# Starmap — The whole sky in your pocket.

> Comprehensive, free star atlas for observing the real night sky. (iPhone/iPad app by Fredd.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starmap/id284408099 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Fredd](https://appshunter.io/developer/283006534)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 185 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 108 MB
- Languages: American English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Norwegian Bokmål and 3 more
- Released: 2026-06-09
- Data updated: 2026-08-23
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starmap/id284408099/reviews.md

## What is Starmap?

Point your phone at the sky and see what's there — stars, planets, constellations, the northern lights. Starmap works completely offline, anywhere, with no signal.

Built by a professional astronomer and given freely. No ads. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. No tracking of any kind. Everything is unlocked from the first launch.

AURORA AND NORTHERN LIGHTS
Live aurora forecasts from NOAA, with the Kp index, the three-day outlook and the auroral oval for both hemispheres. Know whether tonight is worth staying up for.

OUT WITH THE FAMILY
Hold the phone up and it names whatever you're looking at. An arrow guides you to any planet, star or constellation. Every catalogue is stored on the device, so it works in the mountains, at sea, or anywhere without a signal.

THE SUN AND THE MOON
Sunspots, flares and X-ray flux, live from NOAA. 9,900 named lunar features with their origins and etymologies. Rise, transit and set times for everything, which you can send to your calendar.

FOR SERIOUS OBSERVERS
2.5 million stars stored offline, down to magnitude 15. The full Messier, NGC, IC and Caldwell catalogues, plus Sharpless, van den Bergh, Lynds, Barnard and Abell clusters. Live comets, asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects from the Minor Planet Center. Deep-sky records enriched on demand from SIMBAD, searchable by any catalogue identifier.

AT THE EYEPIECE
Define your telescope, eyepieces and camera, and see the true field of view you'll actually get, with Telrad rings and reticles. A full red night-vision mode for use in the dark.

The whole sky in your pocket — free, because that is what it should be.

## Key features

- Extensive star and object catalogues
- Live solar physics data
- Detailed lunar features
- Real-time comet and asteroid tracking
- Telescope and eyepiece simulation
- Red night-vision mode

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| What Happens when Galaxies Collide? | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wandering the Summer Sky | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exploring the Crab Nebula | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10h8'22", 11°58'2" | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Star That Should Not Exist | $0.99 | one-time |
| Un océan d'étoiles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Esculape | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sur le dos du cheval ailé | $0.99 | one-time |
| L'étoile qui ne devrait pas exister | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vieillesse prématurée à Galaxie-Ville | $0.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 185)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starmap/id284408099/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Belle et efficace

*2026-06-14*

Starmap est de retour dans une belle version épurée très efficace et … gratuite. Merci pour le travail.

**Developer response:** Merci pour le retour, ça fait plaisir à lire.
L'idée, c'est de faire grandir l'app petit à petit : de nouvelles fonctions vont s'ajouter au fil des versions. Et dans les cartons, je prépare aussi un atlas papier — encore un peu de patience là-dessus, mais ça avance.

Frédéric

### 5/5 — A Trusted Stargazing App

*2015-10-22*

I have been using this app for years, and it has only been getting better. Keep up the good work!

### 2/5 — Not what I was really wanting

*2015-07-02, version 4.5.1*

The app it's self is cool a lot of information and interesting to read... But I have yet to find an app like you can find on google play store. This app does not allow you to point your phone to the sky and it tells you what is where in the sky you are seeing. This app simply uses your compass to spin an already existing picture with the stars... Very disappointed with this

### 1/5 — The app is crap!

*2015-06-09, version 4.5*

Oh it's worse than just half a screen!  The last update wiped out most of the app's features.  I can't find anything.  Looks like they're selling me back the features that used to be part of the app. I call foul. This used to be a very good and educational app.  Now the app is crap!

### 3/5 — Possible glitch

*2015-06-07, version 4.5*

Installed the latest update, only get half a screen when in landscape...

### 5/5 — Good app for Basic+ Stargazing

*2014-11-27, version 4.4*

Easy to use with many different features and a good astronomical catalogue (350,000 objects).  I haven't needed to try any other apps because this works more than well enough on both iPhone and iPad.

### 1/5 — Not worth

*2014-07-23, version 4.4*

Unless you buy the PRO version you will only access a ridiculously low amount of objects. At the same or lower price than the standard version you can afford better designed Apps containing extended catalogues such as Star Walk, Star Chart, Skykey to mention some.

### 5/5 — Great

*2014-05-26, version 4.4*

I've been using this app for years and has grown with me as I improve my observing skills. It can be as simple, or intricate as needed. Hands down, my favorite astronomy app.

### 5/5 — 5 Stars

*2014-05-25, version 4.4*

Well worth the money. Beautiful graphics, tons of information, lots of settings controls to customize what info you want displayed. Best astronomy app out there. I also have Sky Walk. I think Starmap is slightly better, although Sky Walk is prettier

### 4/5 — Great App!

*2014-05-18*

I'll start off with the very few bad things about this app: It doesn't have nearly enough cities in the locations list (leading your Bortle light pollution number to being inaccurate). Despite it working for some, the majority and I seem to have noticed quite a bit of crashes when sifting through objects too quickly.  Lastly, if the app adds more cities, it would be nice if it factored in light pollution to what you definitely can and can't see.  It gets a little frustrating trying to figure those sorts of things out by trial and error when more accurate Bortle readings and a magnitude filter would solve the problem.

Now that that's out of the way, there's plenty of good to talk about in this app.  Starmap has excellent customization options.  Not only does it give you an article-type feeling to what will be in your night sky, but you can let star map know if you're using the naked eye, binoculars, small telescope, large telescope, or a camera for stargazing, and it will very quickly adjust its headline page to what you can see with your means of vision!  Additionally, if you want to know what you'll be able to see for a limited amount of time, you can adjust the time range in the "how and when" menu.  Once you're done customizing your "tonight" page, simply click on the object you want to view, and follow the arrow on the star chart that Starmap provides.

Starmap has excellent narration for star tracking and history.  It even has a narrator that will personally explain what's in your night sky on any given day.

This app needs some work, but I think it's a must-have for anyone serious about learning the cosmos.  In a few more updates, it'll be clear of its few problems.

## Frequently asked questions about Starmap

### What celestial objects can I find in Starmap?

Starmap includes millions of stars, 88 constellations, and extensive catalogues like Messier, NGC, IC, Caldwell, Sharpless, van den Bergh, Lynds, Barnard, and Abell clusters. It also tracks live comets, asteroids, and trans-Neptunian objects.

### Does Starmap offer live solar physics data?

Yes, Starmap provides live solar physics data from NOAA, including sunspots, flares, X-ray flux, Kp index, and aurora forecasts. This helps users understand current solar activity.

### Can Starmap help me plan my stargazing sessions?

Absolutely. You can point your phone at the sky to identify objects or plan your night beforehand. Starmap provides rise, transit, and set times for every object, which can be sent directly to your calendar.

### What is the red night-vision mode for in Starmap?

The dark-adapted red night-vision mode is designed for use at the eyepiece during stargazing. It helps preserve your night vision, making it easier to observe faint celestial objects.

### Does Starmap have ads or in-app purchases?

No, Starmap is completely free with no ads, subscriptions, or in-app purchases. It is designed to be a pure reference tool for sky observers.

### What devices is Starmap available on?

Starmap is built for iPhone, offering a catalogue-complete star atlas specifically for the platform.

### How often is Starmap updated?

The latest version is 5.0.2, last updated on June 21, 2026. While specific update frequency isn't detailed, the app is actively maintained.

### What is the age rating for Starmap?

Starmap has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users interested in learning about astronomy.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.0.7 — 2026-08-21

Fixes an issue where some map elements could appear too small on certain iPhones (iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE 3rd generation).

### 5.0.6 — 2026-08-19

- New time animations: planetary cycles, sunrise and sunset, the analemma, the paths of the planets, and more.
- Nearby towns and villages are now shown around the horizon to help you find your bearings from your location.
- A more accurate light-pollution estimate, with a realistic sky glow that reflects where you are.

### 5.0.5 — 2026-08-06

New:
The Tonight view has been enriched. In addition to the moonlight, it now shows the weather forecast for the coming night and the following days. Observable objects are now sorted by your means of observation: naked eye, binoculars, telescope, and so on. The best way to plan your observing night.

Fixed:

The disabled "Geolocate at start" mode now works.
In some cases the map was incorrect when viewing a location outside your own time zone.

### 5.0.4 — 2026-07-24

New:
- Added a stellar energy graph.
- Added an HR diagram for stars, explaining the stellar life cycle with text explanations.

Bug fixes:
- Fixed Milky Way settings not being saved.
- Restored the legend in the variable stars view.
- Added the version number to the credits.
- Refined the HR diagram model, which now includes star radius.
- Changed the icon for images in the optics map overlay.
- Improved precision when tapping objects.

### 5.0.3 — 2026-07-19

NEW
- Real sky images from various surveys in the optics view: see beyond the map with actual photographs of any part of the sky in the eyepiece or finder, center your camera perfectly, and catch the best guiding star.
BUG FIXES
- Fixed inverted pinch-to-zoom in the optics settings menu
- The Moon is now displayed correctly in night (red) mode
- Fixed deep-sky halo sizes and orientation
- Fixed star absolute magnitudes

## More apps by Fredd

- [We Help You Care](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/we-help-you-care/id6504299834)

All apps by Fredd: https://appshunter.io/developer/283006534

## Related topics

[gravlens3](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gravlens3) · [star maps](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/star-maps)

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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 2026-08-23.*