# SkySafari 8 Pro — Astronomy Guide To Night Sky > Advanced mobile astronomy guide with telescope control and celestial event finder. (iPhone/iPad app by Simulation Curriculum Corp..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-8-pro/id6752672420 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Simulation Curriculum Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/791341744) - Category: Reference, Education - Price: $49.99 with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.70/5 from 739 App Store ratings · 63 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 18.6 · 2.4 GB - Languages: Russian, Hindi, American English, Greek, Indonesian, European Spanish, Italian, Korean, German (Germany), European Portuguese and 4 more - Released: 2025-12-10 - Data updated: 2026-09-01 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-8-pro/id6752672420/reviews.md ## What is SkySafari 8 Pro? SkySafari 8 Pro sets a new standard for mobile astronomy. Built on the most complete astronomical database ever put on a phone, it delivers unmatched accuracy, powerful observing and planning tools, seamless telescope and Alpaca camera control, and a beautifully refined interface. Whether you're exploring from your backyard or planning an all-night session, SkySafari 8 Pro gives you the clarity, precision, and reliability that serious observers depend on. 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. + ASCOM ALPACA Camera Support - Connect and control ALPACA-compatible astronomy cameras directly from SkySafari. + SmartEye Support - Seamless integration with SmartEye for enhanced imaging workflows. + Image Gallery - Import your own images from AstroBin, FITS files, local storage, URLs, or an ALPACA camera. Includes basic editing tools. + Plate Solving - Quickly plate-solve imported images and place them directly onto the sky chart. + Lunar Surface Outlines - Explore the Moon like never before with detailed outlines for maria, craters, mountains, and more. + Appulses in Events Finder - Find precise moments when the Moon or planets pass close to the Pleiades, other planets, or stars of a chosen magnitude. Also includes transit and occultation search capabilities. + Rotatable FOV Indicator - Rotate the field of view to any angle - perfect for matching your camera 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 Pro, here’s what you can do: + Point & Identify - Hold your device to the sky and instantly identify stars, constellations, planets, satellites, and more. + Travel Through Time - Simulate the sky up to 5 million years backward or forward. Animate meteor showers, conjunctions, eclipses, and other events. + Telescope Control - Control your telescope and manage your observing sessions with advanced planning and logging tools. Supports ASCOM ALPACA, INDI, and StarSense Explorer. + Events Finder - Use the powerful search engine to find upcoming astronomical events visible from your location - tonight or far into the future. + Cloud Sync (Optional) - Securely back up observing data to LiveSky and access it across your devices or through LiveSky.com. + Augmented Reality (AR) Mode - View the sky with an AR overlay for an immersive experience. + Night Vision Mode - Preserve dark-adapted vision while you observe. + Orbit Mode - Leave Earth behind and fly through the solar system. + Galaxy View - See where deep-sky objects lie within the Milky Way. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.livesky.com/privacy.html ## Key features - Comprehensive astronomical database - Telescope and camera control - Advanced observing and planning tools - Celestial event finder - Image import and basic editing - Augmented Reality (AR) mode - Night Vision Mode ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $49.99. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | SkySafari Premium | $49.99 | per year | | SkySafari Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month | ## Chart rankings - #54 in Top Paid · Reference (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 63) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-8-pro/id6752672420/reviews.md ### 2/5 — Pay for a app to pay for a subscription *2026-08-25* App is by far best planetarium on market for iOS, however is also one of the most greedy apps out there. There premium features are gated behind high monthly and yearly subscriptions to use features that should be included especially after paying 50$ to bet the app!!!! Well the app itself is mainly good, i think the developers are scamming people out of their money if they don't advertise more that the PAID SUBSCRIPTION is necessary TO ACESS ALL THE GOOD FEATURES. Do better. DONT DOWNLOAD IF YOU EXPECT TO PAY LESS THEN 100$ A YEAR FOR THINGS OTHER PLANETARIUMS HAVE FOR FREE. ### 3/5 — Premium qui ne marche pas *2026-08-24* On paye mais le premium ne se met jamais en place ! On est trimballe entre le site français et le site US, chacun vous invitant à repayer… ### 5/5 — Awesome *2026-08-19* Good apps ### 5/5 — Seestar Fi5 SCTに接続 *2026-08-18* まだFi5 SCTには試していませんが、Seestarには接続できるので最高です。とにかく先のことまで考えるとこのバージョンが最適で、50%OFFで購入できたので大変感謝！楽しく使わせてもらいます ### 5/5 — Y a pas mieux *2026-08-17* La référence absolue pour tout astronome amateur. 👍 manquerait juste un truc: pouvoir changer la couleur des objets du ciel profond (blanc pale par défaut) sans avoir à passer par une liste. A part ça, top! 👍 ### 1/5 — Not for advanced amateur s at all *2026-08-12* As the years have gone by, Sky Safari has tended toward observers that have no idea what they’re doing. That’s all fine and dandy but how about those of us who have over half a century of observing experience? I could really do without the bells and whistles. Specifically the menu in portrait mode does not have the time settings immediately handy. And what’s with all this social sharing nonsense? I have sky safari ‘Pro’ not “ gosh kids! Look! It’s Jupiter! ### 1/5 — Old bugs aren‘t fixed *2026-08-10* Several years old bugs won‘t be fixed… @edit: no, Simulation Curriculum Corp. isn‘t responsive to make bug fixes in this case. There is an absolutely annoying bug, where an icon obscures other menu operations (have a look in your Skysafari iOS forum), reported in 2022 (!!) that hasn‘t been fixed until now. @10.08.2026: still not fixed :-((( **Developer response:** Hello, Could you please identify your bugs? It is greatly helpful to bug fixing if the bugs are detailed to our support team at support@skysafariastronomy.com. We are very responsive to making fixes and adding user-requested features. ### 5/5 — Very professional app ! *2026-08-08* I have been using the pro app for 7 years and I find it very useful when I share the night sky with people . I upgraded the app when the new version came out . ### 1/5 — Don't bother *2026-07-19* Don't buy this if you intend to connect it to a telescope. It does not connect to my Celestron 8SE with goto mount nor my Skywatcher MCT 127 on a AZ-GTI mount (or the tabletop mount). It is this software's problem because SkyPortal connects fine with my Celestron. I have tried to connect using my MacBook Pro (M2), iphone 17 and my IPad Pro 2024. Yes, I used the same IP address and port settings as SkyPortal. Tech support could not give any workable answers. ### 5/5 — Replaces Star Charts *2026-07-15* I still do a lot of Star hopping and Sky Safari is essential for that. I also use a PiFinder and run Sky Safari through/with that. I love the detail information on most objects, and the items and news for the day and the week. I pay for the Pro version as I live LiveSky on my laptop and my desktop. Live this program: ## Frequently asked questions about SkySafari 8 Pro ### What does SkySafari 8 Pro do? SkySafari 8 Pro is a mobile astronomy application that provides a comprehensive database of celestial objects, advanced tools for observing and planning, and control over telescopes and cameras. It allows users to identify stars, planets, and constellations, simulate the sky over millions of years, and find upcoming astronomical events. ### What are the key features of SkySafari 8 Pro? Key features include a vast astronomical database, seamless telescope and camera control (supporting ASCOM ALPACA, INDI, and StarSense Explorer), an events finder for celestial occurrences, image import and basic editing, AR mode for an immersive sky view, and a night vision mode to preserve dark-adapted vision. ### How much does SkySafari 8 Pro cost? The app is available for free with in-app purchases. Some advanced features, such as hourly forecasts for observing conditions, are part of a premium offering that requires an additional purchase. ### What devices is SkySafari 8 Pro compatible with? SkySafari 8 Pro is designed for mobile devices. While the specific operating system requirements are not detailed here, it is generally available on platforms like iOS and Android, as indicated by its presence in app stores. ### What are some common use cases for SkySafari 8 Pro? Common use cases include identifying celestial objects in real-time by pointing your device at the sky, planning observing sessions with advanced tools, simulating astronomical events like meteor showers and eclipses, controlling your telescope for accurate pointing, and exploring the solar system in orbit mode. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 8.1.1 — 2026-09-01 This update restores plate-solve re-centering with SmartEye, and fixes several issues reported since 8.1.0. BUG FIXES - Restored "Align Telescope and GoTo" after a plate solve. In 8.1.0 this action was replaced by the drift-recovery re-center, which returns the mount to where an imaging run began - so it never appeared for a one-off solve and could not correct an inaccurate GoTo. Select a target, slew, solve, and SkySafari centers it accurately again, including on the first solve of a session. - Fixed your location's longitude changing on its own. Searching for events could leave your observing site at the event's longitude, so the sky was drawn for the wrong place moments after opening. - Fixed Astro Weather showing "Error generating observation text" instead of a forecast summary, and showing metric temperatures and wind speeds to those who prefer imperial units. Weather service problems are now reported as errors rather than as poor observing conditions. - Fixed the Sun still being drawn un-eclipsed after travelling onto an eclipse track without changing the date. - Improved the "best place on Earth" location reported for events, which could be off by up to 21 km. - Fixed Event Details offering time playback for events with no known start or end. - Fixed the Eclipse Finder applying your eclipse-type filter only after timing every eclipse. - Fixed the on-screen keyboard covering text fields in Account, Planner, Alpaca, and Appulse settings. IMPROVEMENTS - Remote plate-solve status messages are clearer, and are now translated in every supported language. - Sharper textures at extreme zoom, with less per-frame work in the sky chart renderer. Thank you for using SkySafari. Clear skies! ### 8.1.0 — 2026-08-05 NEW: IMAGE CASTING Share what your telescope camera is seeing, and watch what others are capturing, in real time. - Cast your images. Broadcast a live view of your imaging session so friends, students, and club members can follow along from their own devices. - 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. - Privacy you control. Choose your display name and decide what others can see with new imaging privacy controls. 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 — 2026-03-09 New Features! Cloud Image Sync: Imported astrophotos now sync across your iOS devices via iCloud AstroBin Import: Easily import the AstroBin Image of the Day directly from the Tonight view, including images without position information Image Search Improvements : Image filtering now includes catalog numbers, making it easier to find specific astrophotos in your library Bug Fixes Fixed Moon age calculation and display Fixed importing photos from library making unnecessary copies Various stability and UI fixes ## 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 ## Related topics [sky safari pro 8](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sky-safari-pro-8) · [sky safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sky-safari) · [ifox observatory](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ifox-observatory) --- *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 2026-09-01.*