Ephemeris is a celestial planning tool for photographers that provides Sun, Moon, and Milky Way tracking via AR and 3D compass on iOS and Android.
Product velocity
Dormant
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Tools
Sentiment
4.1
3k reviews
Nemesis
PhotoPills
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Photographers use the app to predict exact lighting conditions for shoots, removing the cognitive cost of manual celestial calculations.
For Landscape, nature, and astrophotographers who need to plan shoots based on precise celestial positioning.
What does it look like?
Key features
Visualizes celestial paths in real-time. Revenue: Premium-tier gate for professional planning.
Tracks celestial object paths. Revenue: Retention tool for recurring planning.
Predicts celestial positions for any date. Revenue: Premium-tier gate for long-term scheduling.
How much does it cost?
Monetization relies on a subscription model that gates advanced planning tools behind a recurring monthly payment.
Velocity
Dormant developmentperformanceShow more...
Ephemeris: Sun and Moon Seeker has been inactive for 453 days, falling well outside the threshold for active development. The only version in the analyzed window was a minor release focused on performance and bug fixes. There is no evidence of ongoing feature development or live operations. The app is currently in a zombie state due to the lack of updates for over a year.
Who built it?
Vito Technology
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Sky Live: Heavens Above ViewerUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
The recent review mood reads mixed. Users appreciate high-fidelity astronomical data provides precise planning tools for astrophotography and celestial observation sessions and modern visual interface and 3d globe rendering create an engaging experience for astronomy enthusiasts, but report aggressive subscription paywalls during onboarding prevent users from evaluating core functionality before committing to payment.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- High-fidelity astronomical data provides precise planning tools for astrophotography and celestial observation sessions
- Modern visual interface and 3D globe rendering create an engaging experience for astronomy enthusiasts
- Aggressive subscription paywalls during onboarding prevent users from evaluating core functionality before committing to payment
72 of 87 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Ephemeris: Sun and Moon Seeker
How's the Tools market?
Ephemeris maintains a 3.6-star rating on Android and 4.57-star on iOS, reflecting a split in user satisfaction [1, 2]. The lack of map integration limits its position against rivals that offer terrain-aware planning tools.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By PhotoPills S.L.
The industry standard for photography planning, offering identical AR, 3D compass, and Milky Way tracking features.
Ephemeris: Sun and Moon Seeker vs PhotoPills
LumyContenderAAlpenglow: Sunset ForecastContenderSSolarWatch Sunrise Sunset TimeContenderLLightTracContenderUnlock the deeper market read.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Ephemeris: Sun and Moon Seeker
Where is it heading?
The photography planning market is consolidating around integrated, terrain-aware tools. Ephemeris remains exposed due to its lack of map integration and stalled release cadence, which will erode its user base as rivals with faster update cycles capture the casual segment.
- Stalled development cadence (no major releases in 15 months) leaves the app vulnerable to rivals that offer integrated terrain-aware planning.
- Aggressive subscription gating during onboarding drives negative sentiment, which compounds the churn risk already visible in user requests for better tutorials.
The SWOT
- High-fidelity astronomical data provides precise planning tools
- Integration of a map layer for terrain alignment
Next best moves
Ship map-based visualization because users request it to align celestial events with terrain → increase retention
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's maintenance-mode status is a hidden advantage: by avoiding feature bloat…
Read the full takeSince the last report: Ephemeris has entered a zombie development state, with a 0.5-point rating decline and the emergence of specific user demands for map-based terrain alignment.
Bottom line
Integrating map-based visualization would address the primary friction point preventing the app from serving as a complete field-planning tool. Prioritizing this feature would unlock higher retention among casual photographers who currently rely on external mapping applications.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Ephemeris good for beginner photographers?
Does Ephemeris include map-based planning?
Is the subscription required to use the app?
Sources
Report last updated