Star Chart Overview
What is Star Chart? Star Chart is a free educational and augmented reality astronomy app that allows users to have a virtual star chart in their pocket. By pointing their AR-enabled device at the sky, users can see a high-tech window into the whole visible universe. The app uses GPS technology and a 3D simulation of the visible universe to calculate the current location of every star, planet, and moon visible from Earth in real-time.
Features
- Automatic tracking of movements to match the sky when holding the device up to the sky
- Finger gesture controls for looking around the sky
- Dynamic scaling of visuals and capabilities across all iOS devices
- Accurate depiction of approximately 120,000 visible stars of the northern and southern hemispheres
- 3D rendering of all planets of the solar system, their moons, and the sun with state-of-the-art visual effects
- Time Shift feature to smoothly shift up to 10,000 years forward or backward in time
- Display of all 88 constellations with constellation imagery based on the artwork by 17th-century astronomer Johannes Hevelius
- Complete Messier catalogue of 110 exotic deep sky objects
- Facts on any sky object, including distance and brightness, by tapping on it
- Powerful zoom function for extra detail using intuitive finger gestures
- Fully configurable display of only the sky objects of interest
- Viewing of the sky underneath the horizon to see where the sun is, even at night
- Manual location setting to view the sky from anywhere in the world
- Dynamic device orientation viewing to view the night sky at any angle
- Augmented Reality mode available on devices with a built-in compass, manual scrolling supported on all other devices.
Official Screenshots
Product Details and Description of
*** Star Chart is now FREE! *** The top educational & augmented reality astronomy app - download and find out why over 20 million people use Star Chart! You can now have a virtual star chart in your pocket. Look through the eyes of your iPhone or iPad* to see a high-tech window into the whole visible universe. All you have to do is point your AR enabled device* at the sky and Star Chart will tell you exactly what you are looking at. Using state of the art GPS technology, an accurate 3D simulation of the visible universe, and a great deal of technical wizardry, Star Chart calculates – in real time - the current location of every star, planet and moon visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are; even in broad daylight! Want to know what that bright star is called? Point your device* at it – you might just find out it’s a planet! Want to know what the night sky looks like to people on the other side of the earth? Well just point your device down! Want to know where your star sign is in the sky? Star Chart will tell you all this and more. Star Charts features include: - Just point and view. When you hold your device up to the sky, Star Chart will automatically start tracking your movements to match the sky *. - Alternatively, look around the sky using finger gestures – perfect for armchair astronomers! - In a single app of less than 30MB, Star Chart dynamically scales its visuals and capabilities across all iOS devices to meet the high end capabilities of a retina display iPad while also running smoothly on the earliest iPhones and iPods. - Accurately depicts all the visible stars of the northern and southern hemispheres - a total of approximately 120,000 stars! - Fly to and explore all the planets of the solar system, their moons and the sun all rendered in beautiful 3D with state of the art visual effects. - Using the powerful Time Shift feature, simply tap the time button and smoothly shift up to 10,000 years forward or backward in time. - Displays all 88 constellations, with constellation imagery based on the beautiful artwork by 17th century astronomer Johannes Hevelius. - Includes the complete Messier catalogue of 110 exotic deep sky objects. - Tap on anything in the sky and get the facts on what you are looking at, including distance and brightness. - Very powerful zoom function, lets you view the sky in extra detail, using intuitive finger gestures. - Fully configurable. Star Chart displays only the sky objects that you are interested in. - Allows you to view the sky underneath the horizon. So now you can see where the sun is, even at night! - Manually set your location to find out what the sky looks like from anywhere in the world. - Supports dynamic device orientation viewing. Allows you to view the night sky whilst holding your iPhone/iPad* at any angle. So point your iPhone/iPad* at the sky and see what's out there! ------------ * Augmented Reality mode is available on devices that include a built-in compass. Manual scrolling is supported on all other devices. ------------ Star Chart is published by Escape Velocity Ltd and developed by Escapist Games Ltd. We update Star Chart regularly, so please send us your feedback and feature requests to this [email protected]. And thanks for all your feedback so far! Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/this app Follow Star Chart on Twitter: StarChartApp
Top Reviews
By RussellHouse
A good app, but...
I LOVE this app, and I use it all the time for finding planets, and deep space objects to observe through my telescope. I also appreciate the accuracy of each star location in relation to one another, even down to the 11+ magnitude stars, but I purchased the satellite addition recently, and even though it shows it in the sky with an apparent magnitude in the negatives, surely brighter than most stars, i see absolutely nothing! I don't know what's up, but looking at the iss is the only thing the upgrade's useful for. I also am disappointed that you used the messier catalogue only for deep space objects, because now all deep space objects in the south aren't listed, even the carina nebula! I hope that these bright southern DSO's can be added, and perhaps the new general catalogue. Other than that, this app is great and I spend hours on it star hopping to find the next galaxy!
By Craig Felty
I absolute love it. But
This app is such a help to me its unbelievable. I am an astronomer and I have a nice telescope that I use mostly in the summer but sometimes in the winter. I strap my phone onto my telescope and I use it to locate nebulas, planets, and even a few comets. It's been amazing. I have bought two upgrades. Meteor showers and comets. They both work perfectly. I might buy the mesires upgrade as well but if I do it will be the last one I buy. The only complaint I have is that I think the upgrades are a little over priced. I mean they work but it's an app and that's a lot of commitment for an app. That is the only thing I thine is wrong with the app. If you do have problems delete the app, restart your iPhone and then download it again. If you bought any upgrades you can re download them for free. Five stars from me!!
By CaSumrGoddess
You'll feel like a child again
Not everyone can afford a telescope or visit the planetarium. Every night I get to wish on a star and know it's name. I learn the constellations just by having fun looking around the Galaxy. It truly is amazing. Now try to convince me their is no God. This app will show you the shooting stars, constellations, meteors, comets, satellites, and each planet up close and stunningly vivid. With descriptions of each planet, the coordinates for your telescope, all their moons, what constellation they inhabit, their orbital period (it takes Saturn 29 yrs 166 days for our 1 year to go around the sun) and their rotation period (Saturn takes 10 hrs 19 mins to our 24 hrs). Your going to feel like a kid and love learning all about astronomy while your at it. Besides, learning should be fun, right?!
