Think of this as having an astro buddy in your pocket. One who's been out on a lot of cold nights and wants you to have a good one too.

This app exists because planning a night out shouldn't take longer than the imaging session itself. The monthly guides, the target lists, the gear questions — all of it should fit in one place, on your phone, before you go outside.

Open the app, find something that makes you stop, and go outside. Find the darkest spot you can manage. Set up your scope, let it find its bearings, tell it where to go, and wait.

A few things worth knowing: collecting light for longer is always better — more detail, more colour, less noise. A darker sky helps more than any piece of gear. And the best target is the one you actually go outside to image.

Everything in this app I have imaged or processed myself. The notes are honest. The ratings are mine.

Now go outside.

NightPlan is still in active development. of targets currently have images from my own sessions — more are being added all the time.