A well-designed app to optimize viewing of Tuesday’s total solar eclipse has risen to the top top of app store. With over 140,000 lifetime downloads on iOS and Android, a single called “The Eclipse application” offers a complementary experience for viewing the astronomical event, including cloud cover forecasts, guides that indicate when totality will occur at your exact location, and information about local events, parks and viewing sites in your area.
The app itself was born from a partnership between the independent space interest organization The Planetary Society and The Eclipse Company, a technology company formed around the time of the Great American Eclipse of 2017 to help more people witness total solar eclipses.
Image credits: The Eclipse application
The companies first published an easy-to-use eclipse map to help people find a place to view the annual eclipse on October 14, 2023.
The Eclipse app, launched in the US and Canada in February, currently generates revenue through in-app purchases that allow users to pay $3 for a live stream. There are currently approximately 9.8 thousand paying users as of Monday, according to data from application intelligence company Appfigures. The app began its rise on the App Store on Sunday night, gaining 35,000 downloads on the App Store and beginning to climb the charts. Google’s estimates are delayed by a couple of days, the company tells us, so total downloads are likely already over 140,000.
The app is currently ranked 1st in its category (Travel), 9th overall on the US App Store, and 8th in its category via Google Play.
What’s more, the app doesn’t appear to be gaining traction from any Apple Search Ads campaigns, but rather through organic searches.
Reviews are mostly positive on the App Store: There are 40 5-star reviews versus 22 1-star reviews, Appfigures says. There seems to be more consumer dissatisfaction with the Android version.
The company promises that the app will offer the ability to explore US states and Canadian provinces along the path of totality, as well as community events in search states. Plus, you can use the timer to know when it’s time for totality for your exact location, so you can put on your eclipse glasses and watch. You can also check your local forecast, subscribe to local events, and check out other local points of interest. Parking information for many events is also included.
How to see the eclipse, just in case
If you can’t see the eclipse in person or don’t have the special glasses, check out NASA’s official livestream of the event below.
