Software and mobile apps
Software and mobile apps can help us appreciate the night sky, measure light pollution, and much more.
Software and mobile apps can help us appreciate the night sky, measure light pollution, and much more.
Got a tip for an app to add to this list? Let us know.
Dark Sky Meter app
iPhone
The Award winning Dark Sky Meter app by DDQ helps you measure the night sky brightness with the press of a button. Get instant information about the night sky quality, and contribute to create a global map of sky darkness. See our Measuring Light Pollution page for more information on how to use this app.
Loss of the Night app
iPhone and Android
The Loss of the Night app turns your eyes into a light meter, allowing you to become a citizen scientist and report how bright the night sky is where you live! See our Measuring Light Pollution page for more information on how to use this app.
F.lux
forMac OS/X, Windows, Linux, iPhones, iPad
f.lux is a correlated color temperature (CCT) app that makes the color of your computer’s display adapt to the time of day, e.g., warm-toned at night and like sunlight during the day. It makes your computer screen look like the room you’re in, all the time. When the sun sets, it makes your computer look like your indoor lights. In the morning, it makes things look like sunlight again. For more information on the effects of blue light on humans, see our Human Health page.
Twilight
Smartphones or tablets
The Twilight app makes your device screen adapt to the time of the day. It filters the flux of blue light emitted by your phone or tablet after sunset and protects your eyes with a soft and pleasant red filter. The filter intensity is smoothly adjusted to the sun cycle based on your local sunset and sunrise times. For more information on the effects of blue light on humans, see our Human Health page.
Clear Outside
iOS, Android
Good for telling you the weather conditions and cloud coverage at a location.
NightCap Camera
iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Lets you take night sky photos on your phone — good if you don’t have a DSLR camera.
PhotoPills
iOS, Android
Plan photos of the Milky Way and the galactic center with its augmented reality function.
