The Story
An app made in the dark.
Skymap exists because we wanted a planetarium that worked the way phones actually work — point, see, learn. No charts, no jargon.
Why we made it
We've both spent nights staring at unfamiliar skies wondering "is that bright thing Jupiter or a satellite?" The existing astronomy apps were either heavy, cluttered, or designed for amateur astronomers who already know the sky. We wanted something for the moment of curiosity — the kind of app you reach for once, get the answer, and put away.
How it works
Skymap reads your GPS to know where you are, the compass and gyroscope to know which way you're pointing your phone, and a precomputed catalog of star and planet positions to render a real-time AR overlay. Constellation lines come from the official IAU patterns. Star data is from the Hipparcos catalog. Planet positions use the VSOP87 analytical theory — accurate for hundreds of years past and future.
What we believe
- Beauty matters. Astronomy is awe-inducing. The app should reflect that.
- Offline first. The best night sky views are far from cell towers. The app works without internet.
- No ads, no tracking. Your location is used only to draw the right sky. It never leaves the device.
- Free. Skymap is free with no premium tier. If you love it, leave a review.
Who we are
HarmonyAstroApps is a two-person studio. We make iOS apps for curious people. Other things we've made include Cowboy Quick Shot (a reflex game where your phone is a holster) and a few smaller utilities.
We answer email personally at harmonyastroapp@gmail.com.
What's next
Light-pollution overlays. Lunar eclipse predictions. Meteor shower calendars. Apple Watch companion ("Mars rises in 14 minutes"). If you have ideas, please write.
Built under a dark sky in 2025.