Astrospheric

This app has always been very reliable in planning my imaging sessions here in New England, and the weather can change on a dime out here. This summer it was especially helpful that the smoke map is integrated into their transparency forecast. Then recently, it was added that there would be 3 forecast models being used to determine cloud forecasts. It’s very simple to read. If the cloud box shows one solid color, all 3 models are in agreement. If there’s 3 different colors, there’s some variation in the forecast between models, which you can see by selecting any particular hour of the forecast. Helps very much with having the confidence to drive the 2hrs to my dark site, knowing the sky will remain clear with all 3 models in agreement. They’re always improving as the title suggests. Worth every penny! The icing on top is the astrophotography sub space where we can all share our work and help each other improve. Hands down my favorite app for planning my sessions.

Astrospheric is an amazing weather app for astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts. I have been using it for over three months, and the app tells me everything I need to know about sky and ground conditions (cloud cover, transparency, seeing, wind speed and direction, temperature, dew point, sun and moon rise/set times and elevation, moon phase details, etc). Tapping on any hour will give an estimated cloud cover map. Included are also various map layers like smoke, cloud, transparency, seeing, temperature, dew point, wind, etc as well as actual satellite imagery (IR, visible, water vapor, GOES-16). I also like the light pollution map that tells me how dark a location will be when I travel. Daniel Fiordalis, creator of the app, is an amateur astronomer and professional programmer, and you can appreciate all the love that went into creating this app. Thank You!!!

I love this app! It is my go-to for checking the astronomy forecast. The free version provides a highly detailed forecast based on the Canadian weather model. The forecast is updated every 6 hours. The detailed forecast covers roughly the next three days. (The extended forecast goes out much farther but with fewer details and that is understandable because it is much more difficult to predict.) The 'Pro' tier (in-app purchase) combines two additional models to produce an "ensemble" forecast based on Canadian, North American, and European models (color coded so you know which model is forecasting clouds). I can't count the times I'd check a forecast, get the all-clear, and show up to a cloudy sky. Thanks to the ensemble forecast, if all forecasts agree that it will be clear ... you are probably in the clear. (The Pro tier is also ad-free) The ensemble forecast feature is also available to astronomy clubs and star parties at no cost if you qualify (that tier still has ads but you do get the ensemble forecasts). It is nice that the author extends this to clubs and star parties that do public outreach to share their passion for the night sky.