Skyfire app

I currently use The Photographers Ephemeris (TPE) app for predicting sunrise/set moonrise/set times and angles. I am interested in adding the Skyfire app which is an 'overlay' app to the TPE app. Skyfire predicts if there will be a colorful sunrise or sunset which could be really useful if it's somewhat accurate most of the time. I was wondering if anyone here uses it and how well it's done for you if you have.

Interesting, haven't heard of Skyfire....looking forward to hearing feedback...

I use TPE but only desktop. Skyfire is iOS only. Shame.

I have used TPE for years. I do not use skyfire and would be highly cynical about it. Sunrises and sunsets can change by moving a few miles, plus clouds move and things can completely change in as little as 5, 10, or 20 minutes. I do not see how skyfire could predict this on a real-time basis for every possible location considering changing weather conditions.

I could see how the app might "guess" using general weather conditions, but I can do the same thing by going to the location and simply looking. As to predicting ahead of time what things will look like if you go to the location, I doubt that very much.

WaltA wrote in post #17729483
I use TPE but only desktop. Skyfire is iOS only. Shame.

The Android version is expected in Q4 2015.

Picture North Carolina wrote in post #17729888
I have used TPE for years. I do not use skyfire and would be highly cynical about it. Sunrises and sunsets can change by moving a few miles, plus clouds move and things can completely change in as little as 5, 10, or 20 minutes. I do not see how skyfire could predict this on a real-time basis for every possible location considering changing weather conditions.

I could see how the app might "guess" using general weather conditions, but I can do the same thing by going to the location and simply looking. As to predicting ahead of time what things will look like if you go to the location, I doubt that very much.

Yes, not sure about it for the same reasons you mention here which is why I am wondering if anyone here currently has any experience with it and what they think about it. Keep in mind the app is not ever claiming to predict anything 100% for sure. It just gives you likely-hood that something will happen.

I think what it can give us beyond a weather forecast is other factors that come into play for the color to happen such as altitude of the clouds and that gap to the horizon in relation to the angle of the sun at sunrise or sunset. Of course the cloud movement is wildly unpredictable for the details but you got to agree that certain conditions that exist will make a color event either more likely or less likely to occur. I know that it's not going to be able to be right all the time. But it might be good enough to give you an edge on where to be if the conditions are more likely. I believe it will likely be more accurate than looking at a weather map and seeing that there are clouds in an area so you go there and hope for color. It should be able to get us just that little bit of extra info to give us just a little edge on knowing the possibility.

I am going to try the 30 day trial and monitor it and see what I find out about it.