iStellar : Mobile Planetarium for iPhone & iPod touch

Operating Environment (Ver 2.5.0 and later)

  • Device OS: iOS 4.0 or later
  • Hardware: iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S (Note 1), iPod touch (2nd generation or later), iPad/iPad 2 (Note 2)

Note 1: Compatible with iPhone 4's retina display

Note 2: The iPad provides iPhone-compatible mode.

Note 3: GPS function supported by iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S, electronic compass supported by iPhone 3GS/4/4S, only.

Essential Features

Displayed Objects

  • 16,226 stars brighter than 7th magnitude
    • Star brightness and colors reproduced
    • Common names for 254 bright stars
    • Major variable stars
    • Stars twinkle as in reality
  • Sun, moon and the 8 planets plus Pluto
    • Moon phases
    • Exaggerated and real-size display
  • The 88 constellations
    • Constellation names, lines and pictures
  • Nebulae and star clusters (Messier)
    • Catalog number and popular names
  • Comets
    • Data update possible as needed
  • Meteor shower radiants
  • Daylight, dusk and dawn effects
  • Milky Way
    • The shade of the Milky Way
  • Solar eclipses (total, annular, partial)
  • Object information displayed upon tapping on an object
    • Images of major objects
    • Coordinates (equatorial, ecliptical, galactic, horizontal)
    • Rise, set, transit times, current time on a comprehensive graph
    • Magnitude and color index for stars, meteor showers peaks, apparent diameters for planets, etc.

Settings

  • Display of a landscape and altitude/azimuth grid
  • Option of showing stars and objects below horizon
  • Display of right ascension/declination grid
  • Tracking by fixing objects in the center of the screen
  • Adjustable simulation of moonlight and light pollution effects
  • Simulation for every second between 1 Jan 1900 to 31 Dec 2099
    • Date/time control by touch and finger slide
  • World time zones, daylight saving time
  • Manual input of latitude, longitude, altitude, or GPS acquisition (Note 4)
  • Night vision mode to protect the dark-adapted eye

Note 4: GPS function with iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S only.

Controls

  • Simple, easy-to-use interface
  • Portrait and landscape display modes supported
  • Pinch to zoom in and out within 3 and 180 degree FOV
  • Drag to move freely through the sky, double-tap to center
  • Animation
    • Real-time replay
    • Selection of animation start time
    • Animation speed in 6 intervals
    • Reverse time replay
  • Object Search
  • Electronic compass (Note 5)
    • Point your phone at the sky to show the starry sky in actual view.
    • Arrow pointer-assisted navigation to sought objects.
  • Bookmarking and saving of scenarios
    • Save and load favorite screen scenarios as bookmarks.
    • Copy favorite scenarios as URL (share the copied URL as a web page or via email with other iStellar users).

Note 5: Electronic compass function with iPhone 3GS/4/4S only.