# Milky Way Tonight — Milky Way Forecast & Planner > Milky Way photography planning and visualization tool. (iPhone/iPad app by Chasing Starlight LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/milky-way-tonight/id6769140324 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Chasing Starlight LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896633148) - Category: Photo & Video, Weather - Price: $7.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 18 App Store ratings · 18 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15 · 3 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-06-12 - Data updated: 2026-09-13 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/milky-way-tonight/id6769140324/reviews.md ## What is Milky Way Tonight? Photographing the Milky Way takes a lot of planning and timing. Milky Way Tonight handles all of that for you in an easy to understand way. Open the app and the first thing you see is Tonight at a Glance: a plain-language summary of whether tonight is worth going out. It tells you when the Galactic Core rises and peaks, when the moon sets, what the cloud cover looks like, and how dark your skies are on the Bortle scale (light pollution levels) If tonight is a bust, it tells you the next clear window so you can start planning ahead. Below that is a 7-day forecast strip that color-codes each night by visibility quality and highlights the best opportunity in the week. Tap any day for a full breakdown. When you're ready to find a location, the Dark Sky Finder searches for darker skies near you, ranked by light pollution, cloud cover, and driving distance together. You'll find darker spots on a map and the best realistic option for tonight. The Composition Planner lets you visualize where the Milky Way arc will be positioned relative to a location before you ever leave home. See the galactic core position, plan your foreground, and show up knowing exactly what shot you're going for. Sky View not only opens a star map using your phone's compass, but with access to your camera the AR mode allows for real-time planning. Point it at the sky, the horizon or directly at your foreground to see exactly where and when the stars align over your composition. It's a powerful tool for scouting compositions in the field and knowing exactly when you need to be shooting. Core Alignment: While using Sky View, tap anywhere on screen to see exactly if & when the Milky Way Core will align above that foreground; the next time and for the rest of the season. The ultimate composition planner. H-Alpha boost mode shifts the overlay to highlight nebula and emission regions. Perfect for astro modified cameras. The visibility calendar is your personal Milky Way calendar, built off your exact location. It maps out every night of the year so you can plan shoots weeks or months in advance. Save any night to My MW Nights to add notes, see the sky conditions, and keep all your plans in one place. The NPF calculator helps you dial in the sharpest possible stars for your specific camera and lens combination, so you know the longest exposure you can shoot without trailing. When you're in the field, Dark Adaptation Mode tints and dims your screen red so your night vision stays intact. For anyone new to this type of photography, the Getting Started guide walks through the entire workflow from scratch, including how to read the data in the app, what gear settings to use, and how to actually find the Milky Way once you're in the field. Built by landscape astrophotographer Jack Fusco (@jackfusco). FEATURES - Tonight at a Glance: galactic core rise, peak, and window times for your location. Full nightly and core specific cloud forecasts - Nightly quality ratings: Excellent, Good, Brief, Limited, and Blocked with plain-language explanations - Next clear window: see exactly how many nights until conditions improve - 7-day Milky Way and cloud forecast strip - Dark Sky Finder: ranked by light pollution, cloud cover, and driving distance Bortle class and SQM ratings for any location - Composition Planner: visualize the galactic arc over your planned foreground - Sky View AR: live star map with camera overlay using your phone's compass - Monthly visibility calendar built from your exact location - Core Alignment - See exactly when the MW will line up over any foreground. - My MW Nights: save shooting nights with notes and sky data - NPF calculator: find the sharpest exposure time for your camera and lens - Dark Adaptation Mode: red screen tint to protect your night vision in the field - Offline support: cached forecast data available without a connection - Getting Started guide written for complete beginners No account required, no ads, no tracking ## Key features - Tonight at a Glance forecast - 7-day visibility calendar - Dark Sky Finder - Composition Planner with AR - Sky View star map - NPF calculator - Getting Started guide ## Chart rankings - #29 in Top Paid · Photo & Video (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 18) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/milky-way-tonight/id6769140324/reviews.md ### 5/5 — UI and functionality *2026-09-11* Enjoying the simple user interface within the application and continue to keep finding new functionality. My experience this far too is that location services are highly accurate. ### 5/5 — Works great *2026-09-07* I have used multiple apps to find the Milky Way, or other celestial stuff, to find where a dark sky is as well as the cloud cover or haze in an area. What makes this app fantastic is that all those things are packed into one app. On top of it, there is an AR portion that allows you to setup your shot. I have found this app to work great and the improvements Jack has made are welcome and great. ### 5/5 — Super Useful App *2026-08-31* This app is an amazing for photographers heading out to capture the night sky. It has a really fresh UI and has many tools for both beginners and professional photographers. ### 5/5 — New favorite Astro app! *2026-08-28* This app is a game changer! Easy to use with all the information an Astrophotographer needs to get the Milky Way core in frame. Having an Astro app that’s been researched, developed, designed, and used by a professional and award winning astrophotographer means that it is a highly practical and beautifully designed app. It’s just an app with features developers *think* we want, this app has tools you’ll actually need and use. It’s already helped me plan future shoots! ### 5/5 — Game changer for Milky Way Photographers *2026-08-27* This should be the first app you pick up to plan your shoot and the last app you check before shooting. It’s that good. This app is genuinely a game changer for Milky Way photographers. I’ve been doing Astrophotography for years and this app changed my preproduction workflow after a single use. The app is basically an all in one planner for shooting night sky photography. You can type in a location and then check the weather, the sky conditions for things like light pollution from nearby cities or from the moon, where and when the Milky Way core will be visible and how it will be moving across the sky. I’m a pretty serious planner and what’s so exciting to me about Milky Way Tonight is that it offers me the information that I’ve been going to 5 or 6 different resources to gather independently. Instead of photopills AND stellarium AND Capture the Atlas Milky Way calendars AND google maps AND weather apps AND light pollution map, etc. I have all of that information not only in one place, but it’s easy and intuitive to use. I can type in my exact shooting date and location plans and have all of that instantly accessible to compare for multiple nights and nearby locations. SO convenient! One of the things I was most impressed by is how acute you can hone in to locations for weather data. In August, I was shooting in Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierras, and I was able to get different weather conditions for the town of Mammoth Lakes and the bottom of the mountain just a few minutes away. That may not sound like a big deal, but the change in elevation affects the clouds, which is one of our biggest concerns. Being able to check the different conditions in spaces close enough together to be counted as “one location” in my weather app helped me decide where to shoot based on which location would have better cloud conditions. That kind of thing can make a break an entire night of shooting. I’ve been in situations where I was set up to shoot, then the clouds started coming in, but the other nearby-enough locations all fell under one location umbrella in my weather apps that I couldn’t tell if the clouds were different there or if it was likely to be the same. Then you’re just left to guesswork if you should pack up and move or stick it out. I wish I had this app in situations like that to help me plan across those very specific locations and also check for nearby backups if conditions change (as they tend to do) very quickly in places like the mountains. The creator of this app is Jack Fusco who is both an amazing artist and photographer but also a thoughtful and generous educator. All of that comes through in this app. Even if I didn’t know his photography work itself, it would be obvious that this app was made by someone that actually goes out and does this work. You can tell the app wasn’t just put together with some grab bag features without cohesion, but is thoughtful and efficient about supporting you in finding what you need but also remaining easy to navigate. You can tell all of this because of how intuitive it is to use. Whenever I wanted a piece of information or had a question or was looking at the response data from putting in my location and what it showed me made me think “huh, I wonder about this other thing next…” while looking at the data, that thing I was wondering about was the next thing that was presented to me. That kind of thing only happens when it’s been built by someone with experience. It’s just clear that this was built from a place of someone who has gone through this process and been like “I wish I had this, I wish I had that, etc. to help me plan,” and then they went and built what they need with those features. That’s what Jack has done with this app and it really shows. There are other features that I haven’t even explored yet, like exposure guides and also more educational features like tips from Jack. I’m excited to dive into these further during the offseason when the Milky Way core isn’t visible and I’ll have a few weekends at home. In the meantime, this has become my number 1 go to app for my Milky Way photography. It’s the kind of thing that any photographer in their astrophotography journey can use. I have had both thoughts of “I wish I had this when I was just starting out and learning,” and also “now that I know what I’m doing, this is going to help me be more proficient and help me utilize my existing knowledge better and plan better and get more out of my shoots.” Really truly cannot recommend this app enough to anyone that’s interested in actually going out into the night and shooting photography of the night sky. Thanks Jack for making this awesome resource! ### 5/5 — Awesome App *2026-08-25* Finally a night skies app that’s simple to use. All the info you need to plan your night out with the stars in one place. Perfect tool for you night shooters. ### 5/5 — A game changer for Milky Way photography! *2026-08-19* This app is a game changer! I love that I can enter in coordinates and plan future Milky Way photos for specific locations. It’s thoughtful designed, easy to use, and absolutely worth the small investment. Highly recommend it to for anyone interested in the Milky Way. ✨ **Developer response:** Thank you very much! I'm so glad you've found the app easy to use and have enjoyed using it! Making sure it was straightforward was really important to me, so I'm really happy to hear that. If you ever come across feature or ideas you'd like to see in the app or improved, please feel free to reach out! Thank you again! - Jack ### 5/5 — 10/10 *2026-07-02* Amazing app, everything you’ll ever need for a night of Astro. **Developer response:** Thank you so much! I appreciate you checking out the app and am so glad you're enjoying it! Hope you have clear skies coming up! ### 5/5 — My new favorite Milky Way app! *2026-07-01* Finally an app that pulls everything together in one easy to use interface! Love how well thought out this app is and all the awesome features. It makes planning Milky Way shots so much easier and saves you cash by not needing to purchase 5 different apps to do same thing this 1 app can do. Great work! **Developer response:** Thank you so much for all of the kind words! This is honestly the reason behind why I was working on this before it was an app. My hope just to make it easy for people to plan and get out under the stars, myself included! So glad you've been enjoying it! I hope you'll share any thoughts or ideas you might have if anything comes up that you'd like to see! Thank you again! - Jack ### 5/5 — What I Have Been Waiting For *2026-06-27* This is the ultimate app for all photographers, including beginners. It will simplify your shoot and save you time and frustration. Very happy with this app. It helped me get back in the field after being away from Milky Way photography for years. Worth twice the price!! **Developer response:** Thank you so much for checking out the app for taking the time to leave your thoughts! I'm so happy you've been able to get back out under the stars and the app has played a small part in helping that. That's honestly the best feedback I could hope for! If you ever have any questions or things you think would be helpful to see in the app, please let me know! I hope you plenty of clear skies ahead and will share any photos you end up taking! I'd love to see them. Thank you again! ## Frequently asked questions about Milky Way Tonight ### What is Milky Way Tonight? Milky Way Tonight is a paid app designed to help astrophotographers plan and capture images of the Milky Way. It offers detailed forecasts, location scouting, and composition planning tools. ### How much does Milky Way Tonight cost? Milky Way Tonight is a paid application priced at $7.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscriptions mentioned. ### What devices support Milky Way Tonight? Milky Way Tonight is available for iPhone and iPod devices. It is rated for ages 4 and up. ### How often is Milky Way Tonight updated? Milky Way Tonight was last updated on June 12, 2026, with version 1.0. Future updates will likely continue to refine its features and forecasts. ### Does Milky Way Tonight have ads? No, Milky Way Tonight does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it provides an ad-free experience for its users. ### Can I plan Milky Way shots for specific locations with Milky Way Tonight? Yes, the app's Dark Sky Finder helps locate darker skies near you, and the Composition Planner allows you to visualize the Milky Way's position relative to your chosen location. ### What kind of planning tools does Milky Way Tonight offer? Milky Way Tonight offers a 'Tonight at a Glance' summary, a 7-day forecast, a Dark Sky Finder, a Composition Planner with AR Sky View, and a visibility calendar for long-term planning. ### Is there a guide for beginners in Milky Way Tonight? Yes, Milky Way Tonight includes a 'Getting Started' guide that walks new users through the entire workflow, from understanding the app's data to finding the Milky Way in the field. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.2.1 — 2026-09-03 - Planning & Organizing Update - - Added larger view of planning and location maps. - Saved nights and locations can now be given custom names. - Recent location searches appear in a dropdown and Saved locations are better organized. - 18 new cameras in the exposure calculator - Accuracy improvements throughout. - Improved MW AR View visuals - Saved MW nights from 2027 will be organized separately ### 1.2.0 — 2026-08-31 - Planning & Organizing Update - - Added larger view of planning and location maps. - Saved nights and locations can now be given custom names. - Recent location searches appear in a dropdown and Saved locations are better organized. - 18 new cameras in the exposure calculator - Accuracy improvements throughout. - Improved Milky Way AR View visuals If you experience any issues or have any suggestions, please reach out directly - info@themilkywaytonight.com ### 1.1.0 — 2026-08-05 - Added ability to scale text size - Added ability to Export Saved MW Night - Improved forecasting accuracy - Improved accuracy of Milky Way visibility windows and countdown timers at northern latitudes (48°N+). - Increase contrast of Milky Way in AR mode during the day - Corrected "Visibility Calendar" display width issue on devices - Shifted "Good" color on calendar view to a more distinct hue - Updated NPF Calculator Camera Database - Newly released cameras + User Requested - Update Exposure Calculator Description to better reflect tool ### 1.0 — 2026-06-12 No release notes. ## Related topics [milky way tonight](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/milky-way-tonight) · [milky way legend ext](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/milky-way-legend-ext) · [milky way photo](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/milky-way-photo) · [milky way](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/milky-way) --- *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 2026-09-13.*