Thanks for Jared's input, I have updated my latest blog entry with improved (and more of them) screen shots of the apps I reviewed. Thanks for the tip Jared. On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 9:34 PM, Jay Eads <jayleads@gmail.com> wrote:
Jared,
Thanks for the great review and for the tip. I assume it will work the same on a iPad1?
Jay
Sent from my iPad
On Apr 11, 2011, at 9:28 PM, Jared Smith <jared@smithplanet.com> wrote:
Jay's wonderful reviews of several iPhone/iPad has prompted me to post about my newest, most favorite iPhone astronomy app. It's called SkyView (not to be confused with the high school in Cache Valley). http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skyview-explore-the-universe/id404990064 There's also an Android version.
SkyView enables the camera on your phone, so the screen shows live footage of where your camera is pointing. It uses the GPS, gyroscope, and compass in your phone to determine where you're at and which direction you are pointing the phone. It then overlays onto the live image virtual representations of astronomical bodies and satellites found in the screen's view area. The way it does this and it's accuracy is almost magical.
If you want to know what a particular star, planet, constellation, or satellite is, just point your phone at it and an illustrated version of the object will show up on the screen at that location. You can click the object for more educational information.
You can also view the future and past tracks for a body. For example, I just pointed my iPhone at a bright object in the Southeastern sky. The screen clearly and instantly showed the image Saturn on top of the actual planet on the screen. I clicked to select Saturn, then followed it's track line down to the Eastern horizon and it showed that Saturn was rising at this point around 7pm. I followed the track across the sky to the Western horizon to find it will set around 6:30am. As I was pointing the iPhone around Saturn, I noticed the image of Hubble in the area and was able to watch it make a close pass by Saturn.
You can also search for an object (there are thousands in the database), then follow the arrows on the screen until the body appears on the screen. It has real-time satellite tracking too - just enter ISS (for example), then follow the arrows until you see the illustrated ISS on the screen and you'll know precisely where ISS is in real life, even if it's under your feet. It also displays RA/Dec, azimuth, and elevation for all objects, making it easy to get your telescope there if you want a closer look.
It is by far the coolest, most useful astronomy app I've seen. And it's only $.99 - and there's a free version that does just about everything.
Jared
PS - One quick tip for Jay - if you press and hold the "Home" button at center bottom of the iPhone, then press and release the "Sleep" button on top right of the iPhone, a screen shot will be saved to your camera roll. You can then e-mail or download this for use on your web site (or wherever). It works a lot better than taking photos of your screen.
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-- Jay Eads