iPhone + StarmapPro - in the field

[Wavytone]

I haven't noticed anyone else mention using an iPhone as an observing aid, however I have been using mine when observing in the upper mountains in the past few weeks.

A while ago I was using Starmap (the basic version) but now StarmapPro has been released - and its a whole different ballgame, basically all the features of a desktop app like Starry Night, a massive catalog of faint objects, and a user interface that is quite easy to use.

Basically StarmapPro is indispensable. My old atlases never got a glance and over the weekend I'm going to add an iPhone cradle on the scope.

http://www.star-map.fr/

Even on a desktop/laptop you be hard pressed to find a better astronomy app - let alone one that fits in your pocket and knows the time, where you are and which way is up.

Now all it needs is a bluetooth interface to control the scope and a camera and it would be way better than Vixen's StarBook.

[Fox]

Hi Wavytone, agreed, it's an extraordinary iPhone app, and incredible value at $22. I am pretty sure full Bluetooth functionality for the iPhone 3G will come soon with v3.0 release upgrade, and the programmer is planning telescope control in future for Starmap Pro. Thus, I am wondering when all this happens, what else do I need to interface Starmap Pro to control my LXD75?... Fox.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

What an amazing exercise in beautifully simple and elegant interface design. Makes me want to get an iPhone just to use this one app!

[Chippy (Nick)]

Thanks also for the feedback about this app. I suspected there would be some really cool and well designed astronomy apps coming out for the iPhone, and this just confirms it. I'm definitely going to consider getting one.

[higginsdj]

All these apps seem to have one serious flaw - little or no support for Comets and Minor Planets........

Cheers

[Virgs]

I use it on a 32gb iTouch and it is awesome. The whats up feature is brilliant and everything is so quick and easy. The iTouch does not have bluetooth but it does have wireless, so we will wait and see what 3.0 brings out and if the developer includes wireless control. I did not use the Sky 6 pro once this week as a result of having this loaded....

[Wavytone]

David, the previous (basic) version of Starmap was quite restricted in terms of its limiting magnitude and hence it showed very few galaxies and almost all minor planets would have been below the cutoff.

The pro version gets down to mag 16 however, so I'd suspect what you suggest won't be far off.

[White Rabbit]

if you guys like star maps you need to check out star walk. I have both on my itouch. Star walk looks like The sky 6, the menu system is way better, it looks stunning.

check it out