOR iOS 10

Rich Notifications
Tired of those drab, text-only satellite notifications? We’ve launched our notifications into orbit with an animated Earth view showing the satellite’s path.

3D Touch
Filters now have a whole new feeling. Take an X-ray Peek at the sky or Pop a filter for full screen exploration. You can also use 3D Touch on your Sky Guide app icon for Quick Actions and a compact version of the Sky Guide widget.


New for watchOS 3

New Design
Sky Guide for Apple Watch has been streamlined into three categories: Sun activity, Moon, and the International Space Station. Swipe to switch pages or use the Digital Crown to view more detailed information. Your last viewed page will be saved for viewing in the Dock. Keep Sky Guide in your Dock for instantaneous launches.

Satellite Notifications
Pull down your satellite notifications to see an animated Earth view detailing the satellite’s path.


NEW BY POPULAR DEMAND

Map-based Location
You can now select a custom latitude and longitude or use the map to find what the sky will look like in very remote locations. It's great for planning what you'll see on those camping trips.

No, I meant to tap THAT
Selecting stars and deep sky objects is now more intelligent and intuitive

More Improvements
We've added a new Meteor Showers category plus you can now search for stars by HR, HD and HIP catalog numbers. Galaxy icons now align and scale as do open cluster icons. Satellite passes are now more accurate than ever.

iPad Pro keyboard shortcuts: cmd+F = Find an object, cmd+, = Preferences, cmd+M = Main Menu, cmd+T = Time Controls


OH, AND…

A brilliant twist? If we wanted to get technical we'd call this our new high-dynamic-range point-spread-function stellar rendering engine with diffraction spikes. Translation? They’re the most beautiful and realistic stars you've ever experienced.

Thank you to all for your continued support and feedback! If you haven’t reviewed Sky Guide in some time, please consider leaving a new review and let us know what you think of the latest update.

V6, our 19th free update is the most brilliant twist on Sky Guide yet…

NEW FOR iOS 10

Rich Notifications
Tired of those drab, text-only satellite notifications? We’ve launched our notifications into orbit with an animated Earth view showing the satellite’s path.

3D Touch
Filters now have a whole new feeling. Take an X-ray Peek at the sky or Pop a filter for full screen exploration. You can also use 3D Touch on your Sky Guide app icon for Quick Actions and a compact version of the Sky Guide widget.


New for watchOS 3

New Design
Sky Guide for Apple Watch has been streamlined into three categories: Sun activity, Moon, and the International Space Station. Swipe to switch pages or use the Digital Crown to view more detailed information. Your last viewed page will be saved for viewing in the Dock. Keep Sky Guide in your Dock for instantaneous launches.

Satellite Notifications
Pull down your satellite notifications to see an animated Earth view detailing the satellite’s path.


NEW BY POPULAR DEMAND

Map-based Location
You can now select a custom latitude and longitude or use the map to find what the sky will look like in very remote locations. It's great for planning what you'll see on those camping trips.

No, I meant to tap THAT
Selecting stars and deep sky objects is now more intelligent and intuitive

More Improvements
We've added a new Meteor Showers category plus you can now search for stars by HR, HD and HIP catalog numbers. Galaxy icons now align and scale as do open cluster icons. Satellite passes are now more accurate than ever.

iPad Pro keyboard shortcuts: cmd+F = Find an object, cmd+, = Preferences, cmd+M = Main Menu, cmd+T = Time Controls


OH, AND…

A brilliant twist? If we wanted to get technical we'd call this our new high-dynamic-range point-spread-function stellar rendering engine with diffraction spikes. Translation? They’re the most beautiful and realistic stars you've ever experienced.

Thank you to all for your continued support and feedback! If you haven’t reviewed Sky Guide in some time, please consider leaving a new review and let us know what you think of the latest update.

V6, our 19th free update is the most brilliant twist on Sky Guide yet…

NEW FOR iOS 10

Rich Notifications
Tired of those drab, text-only satellite notifications? We’ve launched our notifications into orbit with an animated Earth view showing the satellite’s path.

3D Touch
Filters now have a whole new feeling. Take an X-ray Peek at the sky or Pop a filter for full screen exploration. You can also use 3D Touch on your Sky Guide app icon for Quick Actions and a compact version of the Sky Guide widget.


New for watchOS 3

New Design
Sky Guide for Apple Watch has been streamlined into three categories: Sun activity, Moon, and the International Space Station. Swipe to switch pages or use the Digital Crown to view more detailed information. Your last viewed page will be saved for viewing in the Dock. Keep Sky Guide in your Dock for instantaneous launches.

Satellite Notifications
Pull down your satellite notifications to see an animated Earth view detailing the satellite’s path.


NEW BY POPULAR DEMAND

Map-based Location
You can now select a custom latitude and longitude or use the map to find what the sky will look like in very remote locations. It's great for planning what you'll see on those camping trips.

No, I meant to tap THAT
Selecting stars and deep sky objects is now more intelligent and intuitive

More Improvements
We've added a new Meteor Showers category plus you can now search for stars by HR, HD and HIP catalog numbers. Galaxy icons now align and scale as do open cluster icons. Satellite passes are now more accurate than ever.

iPad Pro keyboard shortcuts: cmd+F = Find an object, cmd+, = Preferences, cmd+M = Main Menu, cmd+T = Time Controls


OH, AND…

A brilliant twist? If we wanted to get technical we'd call this our new high-dynamic-range point-spread-function stellar rendering engine with diffraction spikes. Translation? They’re the most beautiful and realistic stars you've ever experienced.

Thank you to all for your continued support and feedback! If you haven’t reviewed Sky Guide in some time, please consider leaving a new review and let us know what you think of the latest update.

• Sky Guide is now optimized for the new iPad Pro.
• Added a new live Sun Glance for Apple Watch. During daytime hours the Sky Guide Glance will show a live image of solar activity (animated to the most recent 3 days). Tap for a detailed chart of activity which also indicates possible aurorae.
• Fixed bug where Moon Glance was not loading on Apple Watch
• Fixed bug where recently failed Iridium satellites were still being treated as active
• Fixed bug where the position of Jupiter's moons did not account for light travel delay
• Added dwarf planets Eris, Haumea, and Makemake

• Fixed compass problems on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
• Improved performance
• Added two new comets

Version 5.0 release notes:

5.0 has arrived and it's a big one!

Updated for iOS 9
• 3D Touch: See quick previews of any article while browsing the search menu with Peek and Pop. Get quick access to your Favorites, Search, or Satellites from the home screen by pressing on the Sky Guide icon. (3D Touch requires iPhone 6s)
• Multitasking: use Slide Over or Split View on your iPad.
• Spotlight Search: Find popular objects right from your home screen
• Landscape orientation support for all iPhone models
• Planetary deep zoom: Explore the planets at high magnification. Watch the Galilean moons transit and cast shadows onto the stormy atmosphere of Jupiter.
• Gorgeous 3d models for planet articles. Pull down to spin around Saturn's rings or explore the hidden terrain of Venus.
• Multi-page article data: Articles now have sections for different data categories. Swipe horizontally to browse each category. Data updates in real time, including new coordinates for altitude and azimuth.
• Choose custom Do Not Disturb hours for satellite notifications.
• Added new comet: C/2013 US10 (Catalina). It looks like Catalina might put on a great show!
• New font: San Francisco
• UI and performance improvements


Updated for WatchOS 2
• Improved app launch time and performance
• Complications: Select 'Sky Guide' when customizing your Apple Watch face for our very accurate Moon phase. Our Complication supports Time Travel and always stays precisely oriented for your time and location.

Please note: minimum requirements for Sky Guide on Apple Watch are now WatchOS 2.