iPhone app

[coulthardm]

Hi there. Can anyone recommend an iPhone star chart/star finder app for a beginner? Looking for a very cheap Xmas present for myself!

[mithrandir]

Depends on what you mean by cheap.

There is one that calls itself Stellarium but not using the same code base as the Windows/iOS/Linux one.
Star Walk
Sky Safari comes in various prices, Pro being the most expensive

[Omaroo]

Have a look though the Mobile Astronomy Apps forum - plenty of talk about it all in there.

Recommendation is SkySafari3 for a couple of bucks. Avoid Stellarium, it's not recommended on mobile devices by all I know who have it.

[Murat]

I would recommend that you consider any of the Skysafari 3 (about $3), Skysafari 3 Plus (about $16), or Skysafari Pro (about $41) options. If you go to Itunes you can look at the differences in numbers of stars and DSO's detailed between them.

Another reasonable app is the Starmap Pro.

If you simply wanna muck around with an astronomy app on the iphone, and not pay much or anything, then GoSkywatch and Stellarium are your best bets.

It may pay to simply buy an introductory star chart (such as The Sky & Telscope's Pocket Sky Atlas) instead and use it with additional cross referencing on internet astronomical sites.

I've tried many of them, and the Skysafari Pro was a good purchase for me, I use it a lot. I am missing a hard copy of a star chart, because you can't always rely on your phone app (battery charge, exposure to bright light wrecking your night adaptation when unlocking the home screen). The skysafari has a night mode where everything on the screen is red, preserving night vision, and you can set it to prevent auto lock to prevent the phone from going to sleep whilst this application is on, thereby avoiding glare from having to go through the unlock screen. One solution to this glare from the iphone app that I just thought of was a red coloured screen protector or even cellophane somehow tightened across its surface.:question:

Regards,
Murat

[Groboz]

+ 1 for Skysafari Pro. :thumbsup: I purchased it for my Ipad 2 a month ago when it was on special at around $30 and it's worth every cent IMO.

[skysurfer]

For me as well.
I have Skysafari Pro for both iOS (iPad) and Android (Galaxy S2). Awesome !
Maybe the little screen of the iPhone can be too small, I notice that the Galaxy S2 with a 4.3" screen is the minimum. And the screen of the S2 is more contrasty than the iPad or iPhone: black == black.
On the iDevices, even in night mode, the 'black' parts bleed a little dark blue.

[stephenb]

I also have Sky Safari Pro. Never looked back! Highly recommended!

[shelltree]

I have Starmap Pro and it is pretty good. But honestly, I don't use it as much as I thought I would. I mainly use the planisphere for general constellation spotting and my Astronomy 2011 book as reference as well as Heavens Above. I always get confused using the 'real time' compass option and think it is easier to pinpoint constellations etc by looking for them than training the Iphone on a particular part of the sky.

Plus I find it a lot more rewarding that way :D

Goodluck! :)

[Forgey]

I got a few apps that i use, one i use a bit is Star Walk.

[firstlight]

Had Sky Safari from version 2. Upgraded to V3 Plus for the iPhone, and Anne-Louise downloaded the Pro version for the iPad. I have tried a few other programs but I keep coming back to this one, as good as Starry Night Pro on the PC.