Dark Skies: Astrophotography

Milky Way Photo Planner

Only for iPhone

Free · In‑App Purchases

iPhone

Plan the night with more confidence: smarter forecast handling, better moon and DST accuracy, stronger privacy, and more reliable Pro, widgets, and Watch. Plan better nights. Find darker places. Know when it is worth heading out. Dark Skies is a focused night-photography planner built to answer one practical question: is tonight worth shooting? See tonight’s best shooting window, compare the next 14 nights, plan around the Milky Way, Moon, meteors, weather, and darkness, then keep the essential tools ready when you arrive. FIND DARKER PLACES Explore a satellite-measured light map and discover nearby campgrounds from the federal recreation catalog. Compare measured light, distance, facility type, and managing agency before deciding whether a destination may be worth the drive. Measured light is not the same as sky quality, and nighttime access can vary. Dark Skies gives you useful planning evidence while clearly reminding you to verify access and local conditions before traveling. KNOW WHAT TONIGHT OFFERS Tonight turns complex forecast and astronomy data into a clear Night Plan with: • A simple nightly score • Your recommended shooting window • Moon illumination and timing • Suggested celestial targets • Practical lens guidance • A quick comparison with stronger upcoming nights FIND YOUR BEST NIGHTS Best Nights scores the next 14 nights so you can quickly identify promising opportunities instead of comparing forecasts one day at a time. Review cloud cover, darkness, Moon conditions, atmospheric proxies, and a concise forecast summary designed for photographers. PLAN THE SHOT Prepare for Milky Way, Galactic Core, Moon, meteor, landscape, and general night-sky photography with tools including: • Milky Way and Galactic Core planning • AR sky guidance • Moon phase, rise, set, and visibility tools • Meteor shower outlooks • Astronomical twilight and dark-window timing • Nightly weather forecasts • Star exposure calculator • Balanced and Sharper exposure modes • DSLR, mirrorless, and film camera support • Custom camera and lens profiles TAKE IT INTO THE FIELD Field Mode keeps essential timing and tools available in a red-on-black interface designed for use under the night sky. Apple Watch support helps you check key information without pulling out your phone. SAVE THE PLACES THAT MATTER Save observing locations, choose your active shooting spot, compare locations, and keep planning information synchronized across your Apple devices with iCloud. Dark Skies also includes widgets and smart alerts so strong shooting conditions are easier to catch. BUILT FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS, NOT DATA ANALYSTS Dark Skies is simpler than an all-purpose photography planner. It turns forecasts, astronomy, and location data into practical decisions about where to go, when to shoot, and what to photograph. • Free to download • No ads • No account required • Privacy-first design • Optional Pro features available Spend less time comparing data and more time under the sky.

  • 4.9
    out of 5
    8 Ratings

Dark Skies 5.3.1 focuses on making your night planning more reliable when the details matter. • More dependable forecast refreshes and date handling, including overnight and timezone edge cases • Improved moon-interference calculations for better Best Nights planning • More reliable widgets and Apple Watch behavior around changing nights and daylight saving time • Purchase, restore, and Pro-status reliability improvements • Stronger privacy protections for diagnostic data • Refined Apple Intelligence explanations with tighter astronomy guardrails • Additional accessibility, onboarding, and interface polish Plus a large set of behind-the-scenes fixes and regression tests to keep “is tonight worth shooting?” accurate and dependable.

The developer, Nathan Stryker, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

  • Data Not Linked to You

    The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

    • Usage Data
    • Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

The developer indicated that this app supports the following accessibility features. Learn More

  • Supported Features

    • VoiceOver

    • Larger Text

    • Dark Interface

    • Sufficient Contrast

    • Reduced Motion

Seller
Nathan Stryker
Size
34.1 MB
Category
Photo & Video
Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.1 or later.
  • iPhone
    Requires iOS 18.1 or later.
  • Apple Vision
    Requires visionOS 2.1 or later.
Languages
English
Age Rating
4+
In-App Purchases
Yes
  • Dark Skies Pro Monthly $2.99
  • Dark Skies Lifetime $39.99
  • Dark Skies Pro Annual $19.99
Copyright
© Nathan Stryker