Light Pollution Map - Dark Sky

Easy to use and with a good interface, and the free version is useful and not merely an attempt to force a purchase. My only criticism, which I don't hold against the app itself since it's not the source of the data, is that the light pollution scale strikes me as a bit optimistic. For the (badly polluted) skies around me, I'd probably add .5 to 1 to the Bortle numbers that the map key shows. Though one might quibble about the absolute accuracy of the numbers, their relative accuracy is fine.

The Light Pollution Map app is a great tool for locating the darkest possible skies for observing the night sky. It has features that indicate the likelihood of an auroral display, especially during the current solar maximum. It also has a cloud cover overlay to indicate the presence of clouds. Give the free version a try, and check how much it may help your observing sessions

As far as I can see it does not tell you bortle level of any area you click therefore this app is pretty useless outside of casual viewing or ISS tracking which there are better apps for. Clicking on a specific area seems to do nothing at all as a matter of fact, nothing other than dropping a pin and making a circle around it. No extra information is granted by doing this. The live aurora cams are pretty cool though.

The free feature for light pollution appears to be mostly accurate. However, please don't purchase the subscription for the purposes of cloud coverage and aurora visibility, as aurora visibility does not toggle, and cloud coverage crashes the app. I've had a quick look through other reviews and I'm not the only person who is affected by the crash issue :(

On hand I love the app, it gave me an alert, although it sent the same alert 4 times. lol. It tells me the dark sky areas and that's great. I have a paid account though and anytime I click on the cloud function it crashed the app. Not once have I witnessed the cloud overlay which would have been useful tonight during the meteorite shower, but oh well. Great but a bit buggy.

Unusable. I've had the app for perhaps a year now, and it used to work. Recently, whenever I try to open it, I get a message "this app is not licensed..." and then I'm forced to close it. I've tried uninstalling it and reinstalling, but the same error message pops up. I've tried emailing the developer, to no avail. Not happy. Can the developers please get back to me??? Also, I have the paid version, and as I've already paid for the next year, I don't want to uninstall, as I'll lose that money.

A completely terrible app, the light pollution scale literally goes from 4 to 5.5, then to 5? That is not how a scale works. It also does not show accurate light pollution, or at least there is no tutorial. You need to develop your apps to be more user-friendly.

Used for a short while and it had great basic functionality (free version) and wanted to use it again now, then I noticed that ALL the features have become hidden behind a paywall. And the only payment option is a steep subscription service. Can't even see any map info under the light polution map. Free version has essentially become useless.

Ugh.. half of the premium features don't even work for me. Complete waste of $10/yr. No cloud coverage map. No Aurora map. Both seem to be significantly rate limited and I frequently don't see the overlay. Often meaning that I end up never being able to enable it. Two stars because the light pollution map does indeed work. But if I'm paying $10 a year, these features better be working. Which, they arent.

crashes when you search an address, bortle zone value never seems to change no matter where you place a pin, requires $10/yr (not one time fee, really?) just to save locations in a list. no thank you. tons of free online maps that provide the same value, it'd be worth paying a one time fee if the data updated based on where you dropped a pin so you didn't have to guess which shade of blue or green something is. so long as the app doesn't crash of course.

Free version is quite useable and buttons for viewable horizon and key worked fine. The key is out 4, 5.5, 5, 6, 7 and I found it a little hard to match initially to the zones but gives a good rough idea. £9.50 annual subscription for the upgrade seems a bit too steep for me. I'll save 100MB and use the web site.

Worst app I have ever run on any smart phone. Crashes when launching the polar light map on Android 8. Does't matter if I am on WIFI or not. Has the location and file permissions granted. I even turned on location for it . These are all the OS permissions requested. Paid for the premium upgrade to not get ads. Still posts modal popup ads on startup for other apps from the vendor that can't be dismissed without closing the app and restarting it. Asks at other times for more account info for FB, etc from more modal popups. I wish I could get a refund for this trash.

*edit* Not sure happened with the last update, but every time I try to load the cloud layer, the entireapp crashes. 'This app has been extremely helpful! As a photographer, weather as well as light pollution can make or break a great photo! I've found the upgrade to be very worthwhile for my needs, but the app works great without needing to upgrade

Update: 5 years have gone by and this dev is still unreasonable. Don't read my app list and don't block apps. You're the reason we use such methods; to mitigate people like this dev. It's incredibly easy to circumvent, you're just wasting your energy trying to stop us! Accept it and move on. Review from 2017: I used the app for 30 seconds and hit "Buy" buttons about 6 times on accident. I couldn't even try the app without accidentally finding a Buy button.

Every feature is a paid feature. You can't adjust or modify it at all–its stuck showing light pollution, not opaque enough to see the map below. You can't tell where anything is. There is however, another app called Dark Sky Map. Its fully customizable, and looks great. Its not bogged down by buttons that do nothing. The difference between these apps is so great in fact that it compelled me to come all the way over here and write a review. You should look it up. Dark Sky Map. You're welcome.

Most of this tool is very good! I did notice that on the "Key" that the 5.5 indicator shown should be a 4.5 OR the 5 and 5.5 indicators should be reversed. If there would be a more obvious information available for first time users as to what the various picture icons mean and some details about their functions, this would be a 5 star app!

Live in the West and it used to be easy to find dark areas for night sky viewing. That has changed dramatically. This app is accurate in finding dark spots as we travel to see the stars as part of our intinerary. Gave five stars, easy to use and accurate.

Worst app I have ever run on any smart phone. Crashes when launching the polar light map on Android 8. Does't matter if I am on WIFI or not. Has the location and file permissions granted. I even turned on location for it . These are all the OS permissions requested. Paid for the premium upgrade to not get ads. Still posts modal popup ads on startup for other apps from the vendor that can't be dismissed without closing the app and restarting it. Asks at other times for more account info for FB, etc from more modal popups. I wish I could get a refund for this trash.

I was watching the lesson on taking pictures of the moon and the Milky Way and the Instructor was using an app he called a light pollution map. I put that into the search on play store and this came up. I looked at a few others but this looked like the one he was using. I have played with it for a few minutes and now have to get back to the lesson. So far I'm impressed with this app.

This app does not work, don't waste your money. Press the cloud layer, app closes every time. Remove app, redownload press cloud layer, app closes. Saving and recalling locations, does not work. Use the app in free mode only as when you pay the $9.99 nothing works anyways. Highly disappointed & no refunds. Beware.