APT Darkness Clock vs SkySafari 8 Plus

APT Darkness Clock (APT DC) is a free app without ads, that calculates the suitable time for deep sky astrophotography or observing in selected night and location. It is a small sub-set of a full featured desktop application named APT - Astro Photography Tool. APT is like Swiss army knife for your astro imaging sessions. No matter what are imaging with - Canon EOS, Nikon, CCD or CMOS astro camera, APT has the right tool for planning, collimating, aligning, focusing, framing, plate-solving, controlling, imaging, synchronizing, scheduling, analyzing, monitoring and more. You can find additional information about APT at www.astroplace.net. To image or observe a faint deep sky objects is needed to use the darkest time of the night. This is the time between the evening astro twilight end, the morning astro twilight beginning and when the Moon is below the horizon. In APT that time is named DSD Time - Deep Sky Darkness Time. The purpose of APT DC is to calculate what is the DSD Time duration and when this time starts/ends for selected night and location. It is possible to use the current location or one of three other stored observing sites. For suggestions and support related to APT DC, use the dedicated section of the APT Forum at - http://aptforum.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=26

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