Free Night Photography App Lets iPhones Spot & Capture Cosmic Objects

Image via Unistellar

Each year, Apple touts its latest flagship iPhone to have raised standards for photography to new heights. The company never means this in a literal sense, but with a third-party photography app, you could actually make that happen.

Nocturne is an astrophotography app developed by Unistellar, most known for manufacturing telescopes. And while a telescope by the firm will set you back thousands of dollars, Nocturne is just one download away, free of charge.

In its new V2 update, Nocturne transforms iPhones into astrophotography telescopes with support from the Autonomous Field Detection technology found in Unistellar’s own equipment. Through this, the iPhone will be able to recognize constellations, galaxies, nebulae, planets, and more, and let you know when it spots something.

An interesting addition is the ‘Overlay’ feature, which traces celestial objects seen in photos.

Image via Unistellar

While a tripod is recommended for the most precise detection, you can also place your smartphone on a stable surface for the app to do its work.

The update also brings the ability to pinpoint the locations of planets, capture sharper images to reveal more stars, and add filters to photos.

Image via Unistellar

“It is our goal to always be thinking of ways to improve education and access to the night sky—or all—and we are proud of what we have achieved with this project,” says Unistellar’s founder Arnaud Malvache.

Nocturne is currently only compatible with iOS, though an Android version is in the works.

[via PetaPixel and Digital Trends, images via Unistellar]