What’s New

Mac: Astronomy Observation Planner 23.0 (1)

• macOS 15 and laterNow runs on macOS 15 Sequoia and later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
• One card per objectAn object listed under several catalog numbers now appears as one target card with its common name.
• More from your Clear Sky timeAfter a plan is built, unused time inside a Clear Sky span goes back to the targets seated on either side of it.
• Short capturesA seated capture under 30 minutes shows "A Capture Needs a Change", with a longer seat or a replacement that you can accept or decline.
• Accurate planets and the MoonPositions are calculated on your Mac; the planets agree with NASA/JPL Horizons to within about 2 arcminutes.
• Back up and restore between devicesOne zip file with your plans, target lists, equipment, locations and logs, which restores on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows.
• Credits and fixed linksCredits in Settings and Help, and the privacy and feedback links open the right pages.
• Ready to planNew users start with deep-sky targets selected, and the illustrated user manual has a Troubleshooting section.

iPhone and iPad: BigSky Planner 23.0 (1)

• Telescope limits by modelAltitude, timing and Equatorial Mode limits for each smart telescope, and every target card shows how long the target is in view tonight.
• Clear Sky schedulingBuild Plan schedules targets through your Clear Sky areas and gives unused time back to the targets beside it. A capture under 30 minutes asks for a change.
• One card per objectAn object listed under several catalog numbers appears as one target card with its common name.
• Weather without an accountNOAA in the United States and MET Norway elsewhere. Open-Meteo works with your own key.
• Backups, planets and text sizeRestore a backup on a Mac or Windows PC, more accurate planet and Moon positions, a Credits page, and text that follows your text size.
• Ready to planNew users start with deep-sky targets selected, and Apply Filters asks for a target type if none is ticked.
• FixesThe New Moon no longer draws as a white disc, Apply Filters works before you set a magnitude, the number keyboard has a Done key, exact catalog IDs such as NGC 705 come first, and Solar System plus Comets shows both.

Windows 11: Smart Telescope Planner 23.0 (1)

• Plan the nightSaved sites, telescope limits by model with Equatorial Mode for Seestar and DWARF, Clear Sky areas, and time in view on every target card.
• Planets, the Moon, comets and asteroidsPlanets and the Moon computed on your PC, tonight's comets and asteroids from NASA/JPL, and Moon Details with phase, illumination, age, moonrise and moonset.
• A bigger catalogAbell catalogs with 1,546 galaxy clusters and 60 planetary nebulae, plus freely licensed reference images.
• Weather at sunsetNOAA in the United States or MET Norway anywhere, with no account or key.
• Save, share and back upPrint, save as PDF or send the plan with Windows Share, and Back Up and Restore in one .zip file that moves between the Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad planners.
• Ready to planTargets & Plan starts with every deep-sky type selected, so the target list is ready right after setup.
• HelpAn illustrated PDF manual with a Troubleshooting section, Credits, and text that follows Windows Text size.

Mac 3.1

• Turso or Supabase (Pro)Keep your station's data in a cloud database you own.
• More than one computer (Pro)One Mac collects every minute; if it stops, another computer takes over automatically, and your iPhone and iPad view the data from the cloud.
• History gap fill (Pro)Gaps are filled from your station's online history or a backup station, and estimates are marked. Data Health shows the live source and the last gap fill.
• Feels Like, Credits and SettingsA Feels Like card with Heat Index and Wind Chill, Credits, and Settings in one window with four tabs.
• FixesIndoor readings recover after sleep, gauges fit smaller windows, closing the window minimizes the app, keys are kept in the Keychain, graph export matches the panel, alerts stay up until they end, and Manual Backup includes the latest readings.
• One nameThe app is called Weather Magic PWS everywhere on Mac, iPhone and iPad, and the user manuals are new, with a Troubleshooting section.
• RequirementsmacOS 15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel.

iPhone and iPad 3.1

• Cloud history (Pro)History from your own Turso or Supabase database, filled by your collecting computer.
• Gap fill and PDF graphs (Pro)Gaps in the last 72 hours are filled and marked, and PDF graphs break where data is missing.
• Forecast source and keysChoose your forecast source, use your own Open-Meteo key, and check your AirNow key with Test Key.
• FixesAlerts stay up until they end, sky cover refreshes every 30 minutes, widgets show their data source, and backups include the latest readings.

Windows: Weather Wizard 1.0.3

• Free and Pro reorganizedFree shows your home station, today's graphs and one backup station. Compare Free and Pro shows what each includes.
• Turso and multiple devices (Pro)Turso joins Supabase, and one PC or Mac collects every minute while another takes over if it stops.
• More in ProA second backup station, CSV export, up to 20 stations, and Open-Meteo with your own key.
• NewFeels Like and Heat Index, a guided lightning setup, and Credits.
• FixesKeys in Windows Credential Manager, alerts stay up until they end, Manual Backup includes the latest readings, and a sharper display on high-resolution screens.

• New nameSmart Telescope Sort is now Telescope Data Sort. Your settings, folders and terms acceptance carry over.
• New on Windows 11The same copy, check, then delete sorting, with deleted files going to the Recycle Bin.
• Any telescope or cameraWorks with data from any telescope or camera when the files are in folders named for the object. Smart-telescope layouts are still detected automatically.
• Open sourceStill free, open-source freeware (MIT) with no in-app purchases, now with an Open Source banner on the icon. Source on GitHub.
• Credits and manualA Credits window, and a new "Using data from other telescopes" section in the user manual.
• A note on other telescopesThis has not been tested with other telescopes, but there is no reason it will not work with almost any data that it supports!