StarTeller vs Orbiting Sky

Introducing StarTeller for iOS: your personal guide to the night sky, built for astrophotographers who refuse to miss a shot. StarTeller takes the guesswork out of planning your next imaging session. With a catalog of over 15,000 deep-sky objects at your fingertips, you'll know exactly when each target rises, peaks, and sets, down to the minute, so you can make every clear night count. Whether you're chasing faint nebulae, distant galaxies, or glittering star clusters, StarTeller tells you the best night to image each object from your exact location. See how long each target will be above the horizon, check its coordinates, and preview reference images, all before you ever step outside. Built as a planning companion for your telescope rig, StarTeller helps you build a session plan around what the sky is actually offering tonight. No more scrolling forums or cross-referencing almanacs. Just open the app, pick your targets, and know exactly when to shoot them. All visibility calculations run on your device with precise astronomical math, no internet required. Reference images load online, or download them in Settings for offline use. No AI-generated answers, just deterministic astronomy math that works anywhere, including dark sites with no signal. StarTeller Features: - 15,000+ deep-sky objects across the Messier, NGC, IC, SH2, Barnard, Caldwell, Lynds, Melotte, and other catalogs - Full visibility data for every object: rise, peak, and set times, altitude arc, observing duration, nights visible per year from your location, magnitude, angular size, and coordinates in J2000 or JNow - Real reference photos for every target, so you know what you're aiming at before you set up - Search by object name, catalog ID (e.g. M42, NGC 6992), or constellation; filter and sort by type, catalog, altitude, size, and best date - Interactive sky map for any location and date, with constellation lines, star names, object paths, and an altitude grid - Altitude timeline: scrub through the night and watch any object's arc update in real time, on any night past or future - Telescope framing: save your scope and camera (focal length, reducer or Barlow, sensor size, or a direct field of view) and see exactly how a target frames up before you shoot - Custom horizon: trace your real skyline through the camera and StarTeller factors your trees and rooftops into every visibility calculation - Astronomical darkness: civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight, plus the exact dark window for tonight - Moon planning: phase, illumination, moonrise and moonset, angular size, and the next new and full moon dates - All seven planets tracked in real time, with rise, set, and peak times from your location - Set and save unlimited locations easily by using GPS, map pin, or manual coordinate entry, and keep your targets in a dedicated favorites view - AR sky mode: point your phone at the sky to align the map with the real night above you - Night vision red mode to preserve your dark adaptation in the field - Core planning works fully offline; optional image downloads for complete offline use Free includes the complete Messier catalog (110 objects) and access to all app features. Upgrade to StarTeller Pro to unlock all 15,000+ objects across NGC, IC, SH2, Barnard, Caldwell, Lynds, Melotte, and additional catalogs. Whether you're a seasoned astrophotographer or just getting started with your first telescope, StarTeller puts the entire night sky on your schedule. The sky is waiting. Show up ready.

A new window onto Sky & Earth. • See the sky above an interactive map, with full-screen Sun, Moon and horizon observations. • Designed for iPhone Duo: fold along the horizontal hinge to place the sky upright and the map on your desk. See the sky’s rhythm on the map. Orbiting Sky turns any place and time into a clear, interactive view of daylight, moonlight, shadows, twilight, and eclipses. Move across the map, travel through time, and watch the geometry of the Sun and Moon change instantly. EXPLORE DAYLIGHT • See the moving day-and-night boundary • Distinguish civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight • Follow the subsolar point around Earth • Show sunlight and moonlight direction vectors UNDERSTAND YOUR SKY • View Sun and Moon elevation and true-north azimuth • Trace projected daily arcs above the local horizon • Estimate the direction and length of a vertical object’s shadow • Inspect lunar phase and illumination DISCOVER ECLIPSES • Browse solar and lunar eclipses visible from the selected location • Filter partial, annular, total, penumbral, and lunar events • Jump directly to each event’s local maximum • Visualize eclipse shadows on the world map CONTROL TIME • Choose any date and time • Play time forward or backward at multiple speeds • Use the selected location’s civil time zone • Search all IANA time zones or switch to UTC Orbiting Sky works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, supports eight languages, and requires no account. Optional rewarded ads unlock 30 minutes of Pro access; a Pro purchase removes ads. Astronomical and shadow results are educational estimates. Do not use Orbiting Sky for navigation, eye-safety decisions, or professional eclipse-contact timing.