I learned of this application for iPhone and iPod touch a week ago. The Pro version of the video was so convincingly, that within a week I bought an iPod touch and the Pro version
Starmap Pro combines the functions of a planetarium, with over 2.5 million stars and the entire NGC and IC catalogs, and Assistant to the observations. In my opinion, has almost nothing in less than desktop applications where the cost is higher than the total cost of software and iPod touch. But there is no small advantage: it's all in the palm of your hand. It's not just the fact that there are more leads on the field computer (with the battery-that frost could also ruin-, table, chairs), or the three volumes of Uranometria, or Sky Atlas, which is so wide open we do not know where to place it. Already these advantages alone are worth the purchase, but there are others.
Last night I tried it at home with a horrible sky. Here are my impressions.
object fits in the palm of your hand. It has the ability to define fields of view finder and different for each telescope eyepieces. Looking at the "thing" you see what you would see in the finder, and while this is the eyepiece of the finder (or telescope). Not to mention the possibility of having the Telrad circles overlap.
born a new way of doing starhopping. Traditionally starhopping you this: you look to the naked eye a path of stars that come close to the object and try to identify the point in the sky where is the object. You point there, perhaps with the help of the circles of the Telrad. It pounta that an empty space at a precise position relative to the stars around. Then you look in the finder and, if the object is not visible, try to put the crosshair in the right place with the help of the stars visible in the field. At this point, very often you have to leave the telescope back to the table where is the computer, save the stars around the object (which often have a completely different scale, orientation and intensity), back to the finder, try to recognize the field of stars and point. It is not unusual that needs to be done fro 2:00 to 3:00.
With the "thing" style changes. You look a star visible to naked eye and is close to the object point. You place that is a point where we see something. Then, with the thing in hand to the eyepiece, you look at the simulated star field around the star (see the first figure) and he is recognized immediately in the field of the finder. At this point you navigate with the finder of star in star, helped by the fact that the cross-roads and the fields are oriented right, follow the navigation in the "thing" and voila, that's got it right. The style is different because instead of making the path to the naked eye and point the direction of the object, you point a star becomes visible and the path to the seeker. The difference is enormous.
You can then take notes (as in figure below). Time and date are automatic. By the way, is also very easy to determine the limit mv (you try and you click the little star in the thing).
Here are my notes from last night (the hole between 00:45 and 01:39 is due to clouds): 06/07/2009 00:44
NGC 6210, 360X, elongated EW, nucleus with feathered edge, UHC 260X less. 06/07/2009 00:45 17.97 SQM
mv 4.3 (at 60 degrees altitude). 06/07/2009 01:39
mv 4.8 (zenith) 18.03 SQM. 06/07/2009 01:50 M92
resolved 86x 172x 260X, pinpoint stars at 172x.
Addendum 09/06/2009
There are two features that deserve to be remembered in especially:
1) Importing objects from SIMBAD database. Starmap has a function "web search". You insert the identifier of an object (eg PK 080-06.1) and the system accesses the database SIMBAD creating a new object (in this example Cygnus Egg) with related data and location. The object can then be found with the usual methods. In practice, you can build a customized list by selecting between 4 and a half million objects in the database. A convenient way to plan the observations is to take the identifiers at the table at home, or by starting from Uranometria Sky Atlas. Using the browser at home you can also see pictures of the object you will see (If you want you can do with Safari from the iPhone, as long as there is coverage).
2) The "path finder" draw a line of junction between the star most appropriate next to the object and the object itself. This line is visible even in simulation mode of the finder or telescope. In practice it's a kind of guide that provides direction to find the object starting from the star. It 's really useful, a TOM TOM sky. You place the star and follow the line to the object.
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