# SkySafari 8 Plus — Astronomy Guide To Night Sky

> Advanced astronomy guide and space simulator with telescope control. (iPhone/iPad app by Simulation Curriculum Corp..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-8-plus/id6752672698 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Simulation Curriculum Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/791341744)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: $17.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 95 App Store ratings · 6 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 1.2 GB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, European Portuguese and 4 more
- Released: 2026-02-23
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-8-plus/id6752672698/reviews.md

## What is SkySafari 8 Plus?

SkySafari 8 Plus goes beyond most basic stargazing apps by providing you with a full-featured space simulator with telescope control. If you are looking to dive deeper into astronomy, start your journey with the #1 recommended app for amateur astronomers since 2009.

SkySafari 8 Plus delivers a beautifully refined interface, powerful observing tools, and seamless telescope control. Whether you're exploring from your backyard or planning a night under the stars, SkySafari 8 Plus gives you the clarity and precision to take your astronomy hobby to the next level.

What’s New in Version 8

+ UI Themes - Customize your experience with five new UI color themes. Instantly change the look of the app with a fresh visual palette.

+ Image Gallery - Import your own images from AstroBin, FITS files, local storage, or URLs. Includes basic editing tools to manage your astrophotography collection.

+ Plate Solving - Quickly plate-solve imported images and place them directly onto the sky chart to contextualize your photos.

+ Rotatable FOV Indicator - Rotate the field of view to any angle - perfect for matching your specific equipment orientation.

+ Observing Conditions (Premium) - Get observer-focused hourly forecasts, including best viewing windows, seeing index, and sky quality metrics.

If you're new to SkySafari 8 Plus, here’s what you can do:

+ Point & Identify - Hold your device to the sky and instantly identify stars, constellations, planets, satellites, and more.

+ Simulate the Night Sky - Simulate the sky up to 10,000 years in the past or future! Animate meteor showers, conjunctions, eclipses, and other celestial events.

+ Telescope Control - Control your telescope and manage your observing sessions with advanced planning and logging tools. SkySafari supports ASCOM Alpaca and INDI, allowing you to effortlessly connect to hundreds of compatible astronomical devices.

+ Events Finder - Use the powerful search engine to find upcoming astronomical events visible from your location - tonight or far into the future.

+ OneSky & SkyCast - See what other users are observing in real-time, or guide a friend around the night sky remotely via a shared link.

+ Sky Tonight - Jump to the Tonight section to see what’s visible in your sky right now. Expanded information helps you plan your night, including Moon & Sun info and curated object lists.

+ Cloud Sync (Optional) - Securely back up observing data to LiveSky and access it across your devices or through LiveSky.com.

+ Orbit Mode - Leave Earth behind and fly through the solar system.

+ Night Vision - Preserve your eyesight after dark.

For even more features, and a gigantic database aimed at the most dedicated amateur or professional astronomer, check out SkySafari 8 Pro!

Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ 
Privacy Policy: https://www.livesky.com/privacy.html

## Key features

- Point and identify stars, planets, and satellites
- Simulate the night sky past and future
- Control compatible telescopes
- Find upcoming astronomical events
- Import and manage astrophotography images
- Customizable UI themes
- Hourly observing condition forecasts

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $17.99.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SkySafari Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| SkySafari Premium | $39.99 | per year |


## Chart rankings

- #39 in Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (6 of 6)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-8-plus/id6752672698/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great software

*2026-05-25*

Great software

### 5/5 — Dope app

*2026-05-16*

I said what I said. 5 out of 5.

### 1/5 — Cuidado beware with the offer

*2026-05-02*

They offer a promotion BUT is for plus.. BASIC WITHOUT ANNOUNCES. Fine but expensive

### 5/5 — Best astronomy app for 99% of casual observers

*2026-04-02*

SkySafari 8 Plus is by far the best app I've found for enjoying the night sky. 

It hits the perfect balance compared to the Pro version (honestly, 99% of people observing the sky with their naked eyes or binoculars will never need more than the Plus version).

I've also noticed a substantial improvement in performance and smoothness over the 7 Plus version.

Highly recommended!

### 5/5 — Versions

*2026-03-28*

J’ai plusieurs versions mais je pense adopter celle-ci

### 5/5 — CD43

*2026-03-14*

Beautiful App. Great educational experience for lovers of astronomy. Highly recommend it.

## Frequently asked questions about SkySafari 8 Plus

### What is SkySafari 8 Plus?

SkySafari 8 Plus is a comprehensive astronomy guide and space simulator that allows you to identify celestial objects, simulate the night sky, and control compatible telescopes. It is designed for both beginner and advanced stargazers.

### Does SkySafari 8 Plus have ads?

Yes, SkySafari 8 Plus contains advertisements. This is indicated by the 'hasAds' flag in the application data.

### What devices does SkySafari 8 Plus support?

SkySafari 8 Plus is supported on iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed to work on both platforms.

### How much does SkySafari 8 Plus cost?

SkySafari 8 Plus is priced at $17.99. This is a one-time purchase price for the application.

### What is the age rating for SkySafari 8 Plus?

The age rating for SkySafari 8 Plus is 4+. This means it is suitable for users aged 4 and above.

### How often is SkySafari 8 Plus updated?

The latest version of SkySafari 8 Plus is 8.0.3, and it was last updated on April 8, 2026. This indicates a relatively recent update cycle.

### Can I simulate the sky in SkySafari 8 Plus?

Yes, you can simulate the night sky up to 10,000 years in the past or future with SkySafari 8 Plus. You can also animate celestial events like meteor showers and eclipses.

### Does SkySafari 8 Plus offer telescope control?

Yes, SkySafari 8 Plus offers advanced telescope control capabilities. It supports ASCOM Alpaca and INDI protocols, allowing connection to hundreds of compatible astronomical devices.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 8.1.0 — 2026-08-05

NEW: WATCH LIVE ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY WITH SKYCAST

See what others are capturing through their telescopes, in real time.

- Watch live sessions with SkyCast. Follow another observer's session and see their captured images appear right alongside the sky chart.
- Rich image details. Each shared image now shows the target object's information, exposure, and total integration time in a redesigned detail view, with a full-screen viewing mode.

IMPROVEMENTS

- Added a new "Draw Full Length Lines" option for constellations, giving you more control over how constellation figures are drawn.
- Clearer equipment setup for Field of View indicators. When no equipment is defined, SkySafari now explains what's needed and offers quick "Choose" buttons to get you set up.

BUG FIXES

- Fixed corrupted Observing Lists and Observations after data updates. Updating Minor Body Orbit Data (or other database updates) no longer reassigns your saved asteroids, comets, and deep-sky objects to the wrong targets. Your lists and observation history now stay correctly linked to the objects you chose.
- Fixed constellation lines appearing dotted instead of solid after the 8.0.3 update.
- Fixed screens flashing white. Object information screens and other freshly-opened views no longer flicker white before appearing.
- Fixed the Eclipse Finder failing to return known solar and lunar eclipses.
- Fixed satellite and comet data being merged, which caused satellites to plot incorrectly and only appear under "Show Comets."
- Fixed Calendar "View" downloads failing silently. SkySafari now alerts you if a linked SkySet or SkyList can't be downloaded.
- Fixed Date & Time edits drifting when crossing time zones or daylight-saving boundaries.
- Improved planet accuracy with corrected positions for Jupiter's moons and Saturn's moon Titan.
- Fixed rendering of imported KML data with long line features.

Thank you for using SkySafari. Clear skies!

### 8.0.3 — 2026-04-08

Fixed Bugs:
- Improved accuracy for the Artemis II mission

### 8.0.2 — 2026-03-27

New Features:
- Support for Artemis II mission.
Fixed Bugs:
- Fixed user experience when opening settings to Subscription when device has no internet.
- Observing Weather displays date and times for SkyChart timezone, not device timezone.
- StarSense Explorer configuration help images and video links fixed.
- AstroBin image import field not obscured by keyboard.
- Barlow Magnification correctly supports two decimal places.
- Multiple UI / Theming fixes.

### 8.0.1 — 2026-02-23

No release notes.

## Apps similar to SkySafari 8 Plus

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [AstroGuide - Astrophotography](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astroguide-astrophotography/id6760981265) | 4.7 (3) | Free | Reference |
| [Ouranos: Stargazing Forecast](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ouranos-stargazing-forecast/id6456041564) | 4.4 (51) | Free | Reference |
| [The Sky Pro by Redshift](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sky-pro-by-redshift/id1481865153) | 4.8 (335) | $6.99 | Reference |
| [Astrophotographer’s Universe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astrophotographers-universe/id6755179859) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Reference |

## More apps by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

- [Starry Night College](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starry-night-college/id924636349)
- [Eclipse Safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eclipse-safari/id1249431306)
- [SkySafari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849)
- [SkySafari 6 Plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-6-plus/id1262647300)
- [SkySafari 6 Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-6-pro/id1306165506)
- [SkySafari 7 Plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-7-plus/id1567654881)

All apps by Simulation Curriculum Corp.: https://appshunter.io/developer/791341744

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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 2026-08-24.*