# Sideris: Star Map & Solver — Plate solver for astrophotos

> Plate solver for astrophotos (iPhone/iPad app by Loris BERT.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideris-star-map-and-solver/id6809145518 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Loris BERT](https://appshunter.io/developer/6809145520)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 127 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2026-09-14
- Data updated: 2026-10-09
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideris-star-map-and-solver/id6809145518/reviews.md

## What is Sideris?

Point your camera at the night sky and know exactly what you captured.

Sideris is a plate-solving companion and interactive star map built for astrophotographers with simple gear: a camera, a lens, and a star tracker. No go-to mount required.

Take a photo of the sky and Sideris solves it: it identifies the exact patch of sky in the frame and reports where the camera is pointing, in real celestial coordinates. The photograph is then overlaid on the star map, at the right angle and the right size, among the stars and deep-sky objects that surround it.

STAR MAP AND PLATE SOLVING
- Interactive star map: pan and zoom across a live map of stars, planets, and the Moon.
- Messier catalog: all 110 Messier objects, each with a real NASA and ESA photograph and an altitude curve showing when it climbs highest and when the sky is dark enough to shoot it.
- Plate solving: identify any night-sky photo and get its true celestial coordinates.
- Photo on the sky map: the solved picture appears exactly where it points, with the surrounding sky in view.
- Distance to target: pick the object you were aiming for and see how far the center of the frame sits from it.

TOOLS FOR THE FIELD
- Polar alignment scope: a built-in reticle for aligning your star tracker.
- Night mode: a red-light theme that turns on automatically after dark and preserves night vision.
- White screen: a dimmable white panel for shooting flat frames.
- Moon phase calendar: phases, illumination and moonrise times for any night, whether the Moon is the problem or the subject.

NO TELESCOPE REQUIRED
Solving works fully offline. No signal needed at your dark site. Sideris is built for the DSLR and tracker setup that most beginning and traveling astrophotographers use, without a go-to mount or an observatory.

TRY IT FREE
Start with free plate solves to try it out. When you are ready for more, unlock unlimited solving with a single one-time purchase. No subscription, ever.

Clear skies.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Plate Solving | $9.99 | one-time |



## Version history (last 2 releases)

### 1.1.0 — 2026-09-24

Sideris 1.1 brings new tools for the field and a clearer app throughout.

NEW
- Deep red mode: an option of night mode that turns the whole app fully red.
- Gyro pointer: with sensor mode on and an object selected, the sky map shows which way to turn your phone to reach it.
- A rotate button when cropping a photo before solving it.
- Messier objects are named on the sky map, and labels no longer overlap.

IMPROVED
- Larger, more readable text throughout the app.
- Smoother animations
- A darker, more balanced, night mode with amber text, which emits less blue light.
- More room for the object list, with filter and sort now placed behind a button.

FIXED
- Coordinates that could read 60 seconds now roll over to the next minute.
- The photo in the tutorial's framing step no longer moves while you drag the rectangle.
- Several buttons now use the app's own typeface.

### 1.0.2 — 2026-09-14

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Sideris

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Sky Map – Live Star Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-map-live-star-tracker/id6790243989) | — | Free | Education |
| [Photon EDU](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-edu/id1282358431) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Education |
| [Singularity by Vaonis](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/singularity-by-vaonis/id1515280835) | 4.1 (74) | Free | Education |

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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 2026-10-09.*