# NightFall — Find Dark Skies — Find dark skies near you > Map-based light pollution tool for finding and planning stargazing experiences. (iPhone/iPad app by Shenzhen Youhua Technology Company Limited.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightfall-find-dark-skies/id423977365 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Shenzhen Youhua Technology Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/423977368) - Category: Utilities, Navigation - Price: $1.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 17.0 · 67 MB - Languages: American English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified, China), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan) - Released: 2011-03-15 - Data updated: 2026-10-10 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightfall-find-dark-skies/id423977365/reviews.md ## What is NightFall? You want to see the stars, but where? City skies glow grey, and the countryside is a question mark. NightFall answers on a map: where light pollution is lowest, how long the drive is, and what you will actually see when you get there. [9-LEVEL STAR VISIBILITY, AT A GLANCE] The map is painted in nine colors of light pollution — the warmer the color, the brighter the sky. Move the map and the crosshair instantly tells you: • Which visibility level this spot is, from "perfect skies" to "not recommended", each explained in plain words; • "What you'll see looking up": is the Milky Way visible, how many stars, whether clouds glow; • Season-by-season targets: the Sagittarius Milky Way in summer, the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades in winter; • Numbers when you want them: zenith brightness and more live folded away in "View details" — no jargon on the main screen. [PLACE CARD: IS THIS SPOT WORTH THE DRIVE?] Tap anywhere for the level, elevation, coordinates, and the estimated drive time and distance from your starting point. Share it with friends, or jump straight into Apple Maps, Amap, Baidu, or Google Maps to navigate. [STAR CHART: LOOK UP BEFORE YOU LOOK UP] A fully rendered night sky, not an illustration: • Drag to look around; scrub the timeline from sunset to sunrise, or follow the real sky live; • Light pollution has a direction: NightFall samples the horizon around you — cities light up exactly where they are; • The skyline is computed from real elevation data: in a valley the hills shield the low sky, on a summit more stars come out; • Constellation lines, the Moon and planets; tap any star for its name, altitude and magnitude; • Fully off-line: catalog, Milky Way and terrain travel inside the app — usable where there is no signal. [SEARCH AND FAVORITES] • 36 built-in stargazing spots and observatories, filtered instantly off-line; • Your own favorites support pinyin search; starting points and destinations are managed separately and stored on your device only. [DESIGNED FOR NIGHT USE] A dark interface that is easy on the eyes; adjustable overlay opacity; four base maps (road, terrain, satellite, hybrid); Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and English; universal on iPhone and iPad. [ABOUT THE DATA, HONESTLY] The light pollution map is built on NOAA VIIRS night lights and the Light Pollution Atlas. It is a model estimate of zenith brightness, not a measurement, and it does not include horizon glow — real skies usually look worse than the map suggests. Seeing also depends on weather and moon phase. Full data sources and notes live in Settings → About. Tonight looks clear? Open NightFall, find somewhere dark, and look up. What's New First release: light pollution map, 9-level star visibility, place cards, off-line star chart, search and favorites. Found a problem, or know a great stargazing spot? Tell us in a review. ## Key features - Light pollution map with 9 visibility levels - Estimated drive time and distance - Offline star chart with constellations and planets - Season-specific stargazing targets - Searchable database of stargazing spots - Dark interface for night use ## Is NightFall safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess NightFall. ## Is NightFall legit? NightFall — Find Dark Skies appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for NightFall is 90 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nightfall-find-dark-skies/id423977365/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Useful *2013-11-29* Very useful ### 5/5 — 非常好。 *2013-06-21* 如果能提供北美的卫星云图就更好了，支持！！！ ### 4/5 — 精确 *2013-01-11* 尤其是精确到小时、准确到gps定位精度的天气预报。 天文爱好者摄影用，必备的。 ### 5/5 — 很棒 *2013-01-06* 要是早点知道这个软件就好，可以在新西兰旅游时用上。 ### 5/5 — 很不错 *2012-12-26* 很不错的软件 ### 1/5 — Crashes; English Translation, Please? *2012-10-01* Update of October 1, 2012, causes app to crash on launch. iPod Touch Gen 4, iOS 5.1.1. Prior Review: Truly a great app (four stars), but would be easier for me in an English translation. I suspect it would be popular with American, Canadian, Australian, and even European astronomers if it became accessible in their stores. Currently can be found only by direct link from the English page of the Chinese Web site. Anyway, thank you -- great app! ### 5/5 — like it！ *2011-03-20* 预测很精细、还能添加多个地点单独查看，作为免费软件很棒！ ## Frequently asked questions about NightFall ### What is NightFall? NightFall is an application designed to help users find the darkest skies for stargazing. It provides a light pollution map, detailed star charts, and planning tools for optimal viewing experiences. ### How does NightFall help me find dark skies? NightFall displays a map color-coded to show nine levels of light pollution. Warmer colors indicate brighter skies, while cooler colors signify darker, more suitable conditions for stargazing. ### Can I use NightFall offline? Yes, NightFall offers full offline functionality. The star catalog, Milky Way data, and terrain information are all available within the app, making it usable even without a signal. ### What information does NightFall provide about a stargazing spot? When you tap on a location, NightFall shows its visibility level, elevation, coordinates, and estimated drive time and distance from your starting point. You can also view details like zenith brightness. ### Does NightFall have ads? No, NightFall does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it offers an uninterrupted user experience focused on stargazing. ### What devices is NightFall compatible with? NightFall is a universal app, meaning it is designed to work seamlessly on both iPhone and iPad devices. ### How accurate is the light pollution data in NightFall? The light pollution map is based on NOAA VIIRS night lights and the Light Pollution Atlas, providing an estimate of zenith brightness. However, it's a model and doesn't account for horizon glow, so real skies may appear darker than the map suggests. ### What is the price of NightFall? NightFall is available for a one-time purchase of $1.99. This grants you full access to all its features without any subscriptions or in-app purchases. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.0.1 — 2026-09-25 * Switch the star chart between your destination and your starting point to compare the same night at both places. * Deep-sky objects now cover all 109 Messier objects, each with its real magnitude, and constellation lines are drawn only for the one you are looking at. * Cleaner mountains: no more banding while you pan, and the air's own glow now covers the ground near the horizon instead of leaving a black edge. * Added Japanese and iPad landscape. ### 3.0.0 — 2026-09-22 You want to see the stars, but where? City skies glow grey, and the countryside is a question mark. NightFall answers on a map: where light pollution is lowest, how long the drive is, and what you will actually see when you get there. ### 2.3.1 — 2014-02-27 修复图片加载问题 ### 2.3.0 — 2014-02-06 1、天体目标新增Wiki介绍资料 2、支持精彩天文图片保存到相册 ### 2.2.5 — 2013-11-21 1.性能优化 2.适配iPad 3.自动更新彗星数据，添加ISON和LoveJoy彗星 ## More apps by Shenzhen Youhua Technology Company Limited - [星空摄影](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id603391855) - [SynAlign](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/synalign/id882498693) - [第一颗星](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id929632564) - [晴天钟](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id946485291) - [Motion Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/motion-maker/id1044069330) All apps by Shenzhen Youhua Technology Company Limited: https://appshunter.io/developer/423977368 --- *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 2026-10-10.*