Phone planetarium app

[Bruce D]

I had Skyeye in the past, worked OK-
What app do you use?

[Apollo XX]

Stellarium Mobile. Costs a buck or two, but is worth it in my opinion. Works very well.

[NGC7000]

Sky Safari Pro.

Tom

[Pete]

I've got a couple loaded and aren't thrilled with any. SkyView Lite, Star Chart and Night Sky. Not really versed in any of them. All may need to be synchronized/calibrated.

The premium version of Night Sky was used by Dwight Talley and I was very impressed with it notifying him of clear nights ahead and things like ISS passes. But the premium edition requires a monthly payment. I may go for a single payment but every month is a financial trap far as I can see.

The first two work adequately to locate a Messier or a planet but somehow or other I think the interface could be easier.

Guess I'm still lookin'

Pete

[NGC7000]

There is also KStars, a program that I am using within Stellarmate, but have to get more familiar with it to make any recommendation.

Tom

[Paul D]

I have stopped using them all. I currently have 3 on my phone and if I didn't pay for them I would delete them. A phone is just to small to accurately display these programs. For example M81 and M82 zoomed out all the way on one of the premium still shows separation. On such a small screen it shouldn't be that way but the app does it to show the space between them.

So it brings to mind how accurate are these program? Well if you are a visual observer they are not accurate at all. One night at the club we were looking for a visible comet and we were using different phone apps trying to visually find it. Now the finder on the scope was dialed in. I tested it myself by looking for M13 and finding it right away. So we took the phone app and placed it in front of the finder and centered the comet in the middle of the phone screen and then centered that to the finder view. None of the 3 phones were on target and most were several degrees off.

For the goto person well all objects are in coordinates so it doesn't matter where on the map it shows up. Just either let the scope run off the coordinates from the app or type them in a hand controller from the app.

Finally from what I have been reading, phones screens are bad for night vision even with simulated red screens. I had found this out personally from my trip to MSSF when I looked at an unfiltered screen in red mode and realized I lost a few mags of stars visually. I use Rubylyth on my tablet which is so dark during the day you cant see what's on the screen and during the night is barely visible to see. My tablet app is not a planetarium program but a planner program.

[rose]

Bought a 10 in tablet for Stellafane, used sky safari pro ,it worked great. So much better than using my cellphone.
Also have mobile observatory on my cell great app and has live night sky view that takes you to the target. Unfortunately this feature does not work on the tablet. Not sure why?

[Bruce D]

Rose the tablet may not have all the sensors required by the app- my last smart phone had gyros so it could tell which way the phone was tilted, but it didn't have a compass so it didn't know what direction it was pointed and planetarium apps wouldn't work on it

[NGC7000]

I think Bruce solved the riddle of the tablet. I have found this website to be invaluable for getting your tablet information:

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3

Hope that helps, Rose.

Tom

[Bruce D]

No brainer on my part, my tablet lacks some of the necessary sensors to run a planetarium app so as Hendrix might say, I am experienced