# AstroAid — user reviews > 45 indexed App Store user reviews of AstroAid by iLanga, Inc., rated 4.30/5 from 44 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroaid/id541448395/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroaid/id541448395.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 26 · 4★ 11 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 3 ## Newest reviews (14 of 45) ### 4/5 — Very good but needs updating *2021-11-05, version 3.5.1* So easy and quick to use but needs equipment updating. Most of cameras and scopes are not in the database. ### 4/5 — really needs updating *2020-11-28, version 3.5.1* AstroAid does not open in ios 14.2. ### 4/5 — Unusable *2020-11-11, version 3.5.1* In iOS 14.2 the app crashes on opening. ### 4/5 — Excellent for planning *2020-05-15* Excellent app for framing and planning, only wish you could rotate the camera so that it would be the same orientation as my setup. ### 4/5 — Tolle App *2020-04-07* Ich nutze diese App seit 2 Jahren und bin sehr zufrieden damit. Ein Update der Optiken wie z.B. TS-Optics 6“ Hypergraph,... wäre wünschenswert. Sonst eine klare Empfehlung. Ein Dank an die Entwickler. ### 4/5 — Amazing and helpful app, needs update *2018-11-24, version 3.5.1* After 12.1 the app starts then crashes. Once updated back to my default aid app! ### 4/5 — As good as expected *2018-09-27* It appears there is not much demand for an app such as this: one that lets the user list his equipment owned; oculars, scopes, and other accessories. Than let the user select the desired equipment and apply that combo to a very inclusive list of the various objects in observable in the night sky from the users location. I’m fact this is the only app of which I am aware that is able to perform that function. In fact, I could not find one of a simpler type, that would only allow the user list equipment; oculars, scopes, etc., how they interacted with each other, ignoring the object observed. Since this is the only game in town one would expect to see a compromised program. Why go to extremes when a mediocre job will do? But to the credit of the developer concerning this app, that’s not the case. This is a very good program. One can pick out the equipment owned from the provided list and for anything that is not listed under the owned section, a convenient “custom” section is included where one can list specific equipment and their stats. Once this information is provided you only need to pick out an object, and list the equipment you intend to use, (plus some other variables) and you are provided with a decent representation of the object. Not that this app is without flaws. It can be a problem adding and or editing equipment. And if you make a mistake in selection, it can be a problem to correct. I have often found it easier to close and reopen the app, starting the process over from the beginning than labor through changes after I have entered errant information. None the less those complaints are minor, especially when compared to what you get. This is a good app for any amateur astronomer who wants to stay organized. ### 4/5 — Please update this!!!! *2017-08-07* This is one of my favorite apps to use to figure out FOV for various setups. It is no longer supported in the new iOS and it crashes a lot. I still use it though. PLEASE UPDATE! Nothing else comes close to this app. ### 4/5 — Great but..... *2016-09-11* I love the idea behind this. Not only should this be giving you an idea of what to expect when viewing, but also an idea of how different eyepieces would work with your telescope. A minor complaint is that the pictures used should be large enough to fill the FOV with all the eyepieces. My main complaint, however, is that a change in apparent FOV cannot be distinguished from a change in the power of the eyepiece. Changing the display to reflect a change to the apparent FOV instead of shrinking the image within a fixed apparent FOV is needed to make this simulator realistic. ### 4/5 — Wonderful but needs work *2016-04-15* I have been using this app for sometime now to get an idea of what I want to image with a given setup, and even as an aid to decide what new equipment to buy. I find it incredibly useful and easy to use. However I find that there are a few things that could make it better. I understand the reason for cropping the images to limit storage space needed but it would be nice to have the option to download un-cropped images (on a image by image basis would be great) for modern devices with larger storage. Updated equipment list and the ability to add unlimited custom entries. And a big one for me would be solar system images of the Sun (maybe with various views like Ha and white light) the Moon and planets. I am learning Solar imaging and would like a better idea on what combos give what FOV for full disk or sunspot views. All in all the app is very useful and I would recommend it to anyone. ### 4/5 — Good, but needs updating *2015-10-03* This is a good application for framing objects in both visual and photographic observations. While this is very helpful, there are three problems that keep it from getting five stars (no pun intended). First, the night mode is bad. It eliminates contrast in the FoV and menus, keeping you from seeing anything. Second, it is very out of date. It lacks the newer brands such as Explore Scientific and you can use up all of the custom items very quickly. Finally, the worst, almost ALL images are severely cropped, even famous ones like the Double Cluster, Lagoon Nebula, And-dromeda (pun intended) Galaxy. If you use a wide-field telescope and eyepiece or camera, most of the field is black. With the eyepiece, changing the AFoV changes the magnification, too. If the producers update this application, it would be nice to have planets at opposition and a slider for their rotation and an exposure simulator for imaging. The longer the exposure and faster F-Ratio, the brighter the image would be. ### 5/5 — Excellent!! *2015-08-18, version 2.0* Awesome App! Easy to use!! ### 4/5 — So far so good *2015-07-15* 30 minutes in and everything is going well. Only problem encountered so far is somewhat limited selection for the pick lists, even for well-known brands, so could use more Custom options please (at least 20, 50 better). Still, this is definitely a Must Buy for any amateur astronomer and I am happy with my purchase. ### 5/5 — A must have... *2015-04-27* I'm fairly new to telescopes and telescope viewing/photography. This is a great app to let's you get an understanding of what you might see given the equipment you specify. I saw a complaint that this app didn't represent what the user saw in his eyepiece. Well, depending on your scope or viewing conditions objects may not be as visible - that is to be expected. This app isn't meant to show exactly what the object will "look" like but rather how, given the correct exposure, the object frames up in your final image. I've looked in my scope and didn't see a darn thing, but after a 3 minute exposure - there it was. Anyway, I highly recommend this app. Allows you to plan your viewing night, and know what to expect, before you're standing out in the dark. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Does not even open! *2022-12-31, version 3.5.1* App doesn’t open at all. Was very excited to ise this but not good ### 1/5 — Crashes *2017-06-08, version 2.0* Crashes whenever I try to put a new scope in (Celestron Travel Scope). Has not been updated for a long time. Useless waste of my money! ### 1/5 — Could be good if..... *2016-11-16* ......The database included my scopes, CCD's and reducers .....the ability to download these and add to the app as custom devices ...... it didn't crash when entering decimal points or spaces in custom data If these points were fixed it might be worth the £2.68 A reluctant purchaser ### 1/5 — Keeps quitting *2016-10-30* Good concept but quits every time I try to make custom eyepieces on iPad Pro. ### 2/5 — In your dreams *2013-10-06, version 2.0* I thought I was getting a program that depicts what you will see through your scope with your eyepieces. Not even close! Even under optimal conditions from my "blue zone" site, DSOs are never as bright & clear as this presents them. I want a refund! ### 3/5 — Needs updating *2021-11-28* This could be a perfect app for planning astrophotography, but the images it uses are far too small to be of much help with any low magnification telescope setup. Full frame image circle scopes like the Takahashi FSQ, or a William Optics Red Cat 51 are woefully under supported in terms of showing you what the image would look like with a full frame sensor. Also, the list of available imaging sensors is extremely out of date, with all of the latest Canon and ZWO sensors missing. Sure, you can manually add your own sensor data, but it would be good to have an updated list in the app. On the plus side, the summary for each set-up in terms of resolution limits is very useful for determining whether a given target can be successfully imaged under any given set of seeing conditions. ### 3/5 — Useful as all heck, but... *2015-10-19* It's been long enough. Could we please get updated full frame images? Low res them to keep size down, fine... but those tiny thumbs are getting tired. ### 3/5 — Useful Planning Aid *2015-03-27* AstroAid is a very useful aid to planning a nights activity. It's takes the guesswork out of knowing what instruments and accessories are required to achieve your aim and for that alone it's well worth the investment. However, no updates or improvements for almost 2.5 years is disappointing considering the volume of new equipment that has emerged. Also, the app lacks any planetary data which is a perplexing omission. ### 3/5 — Handy but .. *2014-01-01* This app doesn't include all types of scopes and excludes certain manufactures from the list too, nor all manufacturers eye pieces. Seems to exclude planets too. However useful in giving you a rough idea of what to expect that's why only three stars, needs improvement. ### 3/5 — It’s Ok, but extensive for what it does *2013-11-09, version 2.0* I recently became a dobsonian telescope owner (Orion Xt8) and wanted to see what the various eye pieces will give me with this scope. The app does what it’s supposed to do. Theres no way to include filters. I wish it included solar system planets in its object database. You can only search and test eyepieces / focal lengths on Messier, IC, NGC, objects. Where are the solar system planets? ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Brilliant *2020-02-06* Worth every penny. Brilliant app for every astronomer. ### 5/5 — Very useful *2017-11-05* Good for calculating image scale. Would be much better if objects were in full view. Had to reinstall after last update. ### 5/5 — Amateur Astronomer's friend *2017-10-04* This is a wonderful aid for amateur astronomers. Does all those calculations you would normally need for a night of observing or imaging. The latest updates have been especially helpful! ### 5/5 — This app is a must ... *2017-10-03, version 3.2* UPDATE : This update is great... Many Thanks !.... Whether it is for visual or astrophotography, this app is a must for amateur astronomers, either beginners or more advanced. It accurate, easy to use, a precious aid for preparing your observation or astrophoto sessions. Hope the author will have the time and energy to update the app to the 64bits requirement announced by Apple. It would really be unfortunate to loose such a nice tool... ### 5/5 — Excellent Tool! *2017-10-01, version 3.1* V3.1 Yay! AstroPlanner supports iOS 11. This version comes with a new interface and more objects including the planets. Previous users will feel right at home on the iPad but it took me a moment or two on the smaller iPhone screen. I first configured my scopes and eyepieces on the iPhone, then installed and launched the iPad version. All my configuration settings were transferred via iCloud. A great time saver. Plus updates to the hardware list are frequent. Wonderful value for the money. Buy it so the developer can continue to support it. Regards, Mark F v2.0. This is an excellent tool for eyepiece impressions of astronomical objects with different telescope & eyepiece combinations. With the addition of the NGC, IC and Caldwell catalog (in addition to the Messier list), this tool is even more useful than before. AstroAid also helps with the decision of which eyepiece to buy when filling in the gaps in your equipment. I haven't used the imager option as I'm strictly a visual observer. The only iOS program I've come across that performs a similar function is the Optics feature in Starmap HD. Excellent value at 3x the price. You do need an internet connection when downloading images that are not cached on your device, which is understandable as there is one heck of a lot of stuff to look at! Next best feature: ability to flip the image vertically or horizontally, which would help with the diffuse nebula. ### 5/5 — Awesome new update! *2017-09-24, version 3.0* Sweet new update for ios11! Awesome fov use for telescopes. ### 5/5 — Excellent update to an excellent app *2017-09-21* While there are some things I would like to see added that previous reviewers have already mentioned, I give this app 5 stars because there is no other app available that does exactly what this one does. It is very useful to select the best eyepiece or imaging device to be used for your telescope to view any object you would like to see. Also, it allows you to determine what objects are in position to view at the time and at your location, by just scrolling through the list. There are seven catalogs of objects that you can search through to do this. It brings up a picture of each of these objects so that you can see what it looks like in the field of view of your telescope/eyepiece/optical aid/ or imager. Also, it gives you a report of the system data with all the optical information for the selected equipment you are using. ### 5/5 — Vary handy app for stargazers and Astro imagers! *2017-09-20* You start by selecting all the gear you own - eyepieces, cameras, telescopes, optical aids (Barlow or focal reducers), etc. (Tip: swipe left on an item in the list to reveal the "Owned" option). Then you can select individual items for your current setup and see what a particular target will look like in your visual field of view, or on your camera's sensor. It also displays a lot of useful information in the corners of the image such as field of view values, or arc-seconds per pixel for imagers. In the System Data section, it provide you a much richer list of information for how the specific set of gear you've selected will perform as a system. I've been using this since version 1. When I first got it, I thought it was interesting, but not sure how often I'd use it. I was surprised to find how frequently I refer to it. In fact, it is my most used app after SkySafari. If I could only have 2 astronomy apps, it would by SkySafari and AstroAid. I often look at it to see what effect a Barlow or focal reducer will have on the field of view for imaging. And when I'm planning an imaging session, I have several scopes to choose from and use AstroAid to determine which will best frame the image and what the pixel scale will be. I use it for similar purposes when doing visual observing, to plan which scope and eyepieces to use for the night. An excellent app that everyone should have in their toolbox! ### 5/5 — Please update the app before iOS 11!! *2017-03-15* Please update the app to 64bit or else the app will be unavailable as of iOS 11. I love this app and use it all the time. ### 5/5 — Great aid *2016-05-15* Excellent App. A real bonus on a cloudy night. Knowing what size your target will be in your eyepiece helps you plan the session better and it's fun too. Four catalogues to choose from, couldn't ask for more. On second thoughts, it would be even better if the planets were included. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-03.*