SQM Toolbox

Sky quality & light pollution

Only for Mac

Free · In‑App Purchases

Mac

Sky quality monitoring and light pollution analysis to support astronomy. Intended for fixed SQM installations, it can support manual data entry from handheld models SQM Toolbox is a professional-grade macOS app for measuring, analysing, and understanding night sky brightness using Unihedron SQM devices (SQM-LE, SQM-LU, SQM-LR). Whether you are an amateur astronomer, a teacher, a concerned citizen or a researcher, it provides a complete toolkit for exploring light pollution and natural sky conditions. This macOS app offers automated data collection from connected devices, alongside manual entry and automatic sync with the iOS mobile companion app. Measurements are sampled continuously, averaged per minute, and organised into a consistent noon-to-noon record, making it easy to compare entire nights. A rolling 7-day history is maintained, with support for importing archived datasets and sharing data between multiple systems. Beyond basic readings, SQM Toolbox delivers deep insight into the night sky. It calculates key astronomical parameters such as Sun and Moon elevation, twilight phases, and sky brightness conversions (NELM, illumination, Bortle class). Advanced models estimate the natural sky background sky, including contributions from moonlight, the Milky Way, and airglow — helping to distinguish true light pollution from natural effects. Powerful visualisation tools let you explore your data in detail. The table view presents complete minute-by-minute records, while the graph view displays full nights with twilight shading, cloud overlays, dual-axis parameters, and optional Moon and geophysics data. Everything is highly configurable, giving you full control over how your data are presented. SQM Toolbox integrates with external cloud sensors through the widely used Clarity II data format (including devices such as Lunatico CloudWatcher), and can also use data from Solo devices via their HTTP interface. This allows cloud conditions to be incorporated directly into your analysis. The app includes comprehensive export and sharing options (CSV, JSON, Skyglow), supports automatic uploads to citizen science projects, and provides tools such as nightly statistics and “best ever” tracking. Tools to analyse your long-term archive of saved data are provided: moon phase analysis and Unihedron-style filtering are currently included, with more in development. From fixed observatories to mobile surveys (especially in combination with SQM Mobile on iOS), SQM Toolbox is a complete and flexible solution for monitoring, analysing, and contributing to the understanding of the night sky. -- System Requirements: macOS 15.0 or later. SQM Toolbox is free to download and use indefinitely. This Free version provides everything needed for the casual user and works well with SQM Mobile. A Premium upgrade is available by subscription. The Premium version is complete and provides extensive tools for the enthusiast. It is the perfect companion for a permanently mounted and connect SQM device, also integrating with handheld units. If you want to try all the Premium features, without any commitment, the Premium subscription starts with a 1 month free trial, enough to cover all the moon's phases. Within that month it can be cancelled without paying anything. SQM Toolbox privacy Policy: https://www.gerspatial.com/privacy-policy-for-sqm-toolbox Standard Apple Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

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The developer, GerSpatial, 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:

    • Location

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Information

Seller
  • GerSpatial
Size
  • 39 MB
Category
  • Utilities
Compatibility
Requires macOS 15.6 or later.
  • Mac
    Requires macOS 15.6 or later.
Languages
  • English
Age Rating
4+
In-App Purchases
Yes
  • Premium Monthly $4.99
  • Premium Yearly $49.99
  • Learn More
Copyright
  • © 2025-2026 GerSpatial
  • Privacy Policy

    • Supports

    • Family Sharing

      Some in-app purchases and subscriptions may be shareable with your family group when Family Sharing is enabled. Learn More

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