# SkySafari — Astronomy Guide To Night Sky

> Pocket planetarium for identifying and exploring celestial objects in the night sky. (iPhone/iPad app by Simulation Curriculum Corp..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Simulation Curriculum Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/791341744)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: $0.99 with in-app purchases (on sale, was $4.99)
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 17,831 App Store ratings · 376 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 859 MB
- Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, European Portuguese and 4 more
- Released: 2017-12-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849/reviews.md

## What is SkySafari?

SkySafari 8 is a powerful planetarium that fits in your pocket, puts the universe at your fingertips, and is incredibly easy to use!

Simply hold your device to the sky and quickly locate comets, planets, constellations, satellites, and millions of stars and deep sky objects. Whether you are a beginner or a longtime astronomy enthusiast, SkySafari 8 is your perfect stargazing companion, packed with interactive information, rich graphics, and a beautifully refined interface.

What’s New in Version 8

+ New Theme - A new look of the app with a fresh visual palette.

+ Image Gallery - Explore the universe through astrophotography. Import images directly from AstroBin.

+ Sky Tonight - Jump to the new Tonight section to see what’s visible in your sky right now. Expanded information has been designed to help plan your night and includes Moon & Sun info, calendar curations, and the best positioned deep sky and solar system objects.

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

+ Point & Identify - Hold your device to the sky and instantly identify stars, constellations, planets, satellites, and more. The chart updates automatically with your movements.

+ OneSky - See what other users are observing in real-time. This feature highlights objects in the sky chart and indicates how many users are looking at them.

+ Orbit Mode - Lift off from Earth and travel to the planets, moons, and stars.

+ Guided Audio Tours - Listen to more than four hours of audio narration to learn the history, mythology, and science of the heavens.

+ Pronunciation Guide - Learn how to correctly pronounce the names of hundreds of celestial objects, from stars to constellations and planets.

+ Simulate the Sky - See an eclipse in the past or future! Simulate the night sky from anywhere on Earth many years backward or forward in time.

+ Night Vision - Preserve your eyesight after dark.

SkySafari Premium Subscription Unlock amazing features with the optional Premium Subscription, including:

+ Massive Database - Access a massive deep sky database.

+ Custom Image Import - Upload and manage your own astrophotography images in the Image Gallery and show them in the sky chart. 

+ Enhanced Tools - Access curated news, events, connected stargazing features, a light pollution map, and more.

For telescope control and even more advanced features, check out SkySafari 8 Plus and 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 constellations
- Explore astrophotography in the Image Gallery
- View real-time sky visibility in 'Sky Tonight'
- Simulate the sky across time and locations
- Access guided audio tours and pronunciation guides
- Night Vision mode for dark observation

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $0.99.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SkySafari Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| SkySafari Premium | $3.99 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apollo Lunar Missions | Free | one-time |


## Chart rankings

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

## What do users think of SkySafari?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Accurate sky mapping
- 🌌 Detailed information on celestial objects
- 💡 Helpful for stargazing and astronomy
- 🔭 Useful for telescope owners

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🤑 Excessive upselling and in-app purchases
- 🤯 Confusing version and feature differences
- 🙄 Intrusive notifications and sounds
- 🤔 Difficult to use some features

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Compass not working correctly
- Disappearing or missing objects
- Time travel feature issues
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to hide toolbar and UI elements
- More customization options
- Improved telescope integration
- Better comet and new object tracking

## Recent user reviews (10 of 376)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari/id1257281849/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Costs Too Much

*2026-08-12, version 8.1.0*

Ripoff.  They just raised price from $20/yr to $30/yr.

### 5/5 — 🥇sky app ever 🔥

*2026-08-07, version 8.1.0*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for the update, what a  masterpiece

### 5/5 — The best star information!

*2026-07-26, version 8.0.2*

It gives me information about stars a lot!

### 3/5 — Needs improvement

*2026-07-17, version 8.0.2*

Font is waay too small and no way to adjust. Music is annoying and needs a setting to disable.

### 5/5 — Excelente

*2026-06-18*

Gosto muito de pesquisar o céu no SkySafari.

### 2/5 — Not that good

*2026-06-14, version 8.0.2*

Find instructions and help mediocre - no help

### 4/5 — Amazing!

*2026-06-09, version 8.0.2*

This app is a great way to explore the galaxy, and learn about planets, stars, nebulas, etc definitely worth your money

### 1/5 — Never lines up

*2026-06-06, version 8.0.2*

Still have to guess what you’re looking at.

### 1/5 — 분명 유료로 결제했던거 같은데

*2026-06-05*

프리미엄 구독까지 하라는건 뭔 심보인지 모르겠네

### 1/5 — Informations erronées

*2026-06-01*

Pour le soleil. La distance indiquée est de 79,7al: C’est risible d’avoir fait une telle erreur sur notre étoile

## Frequently asked questions about SkySafari

### What does SkySafari do?

SkySafari is a pocket planetarium that allows you to explore the universe. You can hold your device to the sky to identify stars, planets, constellations, satellites, and millions of other celestial objects. It also provides information about what's visible in your sky tonight and allows you to simulate the sky from different times and locations.

### What are the key features of SkySafari?

Key features include pointing your device at the sky to identify objects, an image gallery for astrophotography, a 'Sky Tonight' section for planning observations, orbit mode for virtual travel, guided audio tours, a pronunciation guide for celestial objects, and the ability to simulate the sky across time. A night vision mode is also available.

### How much does SkySafari cost?

The app offers a free version with basic features. Additional advanced features, such as a massive deep sky database, custom image import, and enhanced tools like a light pollution map, can be unlocked through an optional Premium Subscription. For even more advanced features, there are also SkySafari Plus and Pro versions available.

### What devices is SkySafari compatible with?

The provided description does not explicitly state compatibility with specific operating systems or device types. However, it mentions 'hold your device to the sky,' implying it is a mobile application designed for smartphones or tablets.

### What are common use cases for SkySafari?

Common use cases include identifying stars and planets during a stargazing session, learning about constellations and mythology through guided tours, planning night sky observations by seeing what is visible, and exploring astrophotography. It's also useful for simulating celestial events like eclipses or viewing the sky from different historical or future dates.

## Version history (last 5 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.

BUG FIXES

- 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 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!

### 8.0.2 — 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

+ New Theme - A new look of the app with a fresh visual palette.
+ Image Gallery - Explore the universe through astrophotography. Import images directly from AstroBin or import your own (Premium).

### 7.6.6 — 2025-10-31

Fixes and updates to subscription flow.

### 7.6.5 — 2025-10-21

Fixed translations
Fixed subscription view discount and free trial

## Apps similar to SkySafari

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Night Sky](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/night-sky/id475772902) | 4.7 (492,103) | Free | Reference |
| [Sky Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-guide/id576588894) | 4.8 (369,247) | Free | Reference |
| [SkySafari 7 Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skysafari-7-pro/id1567658979) | 4.6 (5,434) | $17.99 | Reference |
| [VR Virtual Reality 360°](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vr-virtual-reality-360/id1579274717) | 4.5 (24,555) | Free | Reference |
| [Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sky-tonight-stargazing-guide/id1570594940) | 4.8 (74,594) | Free | Reference |
| [Star Tracker Lite-Live Sky Map](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-tracker-lite-live-sky-map/id780172278) | 4.6 (2,126) | 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 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

[iastrograph](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/iastrograph) · [sky guide plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sky-guide-plus)

---

*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 2026-08-27.*
