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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 Icon

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 Night App Icon-Owl on purple background

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 App Icon

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.


Twightlight App Icon

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.

Get it


NightCap Camera

iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch

Lets you take night sky photos on your phone — good if you don’t have a DSLR camera.

Get it


PhotoPills

iOS, Android

Plan photos of the Milky Way and the galactic center with its augmented reality function.

Get it