4 Best Astrophotography Apps for iPhone in 2023

The night sky has always captivated us with its vastness, beauty, and mystery. So it’s natural for us to have the urge to capture it. While doing that in the past was a costly affair, with the advancement in tech, we can turn our iPhones into powerful tools using some cool astrophotography apps.

Shooting cosmos is an entirely different ball game. You can’t just hit the shutter button and expect your phone to take a breathtaking shot. For the same, you need a reliable smartphone camera and a set of astrophotography apps. 

In this article, we will talk about 4 apps that will take your astrophotography game to exceptional heights. These apps are great at spotting constellations, providing you with a detailed weather report, and assisting you with the best camera settings for the night. So, let’s dive right in and explore the best astrophotography apps for iPhone.

1. Stellarium Mobile – Best for Advanced Astrophotographers

Stellarium is one of the most crucial apps in your astrophotography journey. The main agenda of the app is to help spot celestial bodies in the night sky. For the same, it possesses comprehensive data of over 1.6 billion stars. On the free version, you get access to all the popular stars and constellations, but to view deep sky objects, a subscription is required.

The app has a relatively simple interface. You can point your phone toward the sky to locate the stars and planets in real-time while tapping on them draws all the necessary information. Moreover, Stellarium also works offline, so you’re sorted even in remote locations.

The free model serves well for hobbyists, but if you are an advanced user, we suggest upgrading to Stellarium Plus. Why? With the Plus subscription, you get features like Telescope Control Module that enables you to use the app with any telescope, Observatory planning that details celestial objects’ observability and transit times, a calendar of upcoming astronomical events and satellite passes, a 3D view of the cosmic bodies and more. 

Paid: Free, Subscription: $18.99 (one-time)

Download Stellarium Mobile

2. Astropheric – Best Astronomical Weather App

If you still rely on generic weather apps for astronomical weather predictions, give up on them already. Instead, use an app that’s tailored for the same. We recommend Astropheric, an app laden with advanced weather tools for professional astronomers and astrophotographers.

You get updated CMC astronomy data every 6 hours, extended cloud forecast, pollution map, sky data, Kp index for aurora viewing, and detailed solar and lunar Eclipse.

The free version misses out on features like Ensenble Cloud forecast with hourly updates, ISS Reminders, Extended Cloud layer, Weather Alerts, and an Ad-free experience. Honestly, that is not a lot, and you will be better off with the free version unless you have very specific requirements.

While the features are great, they could have been laid out better. Getting used to the apps is a struggle, especially with its cluttered UI. But once you do, there is no going back. Its advanced meteorological weather tracking features will always keep you on top.

That said, there is one major drawback, Astropheric is only available in the U.S. and Canada. For those residing in other regions, MetoBlue is another reliable option.

Paid: Free, Subscription: $29.99(yearly)

Download Astropheric

3. Sky Guide – App for Beginners in Astrophotography

Sky Guide is one of the most sought-after astrophotography apps. While it is similar to Stellarium, some features make this app stand out. Firstly, Sky Guide has the most user-friendly interface of all the astrophotography apps. Unlike other apps, we didn’t have to struggle to get hold of its features.

During the setup, it asks you to choose to get notified about events, satellites, and astronomy news. Additionally, you can choose between binoculars, telephone, and smartphone cameras as your gear. Secondly, you get the Calendar option that provides information about upcoming astronomical events. Not just that, it lays down a guide as to how you can view that event with exact timings and directions.

We adore the app’s search section, where you can get detailed instructions about the visibility of stars, moons, planets, and deep-sky objects on a particular day. That said, the best feature is the augmented reality mode, wherein the app aligns with actual footage from the camera to show celestial objects in real time. For those who cannot get enough, Sky Guide has a great collection of featured articles and essays about meteorology and related topics.

The Calendar, AR mode, visibility, mythology, articles, and more are included in the free version. Whereas Sky Guide Plus brings 100x higher zoom, 100x more stars, 10,000x more satellites, expanded solar system objects, weather and meteor forecasts, spectral filters for different wavelengths of light, and a dark sky finder.

Paid: Free, Subscription: $19.99 per/year onwards

Download SkyGuide

4. PhotoPills – App for Astrophotography Planning

Photo Pills is the one-stop solution for most of your astrophotography needs. It offers a vast array of features ranging from an AR stargazing guide to advanced camera features for astrophotography. Despite having a plethora of features, the app manages to have a clutter-free look with its Grid-based UI. All the primary features are laid on the homepage, so it’s easy to access them whenever required.

You have the planner, sun, and moon that provide essential information for astrophotography planning. Additionally, it gets you exact dates and timings for sunrise, sunset, twilights, golden hour, blue hour, moonrise/set, and supermoon.

The app also provides dedicated camera tools for FOV (field of view), DOF (depth of field), and exposure so that you capture the best of the night sky with ease. While the app is great for astrophotography, you can’t use it for free. PhotoPills has a one-time purchase cost of $10.99, which is worth it considering the feature set that it brings.

Subscription: $10.99 (one-time)

Download PhotoPills

Also Read: Best manual camera apps for iPhone

FAQs on Astrophotography for iPhone

Shoot Crisp Night Sky Photos

These amazing astrophotography apps for iPhone are equipped with advanced features to fulfill your desire to capture the night sky. Thankfully, 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 embark on the journey towards astrophotography.

Let us know in the comments if you like these apps or if have any suggestions for astrophotography apps.