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Compatibility: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later.
Winner of Mac World's 2009 App Awards (Education)! Pocket Universe is the ideal astronomy program for those keen to learn about the night sky. The unique display is generated dynamically depending on your location and time, and then rendered in 3D for a super fast response - flick the sky and it spins around you.
"The app works beautifully, making astronomy a bit less mysterious—but no less remarkable", MacWorld
"It’s truly an impressive marvel. 5 Mice out of 5", MacWorld.
"..one of the prettiest and easiest to use. And at three bucks, it’s a steal", Cult of Mac.
Now with augmented reality and compass support on iPhone 3GS! Move your iPhone left, right, up and down and the view updates automatically: it's never been easier to explore the sky. Other devices still support up and down motion.
• Apple App Store Staff Favorite • Voted Best Educational iPhone Application by AppAdvice
If you are running Pocket Universe on an iPhone 3GS, simply move your iPhone up and down, left and right and the view of the sky will match what you see. It's never been easier to name the objects in the sky!
The latest version also makes use of the iPhone's camera to optionally overlay the rendered sky over a live view. (Due to the sensitivity of the iPhone camera, this mode works during twilight only, as the camera will only pick up the Sun and Moon, and will not display stars or planets.)
Note: Be sure that your compass it calibrated for best results. Take a few moments to move your iPhone in a large figure-of-8 pattern before use.
Use the "Show Me" option to guide you from facing North to the object you are looking for - it's never been easier to put a name to those lights in the sky, or check to see what the phase the Moon will be for the entire month. Use the built-in time machine to see what the sky will be like tomorrow, or quickly jump to nightfall. On cloudy nights, play the Constellation Quiz, with with or without helpful outlines. You'll soon be an expert skywatcher!
Pocket Universe is ideal for beginners, and works well with naked-eye vision, or as a guide when using a pair of binoculars.
Network access is only required to view supplementary web-based news and Wikipedia text. The rendering of the 3D sky and positions of the stars and planets are all calculated in real-time with no access to 3G, Edge or WiFi required.
Features
•Plots the position of the Sun, Moon and Planets (including Pluto) •Displays 10,000 stars •Draws the 88 Constellations outlines •Show Me mode for guidance to planets, constellations and bright stars •Lunar phases for the current month •Tonight's Sky creates a list of meteor showers and visible planets •Constellation Quiz helps you learn your way around the sky •Night Vision mode •Augmented Reality mode during Twilight on iPhone devices.
For support or to ask a question, feel free to send a direct message on Twitter to @CraicDesign.
Some comments from Pocket Universe users:
• Congratulations on a marvellous teaching device. I have taught astronomy to folks of all ages for 30 years. Your application is having a big impact on astronomy education. - Douglas McCarty, Planetarium Director and Astronomy Professor • For 3GS owners - highly recommend Pocket Universe. Uses compass to show you the night sky as you see it. Amazing little app. • Check out an app called Pocket Universe. It's a star map app but with a jaw-droppingly cool feature on the 3GS. • Pocket Universe is an amazing iPhone app. Genius • Pocket Universe is the coolest iphone app i've seen yet. Augmented reality here we come! • Next big thing in a little package - iPhone app "Pocket Universe." It's a preview of
Pocket Universe would amaze Galileo. It’s a $3 app from Craic Design that puts the entirety of the night sky in your pocket, and it’s truly an impressive marvel. The iPhone can do some amazing things, but it feels especially remarkable to keep the heavens in your pocket.
This is a well-made astronomy application, but it is actually one of two Astronomy-App leaders in Education category.
(I have both installed and will not tell you wich I like more).
Some people prefer Pocket Universe, others - Star Walk (http://bit.ly/8aVJ1Z). And iTunes Rewind (!) mentioned just the second one as one of the Best 2009 Apps (though this can be deniable on the opinion of Pocket Universe fans, right?).
I think that so well-known, popular and reliable (in the way of content) site as Macworld will not be objective if they will not post Star Walk review. I respect both apps, let them get into free competition!
The name says it all!
It truly is the universe in your pocket! Yes you can go out and look at the stars, but would you have any idea how to identify Mars, Jupiter, Sirus or any other star for that matter? Would you recognize Leo, Libra, Taurus and any other constellations? Would you know where abouts and when to see the International Space Station (ISS) or where is best to look to see comets and shooting stars? I doubt that very much, unless you have lots of knowledge in Astronomy, possibly a PhD!! but it's just so simple with Pocket Universe, and it is very user friendly.
Pocket Universe - Astronomy for the novice
I have owned Pocket Universe as a Pocket PC application. It was one of my favorites. Now that I have an iPhone, I was ecstatic to find it available. Pocket Universe for the iPhone has stepped it up several notches. Using the accelerometers built in to the iPhone makes it easy to find or identify that bright star/planet. You can find constellations, planets, stars and messier objects.
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Pocket Universe is Astronomy Made Easy appcraver.com
Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy - Review whatsoniphone.com
