Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register
Astronomical Photography Forum
What is the best Star Map for a Phone???
Jul 31, 2015 19:38:16   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
I'm looking to install a Star Map App for my LG Phone.
Any ideas would be appreciated. I want to see Star names, Constellations, Deep Sky Objs and Planets.
Thank you.
Craig

Reply
Jul 31, 2015 19:51:13   #
Oknoder Loc: Western North Dakota
 
Hey Craig,

I use sky portal by Celestron designed for Wi-Fi control of the scope but the app is also pretty good as just a simple stand alone planetarium app too. Not as detailed as PC programs like thesky or starry night but not too shabby as far as phone apps are concerned.

I am assuming your phone uses Android not windows.
Matthew

Reply
Jul 31, 2015 20:01:58   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
Oknoder wrote:
Hey Craig,

I use sky portal by Celestron designed for Wi-Fi control of the scope but the app is also pretty good as just a simple stand alone planetarium app too. Not as detailed as PC programs like thesky or starry night but not too shabby as far as phone apps are concerned.

I am assuming your phone uses Android not windows.
Matthew

Thank you very much Matthew android is correct.
And I am just interested in the planetarium part of the app.
I'll be using my computer for guidance.
Craig

Reply
 
 
Jul 31, 2015 21:16:33   #
JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA
 
CraigFair wrote:
I'm looking to install a Star Map App for my LG Phone.
Any ideas would be appreciated. I want to see Star names, Constellations, Deep Sky Objs and Planets.
Thank you.
Craig


I use several (Android). I have SkySafari 4 Pro. It is produced by the same people that produce SkyPortal and has more objects in its database. I have SkyPortal too.

I have Distant Suns and Mobile Observatory (both free apps). And of course Google Sky map. Mobile Observatory has a lot of features and is really good. Distant Suns is not as good.

In Mobile Observatory, there is a sky view. I like it when I what to make sure I can identify the bright stars. It is a less busy view and shows the constellations and star names. And the more you expand, the more star names that show up.

Later, I close that one and go to SkySafari or SkyPortal since they can show the DSO's.

And I use a tablet for this. The cell phone screen is just too small.

Now the problem I run into is that with my progressive lens glasses, when I hold the tablet up at arms length, it is out of focus since I am using the top portion of my glasses. The stars are in focus, but not the screen. If I take my glasses off, the screen is in focus, but I can not longer see the stars in focus. Bugs me.

And speaking of focus, if I look through the telescope eyepiece (without glasses), the astigmatism is bad enough that the stars are never quite nice points. With glasses, the progressive lens makes the star change as I move my eye around a bit. But when I look at them on the LCD of my Sony camera, they are perfect points, and all I need to do is to carefully focus them to the smallest size. And it doesn't take much adjustment to go past that perfect spot.

I also have dedicated reading glasses and dedicated distance glasses, but each of those posses a problem using the scope at night. Oh how I remember the what the sight through a telescope looked like when I was young! Started with a 3" reflector when I was around 12, and later to an Edmund Scientific 4.25" reflector a few years later.

Reply
Jul 31, 2015 21:31:41   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
JimH123 wrote:
I use several (Android). I have SkySafari 4 Pro. It is produced by the same people that produce SkyPortal and has more objects in its database. I have SkyPortal too.

I have Distant Suns and Mobile Observatory (both free apps). And of course Google Sky map. Mobile Observatory has a lot of features and is really good. Distant Suns is not as good.

In Mobile Observatory, there is a sky view. I like it when I what to make sure I can identify the bright stars. It is a less busy view and shows the constellations and star names. And the more you expand, the more star names that show up.

Later, I close that one and go to SkySafari or SkyPortal since they can show the DSO's.

And I use a tablet for this. The cell phone screen is just too small.

Now the problem I run into is that with my progressive lens glasses, when I hold the tablet up at arms length, it is out of focus since I am using the top portion of my glasses. The stars are in focus, but not the screen. If I take my glasses off, the screen is in focus, but I can not longer see the stars in focus. Bugs me.

And speaking of focus, if I look through the telescope eyepiece (without glasses), the astigmatism is bad enough that the stars are never quite nice points. With glasses, the progressive lens makes the star change as I move my eye around a bit. But when I look at them on the LCD of my Sony camera, they are perfect points, and all I need to do is to carefully focus them to the smallest size. And it doesn't take much adjustment to go past that perfect spot.

I also have dedicated reading glasses and dedicated distance glasses, but each of those posses a problem using the scope at night. Oh how I remember the what the sight through a telescope looked like when I was young! Started with a 3" reflector when I was around 12, and later to an Edmund Scientific 4.25" reflector a few years later.
I use several (Android). I have SkySafari 4 Pro. ... (show quote)

Thank you very much Jim H I have had several suggestions for Sky Portal so I downloaded and am playing with it now.
The feature I would really like is to point the phone at a portion of the sky and it shows on the screen???
Is that Google Sky Map???
My Bad I just found the Compass feature and it gives me the local area I'm pointing at.
Craig

Reply
Jul 31, 2015 22:20:48   #
JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA
 
CraigFair wrote:
Thank you very much Jim H I have had several suggestions for Sky Portal so I downloaded and am playing with it now.
The feature I would really like is to point the phone at a portion of the sky and it shows on the screen???
Is that Google Sky Map???
My Bad I just found the Compass feature and it gives me the local area I'm pointing at.
Craig


Google Skymap does this, but it is not that accurate, and I find it frustrating to use. I can pick out something that there is no question what it is, and find that it can be off by 30 or 40 degrees.

I really do find Mobile Observatory to be the best to identify the stars and once I know whats what, then go to SkySafari. But it show so much stuff, that it is not so good for doing a sky overview of what is up there.

Reply
Jul 31, 2015 22:44:50   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
I'm Android here. I have a full page of Astronomy App's (16) I can use.
GPS Coordinates - gets me those pesky Longitude and Latitude numbers for eggzackary where I am.

Clear Sky Droid Wonder what the sky will be like? It is pretty accurate.

Stellarium Mobile Has a bagillian stars in it. And stuff too numerous to list. And Night Vison, turns the screen red.

Sky Guide More to play with. Searchable. Fun.

Polar Alignment What cleared up a LOT of fog about use of the AVX Polar scope for me. Two nights ago I got HOURS of accurate tracking on the ring nebula. Halleluiah!

Star Walk 2 Sometimes you like something enough to buy it. :oops: Although I prefer free.

Compass Compass that has a telescope mode. Because sometimes you just want to know which way is North damn it? Good Polar Alignment starts with a good aim. And this one gives you a flat compass, but the caveat is the telescope mode that lets you see through your phones camera so you can pick an aimpoint out there before the stars come out.

Messier Pro Basically a black and white picture catalog of objects to program into your deep sky section of your mount under Messier. It got me on target with quite a few. When I find one, or the mount does actually, I add it to the favorites and it's mine forever. Currently I have 7 I've found from my very own back yard in my favorites.

Reply
 
 
Jul 31, 2015 23:41:39   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
SonnyE wrote:
I'm Android here. I have a full page of Astronomy App's (16) I can use.
GPS Coordinates - gets me those pesky Longitude and Latitude numbers for eggzackary where I am.

Clear Sky Droid Wonder what the sky will be like? It is pretty accurate.

Stellarium Mobile Has a bagillian stars in it. And stuff too numerous to list. And Night Vison, turns the screen red.

Sky Guide More to play with. Searchable. Fun.

Polar Alignment What cleared up a LOT of fog about use of the AVX Polar scope for me. Two nights ago I got HOURS of accurate tracking on the ring nebula. Halleluiah!

Star Walk 2 Sometimes you like something enough to buy it. :oops: Although I prefer free.

Compass Compass that has a telescope mode. Because sometimes you just want to know which way is North damn it? Good Polar Alignment starts with a good aim. And this one gives you a flat compass, but the caveat is the telescope mode that lets you see through your phones camera so you can pick an aimpoint out there before the stars come out.

Messier Pro Basically a black and white picture catalog of objects to program into your deep sky section of your mount under Messier. It got me on target with quite a few. When I find one, or the mount does actually, I add it to the favorites and it's mine forever. Currently I have 7 I've found from my very own back yard in my favorites.
I'm Android here. I have a full page of Astronomy ... (show quote)


Sounds like we're going to have plenty to do before the stars start shooting.
Craig

Reply
Jul 31, 2015 23:54:10   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
The damn thread timed out before I got done editing. :evil: :evil: :evil:

I'm on my way out back to play with the new eyepiece... :-D

Reply
Aug 1, 2015 08:39:46   #
Bloke Loc: Waynesboro, Pennsylvania
 
CraigFair wrote:
Thank you very much Jim H I have had several suggestions for Sky Portal so I downloaded and am playing with it now.
The feature I would really like is to point the phone at a portion of the sky and it shows on the screen???
Is that Google Sky Map???
My Bad I just found the Compass feature and it gives me the local area I'm pointing at.
Craig


I have Google sky map, and it lies to me... I point it up to identify something, and it shows me what is somewhere over my left shoulder... It is literally more than 90 degrees 'off' where I point it! I have no idea why it does this, or how to correct it...

Reply
Aug 1, 2015 12:19:27   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
I have to make sure my compass/GPS is settled or I will get false readings.
While miles ahead of a magnetic needle compass, there are still bugs.

One program has a screen that calls for moving my phone in a figure of 8 to settle the compass and then clicking OK.

With the Celestron program SkyPortal, with the companion dongle in the AVX mounts AUX port, it allows you to double tap the phone's screen and the mount will slew to that star or object.
I haven't gotten quite that far yet with mine.
Something more to keep me awake at the desert... :roll: :lol:

Reply
 
 
Aug 1, 2015 22:40:10   #
GTinSoCal Loc: Palmdale, CA
 
CraigFair wrote:
Sounds like we're going to have plenty to do before the stars start shooting.
Craig


:thumbup: :thumbup:

GT

Reply
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Astronomical Photography Forum
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.