AppYonder

Hello, Sun.

Small Multiples

No ratings yetWeatherAges 4+

Get it free on the App StoreOpens Apple's App Store

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About this app

Point your phone at the sky and Hello, Sun. draws the sun's path across it: where it rose, where it is now, where it will set. Drop a post into the scene and watch the shadow it throws, then drag through the day or the year to see how that shadow moves. It is a sundial you can carry, built for anyone who has wondered where the light will fall. PLANNING Choosing where to plant a tree, put a window, pitch a tent or sit for lunch? Scrub to midwinter and see how low the sun gets. Scrub to the afternoon and see what the neighbour's roof will shade. The answer is drawn on the real world in front of you. TWO WAYS TO LOOK In the camera view the arcs are laid over your surroundings, so you can see the sun pass behind a building or clear a ridge. In the map view the same sky sits over an Apple Maps patch of where you stand. Orbit it, tilt it, pinch it. No camera, no need to be outdoors, and it works on the couch. THE WHOLE YEAR AT A GLANCE Turn on the solstice and equinox arcs to see the highest and lowest paths the sun takes where you are, and how today's compares. THE MOON, AND ECLIPSES Turn on the moon to track it alongside the sun. When the two meet, the app shows the eclipse as you would see it from your spot: partial, annular or total, with how much of the sun is covered. One tap takes you to the next eclipse visible from where you are. SNAPSHOTS Capture the view with the arcs and shadow drawn on it, and share it. PRIVACY Your location is used on the phone to calculate the sun's position and is never sent anywhere. The app collects no data. Hello, Sun. is made by Small Multiples, a data visualisation studio in Sydney. The solar position maths is checked against published almanac times to a fraction of a degree. The compass in your phone is the limiting factor, so if the sun looks a little off, a figure-eight wave recalibrates it.

What's new

Version 1.3 · Oct 27, 2026

Rebuilt from the ground up for current iPhones. New map view. See the same sky over a map of where you are, no camera needed. Orbit, tilt and pinch it. The moon. Turn it on to track the moon alongside the sun. Eclipses. When the moon crosses the sun the app shows how much is covered, and "Take me to the next eclipse" jumps to the next one visible from your location. Faster and lighter on the battery: the sky is only recomputed when something changes. Clear messages when location or camera access is off, with a link to Settings. The Moon toggle is also available in the Settings app.