# My Solar Compass — Site Astronomy Made Easy

> iPhone tool for capturing and calculating solar alignments and historical celestial events. (iPhone/iPad app by Adventuring B.V..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-solar-compass/id6755783690 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Adventuring B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1856290988)
- Category: Education, Travel
- Price: $5.99 (on sale, was $8.99)
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 26.1 · 15 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-11-27
- Data updated: 2026-08-09
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-solar-compass/id6755783690/reviews.md

## What is My Solar Compass?

The iPhone tool for capturing real sunrise & sunset alignments, revealing solstices, feast days, and the ancient geometry hidden in buildings and landscapes... or in your own backyard.

WHAT IS MY SOLAR COMPASS?

Point your iPhone along any structure, a cathedral nave, stone circle axis or garden path. Solar Compass records the precise compass bearing using your iPhone's GPS, compass, and camera. Then it calculates exactly when the sun rises or sets along that line throughout the year.

Discover if that medieval church or mountain peak aligns with the winter solstice. Find which saints' and feast day matches your alignment. Reveal whether ancient builders intentionally oriented their structures to capture sunrise on the longest day of the year. Or keep it close to home and find out how your house and garden are oriented.

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Calculate solar positions for any historical period from 500 AD to the present day. Study a Gothic cathedral built in 1200 AD? Set the observation year to 1200 and see exactly where the solstices occurred when the building was new. 

This matters because Earth's axial tilt changes slowly over centuries. The winter solstice sunrise in 1200 AD was at a slightly different azimuth than it is today. Solar Compass accounts for this historical obliquity using the IAU 2006 formula, delivering accurate calculations for medieval cathedrals, Renaissance churches, or colonial-era buildings.

For ancient sites constructed before 500 AD - like Stonehenge or the Pyramids - the app will show solstice and equinox alignments. Why? Because modern calendar systems didn't exist then. Ancient builders tracked observable celestial events: the longest day, shortest day, and equal day-night periods.

HOW IT WORKS

Point your iPhone at any alignment. Tap to capture the compass bearing in just seconds. The app stores your alignment with GPS coordinates and a photo of your viewfinder. The sun in your viewfinder will become orange and you can immediately see solstices & equinoxes, while you calculate the best sunrise & sunset alignments. The results will show you which saints' and feast days match your best results. The calculations deliver 1 arcsecond accuracy (0.00028°), more precise than your iPhone's sensors, so we recommend you calibrate your iPhone compass and capture alignments in an environment with as little interference as possible. 

My Solar Compass doesn't need an internet connection or cell reception to function. It will function normally and synch when online.

FEATURES

- Alignment capturing anywhere using your phone's compass, GPS, and camera
- Sunrise and sunset date calculations for your recorded bearings  
- Historical calculations from 500 AD to the present with period-accurate Earth tilt values
- Automatic solstice and equinox detection with sub-degree precision
- Alignment date matching with feast days from multiple traditions
- Ancient site mode for structures built before 500 AD
- Unlimited alignment storage, organized by location with cloud sync, included in the price
- Featured reference sites including Stonehenge, Great Pyramid of Giza, Angkor Wat, and Machu Picchu

WHO IS THIS FOR?

Anyone who looks at an old building and wonders: "Why does it face that direction?". Heritage enthusiasts exploring cathedrals, castles, and sacred sites worldwide. Curious travelers who want to understand the astronomy behind the places they visit. Students and educators teaching archaeoastronomy or architectural history. Researchers documenting alignments for fieldwork. History buffs fascinated by how past cultures tracked celestial events. Garden designers interested in solar orientation. Photographers planning solstice shoots. 

YOUR DATA, YOUR RESEARCH

Your location data and alignments are stored securely and anonymously in your personal cloud account and never shared. You own your research.

START EXPLORING

Let the calculations reveal what builders knew centuries ago: certain directions are special.

## Key features

- Capture alignments with GPS, compass, and camera
- Calculate sunrise/sunset dates for bearings
- Historical calculations from 500 AD
- Automatic solstice/equinox detection
- Match alignments with feast days
- Ancient site mode
- Unlimited alignment storage

## Chart rankings

- #182 in Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-solar-compass/id6755783690/reviews.md

### 5/5 — This is incredible

*2025-12-11, version 1.2*

This is such an amazing and fantastic tool. This app is aiding me with my research. I can find ancient geometry hidden in landscapes and buildings. I am able to capture real sunrise and sunset alignments, the solstices, and the feasts days. With having the all of this in the palm of my hand makes this one of the best tools and the most fun.

### 5/5 — Fantastic tool!

*2025-11-27, version 1.0*

This is an essential tool for discovering connections between ancient sites and celestial events and markers. A great way to unravel some of history’s mysteries.

## Frequently asked questions about My Solar Compass

### What is My Solar Compass used for?

My Solar Compass helps you find and calculate sunrise and sunset alignments for any structure or landscape. It can reveal solstices, feast days, and historical celestial orientations.

### Can My Solar Compass calculate historical alignments?

Yes, My Solar Compass can perform historical calculations from 500 AD to the present day, accounting for changes in Earth's axial tilt over centuries for accurate ancient site analysis.

### How accurate are the calculations in My Solar Compass?

The calculations in My Solar Compass deliver 1 arcsecond accuracy (0.00028°), which is more precise than standard iPhone sensors. For best results, calibrate your iPhone compass.

### Does My Solar Compass require an internet connection?

No, My Solar Compass does not need an internet connection or cell reception to function. It will operate normally offline and sync when you are back online.

### What devices does My Solar Compass support?

My Solar Compass is currently supported on iPhone devices.

### What is the age rating for My Solar Compass?

My Solar Compass has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

### How often is My Solar Compass updated?

The latest version is 1.22, and the app was last updated on December 26, 2025. Updates typically bring improvements and new features.

### Does My Solar Compass have ads?

No, My Solar Compass does not contain advertisements, providing an uninterrupted user experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.22 — 2025-12-26

- small bugfix to the display

### 1.21 — 2025-12-13

- manual updated

### 1.2 — 2025-12-10

- now fully functions offline, use the app in the field, in the jungle or on top of mount everest
- added Chinese tradition and feast days with 24 solar terms
- added 30 additional Saints
- added reference sites, including 4 Chinese
- save your alignment capture photos to your iPhone or share with your friends

### 1.1 — 2025-12-02

- Enhanced Capture View
- Improved User Experience
- Updated User Manual

### 1.0 — 2025-11-27

No release notes.

## More apps by Adventuring B.V.

- [My Cosmic Compass](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-cosmic-compass/id6756122341)
- [Bible Verse by Date](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-verse-by-date/id6756485345)
- [Bee Vision](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bee-vision/id6756632028)

All apps by Adventuring B.V.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1856290988

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*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 2026-08-09.*
