Support & User Guide

Allow location access, or select an observing position on the Map. In Places, search by a place name or latitude and longitude.

Check the time, observer height above ground, and obstruction radius in the bottom controls before exploring the sky. Make sure the observer height matches your eyes or equipment.

Sky Window estimates how much sky remains open using available terrain and structure data. Missing data can make it appear more open than it really is; check the surroundings on site.

Wide View shows the sky in a circle. Horizon View presents the sky ahead. Compare the direction labels with your surroundings; compass readings can be affected by your device and nearby magnetic fields.

Drag around the circular sky to rotate it. A quick swipe adds momentum that gradually slows. Rotation haptics can be changed in Settings; Reduce Motion limits inertial effects.

Use the field-of-view control in Horizon View to adjust horizontal and vertical angles. Drag vertically when zoomed to change the viewing elevation. This changes the presentation, not building heights or observing scores.

Zoom the Map, tap an observing position, and choose View Sky Here. When viewing a selected position, Return to Current Location resumes using GPS.

Places supports names and coordinates. Enter latitude first, for example 37.5665, 126.9780. A search result may be a region center rather than a suitable observing position; confirm it on the map.

Tap the bottom clock to change observing time. Use Now to return to the current time, or Today at 22:00 to preview tonight. Time changes update celestial positions and the forecast for that time.

Observer height is above the ground at the selected position, not altitude above sea level. Heights above nearby roofs reduce obstruction. Automatic GPS-based height can be inaccurate; adjust it manually when needed.

The radius control sets how far obstruction calculations reach. Increasing it cannot supply missing geometry or heights. Indoor mode obscures the sky; press and hold the sky to reveal it temporarily.

Clouds, rain and visibility refer to the selected time. No forecast does not mean clear skies. Check the position and date, then refresh. Stale forecasts or forecasts for another location are not used for recommendations.

Best Time compares suitable clear, dry two-hour nighttime windows in the next 24 hours. Tap it to see cloud cover, rain chance and visibility, or view the sky at that time. No recommendation is made when conditions do not qualify.

The weather recommendation is separate from an overall assessment of moonlight, light pollution and obstructions. Observing Information explains score criteria and missing inputs.

Apple’s 3D map buildings and the geometry used for sky obstruction are separate data. A building visible on the map may lack the shape or height needed for the obstruction calculation.

No data or Unverified does not mean there are no obstacles. Downloads may have failed, or geometry and heights may be missing. Check Location and Data for available information and retry with a connection.

Additional trees, bridges, elevated roads, covers, tunnels, walls and masts are controlled in Settings. Recorded heights take priority; trees without heights use your chosen estimate. Bridges and tunnels lacking essential vertical data do not create invented obstruction.

Choose a search area and criteria in Nearby Recommendations or Places, then tap Find. Progress is shown during the search; Stop cancels it.

If there are no results, broaden terrain, distance or observing-condition filters. Results are data-based candidates; access roads, nighttime entry, parking and ground conditions require checking on site.

Widgets show the last observing calculation saved by the app. Check the location name, coordinates and saved timestamp. Widgets do not continuously track live GPS.

Refresh requests updated weather and observing conditions for the saved position. Open the app to recalculate terrain and building obstruction for a new position. iOS controls widget update timing, so changes may not appear immediately.

Do buildings look small or disappear? Check the observing position, height above ground, radius and data status. The circular view projects a wide sky into one screen, so apparent sizes can differ from looking straight ahead. Compare using Horizon View’s field-of-view controls.

Clear-looking skies but a low score? Daylight, twilight, moonlight, light pollution and missing inputs also matter. Cloud cover alone does not determine observing conditions, and unknown values are not replaced with clear skies or zero.