Email simpletonfacts@gmail.com with your iOS version, your town and what happened. We read every message.
Getting started
Open the app, pick what you love to catch, then tap “Use my location” or search your town. Tonight appears right away; the cloud ratings fill in when the forecast arrives.
What the ratings mean
Sunset and Sunrise rate the chance of color from the cloud layers near the event. Stars rates clear sky during darkness, adjusted for moonlight. 75+ is Great, 55+ Good, 35+ Fair. Ratings marked “est.” are beyond the forecast range and use darkness and moonlight only. Tap Settings → How ratings work in the app for details.
Changing places
Tap the place name at the top of Tonight to search a town or use your location. You can keep several towns in that list for free.
Light Path Studio
Open the Studio tab, pick a place or viewpoint and a date, and drag the slider under the dome. The coloured line is the Sun's path; the arc on the rim is this year's range of sunset and sunrise directions. Times assume a flat, sea-level horizon: behind hills or buildings the Sun disappears earlier.
Viewpoints and plans
Spots → Add a viewpoint. Set the location by GPS, town search or coordinates, then tap Aim your view: drag the green handle round the dial, tap a sun line, or turn on “Point my phone at the view” to follow the compass, and choose a lens to set the frame width. The horizon strip shows which months the Sun sets in your frame. The compass needs a real iPhone and can be thrown off by metal or magnets nearby. Open a viewpoint to see alignment dates and the next seven sunsets, plan a session, or open it in Maps. Free keeps two viewpoints; Plus keeps unlimited. Only visit places that are safe and legal to access.
Field Journal
After a sunset, the Journal asks how it looked. Add details and an optional kept photo, or use “Record an observation” for any sunset without a forecast. Tap an entry to edit or delete it. Patterns appear after five entries and describe your journal; they are not predictions.
Alerts
Settings → Golden hour reminder sends a notification 15 minutes before golden hour. Smart sky alerts (Plus) send at most one a day, only when the forecast rates something you chose as Good or better. If nothing arrives, check iOS Settings → Notifications → Asterfold and any Focus mode.
Widget
Long-press your Home Screen, tap +, search for Asterfold and add “Tonight's sky”. Open the app occasionally so the widget has fresh data.
The forecast didn't load
Pull down on Tonight to retry. Sun, Moon and planet times work offline; only the cloud ratings need a connection.
Asterfold Plus, restore and cancel
Plus is available yearly (with a 7-day free trial for eligible customers), monthly, or as a one-time Lifetime purchase. To restore, use Settings → Restore purchases with the same Apple Account. To cancel, open iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions at least 24 hours before renewal. Refunds are handled by Apple.
Accuracy
Times are calculated with Astronomy Engine (via AstronomyKit) and are accurate to about a minute. Cloud forecasts come from MET Norway and can change. Terrain, local haze and light pollution aren't modeled. Never look at the Sun through binoculars, cameras or telescopes.
Credits
Weather data: MET Norway, CC BY 4.0. Place names: GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Astronomy: AstronomyKit and Astronomy Engine, MIT licence.