ski safari pro 6 vs 7

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SkySafari Pro 7 vs 6

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Post by Bigzmey » Sun Jul 10, 2022 6:49 pm

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Re: SkySafari Pro 7 vs 6

Post by Juno16 » Sun Jul 10, 2022 7:10 pm

Post by Bigzmey » Sun Jul 10, 2022 7:28 pm

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Post by AstroBee » Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:56 pm

Post by Juno16 » Sun Jul 10, 2022 9:07 pm

AstroBee wrote: ↑ Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:56 pm I just last week upgraded from 6 to 7 and can say it's a nice improvement. In 6, I believe the PGC and GAIA databases were add-ons you had to pay for. They are included with SS7Pro. You still have to download them separately though. In case you don't have the storage capacity for them. GAIA database is pretty big. There's one thing I still find kind of annoying and that is the scope rotation angle. I use SS7 to determine framing and I have a rotator so I sometimes like to adjust the FOV rotation. The only way I know how to do it is to click on the observe button / scope display button / select the scope I want to rotate / click on the Field Rotation Angle option / then make the adjustments. It would be great if they could make a button you could add to the toolbar that would take you directly to the Field Rotation Angle option. There are so many buttons I turn off already. I don't use the "Tonight", "Calendar", "Compass", "LiveSky" buttons and several others, so there's plenty of room on my toolbar for a "FOV Rotation" button.

Post by JayTee » Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:48 am

Post by Juno16 » Mon Jul 11, 2022 1:23 pm

JayTee wrote: ↑ Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:48 am Currently I'm an. SS6 Pro user. I saw the ad for 50% off today and was on the fence until I read this thread. I guess I can afford one less case of beer to get SS7 pro.

Post by KingNothing13 » Mon Jul 11, 2022 2:48 pm

Post by Bigzmey » Mon Jul 11, 2022 5:23 pm

Post by JayTee » Mon Jul 11, 2022 7:53 pm

Post by KingNothing13 » Mon Jul 11, 2022 7:56 pm

JayTee wrote: ↑ Mon Jul 11, 2022 7:53 pm Screenshot_20220711-124510_SkySafari 7 Pro.jpg Translated that means 1.8 terabytes of data. I'm still downloading it.

Post by AstroBee » Mon Jul 11, 2022 8:06 pm

Post by JayTee » Mon Jul 11, 2022 8:07 pm

KingNothing13 wrote: ↑ Mon Jul 11, 2022 7:56 pm JayTee wrote: ↑ Mon Jul 11, 2022 7:53 pm Screenshot_20220711-124510_SkySafari 7 Pro.jpg Translated that means 1.8 terabytes of data. I'm still downloading it.

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• published March 2, 2022

@space_samuel

A Review of SkySafari 7 Pro

Or, be an armchair astronomer

If you can’t make it to Wairarapa or New Zealand,  learn astronomy online with us and SLOOH. 

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Learn from  award-winning photographer Alex Conu

The power of mobile devices means that you can carry around a portable planetarium in your pocket and though it’s not quite the same as a dome, it can give you an immersive experience that helps you find your way around the night sky . In this review of SkySafari 7 Pro we look at what we think is the best mobile app for stargazing . Our starting point for reviewing this app is that we know quite a bit about the night sky already, we can find our way around and find about 100 objects without needing to use a map.

Starting the App

The app opens to a view of the sky at the current time, if it happens to be day time then you get a a view of the sky as if there was no atmosphere. For those who are familiar with previous versions of Sky Safari they will see that version 7 has quite a few different updates to the app and the way that users drive it. One of the first things to do is to set up you location in the settings menu and location tab. You can use your current location (if you have enabled location services for the app) or you can manually set the location you want, either from a list or from a map. If you travel around a bit there’s the option of entering a number of your favourite sites so it’s easy to change them.

The next thing you’ll want to set up is how the sky looks and what extra features you want displayed. There’s pretty everything from constellations, grids, satellites, planets, asteroids etc and they’re all accessed in the setting menu. This new version has really tidied up the screen, which is fantastic. By tapping the time at the top left of the screen you open the menu for time control. There’s a lot of fun with this setting as it’s great to look at the night sky back in history or a few years into the future. Unfortunately it won’t show the proper motion of stars so you can’t go back in time 100,000 years to see what Orion looked like – but you have to keep your expectations realistic.

The Range of Versions

Simulation Curriculum Corp is the developer of the app and they offer three choices for their app. The basic model is simply called SkySafari and will set you back $3.49. The features are basic ones but still very powerful and suitable for what most people would use. You can use it to point directly at the sky by tapping the icon in the upper right of the screen, which puts it in compass mode – as long as you phone is accurate where it points, which mine is not. But if it is, it can help you navigate your way around the sky easily.

The next version up is SkySafari Plus, which sells for $16.99 at the moment. This adds some extra features for connecting to telescopes and connecting to other night sky observers. For the serious amateur astronomer, the next is SkySafari Pro, which will set you you back $89.99. The only difference between that and the plus version is that you get the Gaia star database, the PGC galaxy database and pretty more of everything, more stars, more asteroids, more comets etc etc etc. The extra price of the pro version is not worth it unless you’re a real enthusiast or you have big telescope that can see all of the extra objects. The pro version is a very powerful app for stargazing. It also has a high resolution Moon map which is fantastic you’re into imaging and take close ups of the Moon (from Earth obviously).

Another cool feature of the update in this review of SkySafari 7 Pro is that if you hold your fingers on a star – or object, another menu pops up. One of the icons is a rocket ship and pressing that will fly to app to where the object is. So you can fly to Suhail al Muhlif to see what the sky would look like from there. This is a very cool feature and a great way to explore the solar system and the galaxy.

On the basic version there are descriptions for around 600 objects and these descriptions are very good, with a nice image and detail about the object. By swiping to the left or right you can see further information such as rising and setting times, distance, angular size etc. Their descriptions are great and up to date.

One of the cool features of the app is that you can plan your observing session by building observing lists and recording what you saw. They have a live sky feature where you can share your observations on OneSky. This is an awesome feature where you can see what other people are looking at in real time. It’s great for ideas on what to look at and it’s possible to export what people are looking into your own observing list. Other features include a night mode that makes the display red, this is to preserve your night vision, though it gets ruined if notifications pop up from other apps or your lock screen comes on – if you keep SkySafari the focus it’s all good.

One more feature to glow about in our review of SkySafari 7 Pro is the second button from the left on the main screen called “tonight”. This tells you where the planets are, rising and setting times, details of the Moon and any deep sky objects that are in favourable viewing positions. This is a great feature for an observing session and a good way to learn more objects rather than just sticking to your favourites.

I could go on and on about this app as it’s that good, the best thing to do is give it a go yourself – well worth the $3.49! As a disclaimer we have no commercial arrangement with Simulation Curriculum Corp other than we purchased this app and use it heaps.

Join us in Wairarapa for stargazing

Sirius A And Its Companion White Dwarf

This post explores the star Sirius A and its companion white dwarf, Sirius B. Discovered in 1862, Sirius B is a dense remnant of a larger star. The post discusses mass transfer between the two stars and explains the formation of white dwarfs. Sirius B’s density, surface temperature, and estimated age of 150 million years are also highlighted.

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SkySafari Astronomy App Review

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SkySafari is a planetarium app with several advanced features , like the ability to control your telescope.

While it is not the most affordable app for the night sky, it is a great tool for the enthusiast astrophotographer and visual observer.

What Is SkySafari?

In this review, I will focus on SkySafari 6 Plus , as it is available for both Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as Mac OS X computers.

SkySafari is a complete planetarium software you can use to explore the cosmos, plan a photographic or observation session, control your telescope, and much more.

The interface is clean and easy to use , particularly on iPad and other large-screen devices: let’s have a look.

If you haven’t used SkySafari 6 Plus before, here’s a quick list of things you can do with it:

• Hold your device up to find stars , constellations, planets, and more
• Choose between different landscapes
• Work in Alt/Az or Equatorial coordinates
• Simulate the night sky up to 10,000 years in the past or future . Animate meteor showers, conjunctions, eclipses, and other celestial events
• Learn the history, mythology, and science of astronomy . Browse over 1500 object descriptions and astronomical images. Explore NASA space missions . Stay up-to-date with SkyWeek for all major sky events every day
• Simulate the field of view and orientation (equatorial or alt-az) for your different setups
• Control your telescope , log and plan your observations
• Night Vision . Preserve your eyesight after dark
• Orbit Mode . Leave the Earth’s surface behind, and fly through our solar system
• Time Flow . Follow the motion of sky objects as days, months, and years are compressed into a few seconds
• Advanced Search . Find objects using properties other than their name;
• Support for Apple Watch
• Tonight at a Glance : the Sun, Moon, Planets, ISS, and Iridium flares in one handy view
• Notifications when the ISS will pass overhead, when Iridium satellites flare, and more

What Are The Main Features Of SkySafari?

The following are some of the main features of SkySafari 6 Plus:

• SkySafari 6 Plus will (optionally) back up all of your observing data in secure cloud storage and make it easily accessible to multiple devices as well as from our new web interface, LiveSky.com.
• Updated star catalog to use the latest and greatest UCAC5 star catalog.
• Quick access to features like your equipment, observing sites, lists, and observations make it easy and enjoyable to get out, observe, and record your observations.
• A completely new graph tool offering a quick visual representation of an object’s altitude above the horizon. Essential for planning your night’s observations.
• An updated planner tool that lets you create a list of targets for your observing session with filters like object types, specific time ranges, constellations, catalog, and more. 
• SkySafari 6 adds basic voice control for a wide range of operations. Say “select Jupiter,” “search for Titan,” “center on Polaris” and SkySafari will do the work for you. Yelling is optional…
• Every astronomy app these days lets you tilt and pan your device to show different parts of the sky, SkySafari offers you the ability to control your telescope that way. “Tilt to slew” is an optional mode allowing you to keep your eye in the eyepiece, and using the accelerometers in your device, gently translate the movements of your hands into smooth telescope motion.
• SkySafari 6 helps you organize and share your observing experiences . With a free signup, you can see and share your observing data from our web portal, LiveSky.com . 

How Do I Use SkySafari To Find A Target And Explore The Night Sky?

Whether you like to observe the night sky or do astrophotography, you need to know what targets are visible, in which direction, and at which altitude (the higher in the sky, the better).

There are different ways to explore what you can observe or photograph tonight: 

• Tap on the Time icon to go forward in time and have a look around. When you see something interesting, tap on it and then tap on the Select icon to display info about the target and more.
• Activate the compass and point the phone/tablet camera at the sky to see on screen what is in the area of the sky you are aiming at.
• Tap on the Tonight icon to bring on screen the list of planets, the Sun, the Moon, and artificial satellites.
• Tap on the Search icon and choose Tonight’s Best to have a list of visible targets. You can order the list according to many properties: Name, Catalog Number, Visual Magnitude, etc. 

Changing the Time and Date is fairly straightforward : first, tap on the Time icon to bring up the adjustment menu. 

Then, tap on the object you want to change: the Month, the Day, the Year, the Hour, the Minute, or the Second. You can then increase or decrease the selected object by the specified amount or fast forward/rewind.

The Now button will automatically bring you to today’s current time.

When looking for a target, I like to browse the list of Tonight’s Bests ordered by targets’ altitude so that I can focus on what is high in the sky, away from light pollution and geographic features that could limit their view.

Once you find a target you are interested in, tap on it and with the Select icon you can center it on screen, display related information, and more.

If you want to know more about a target, you can start a very informative Audio Tour (make sure your device is not in silent mode), center the target in the sky on the screen, go in orbit around it (this works best with stars, moons, and planets), use it to create a new observation or add it to the observing list.

With the in-app purchase Galaxy View , you can see the position of the target in relation to our Sun.

You can also look for notable events in the current month by tapping on the Calendar Icon .

What Are SkySafari Pros and Cons?

SkySafari is a great program with a lot to offer:

• A vast catalog of stars, deep sky objects, comets, and satellites
• For each target, a lot of info can be displayed, both technical and “educational,” with an audio tour and the possibility to see the cosmos from orbiting the target
• The Audio Tour function is extremely informative
• Sessions can be created and organized and shared via free LiveSky network and among people using SkySafari
• Create your equipment list and combine the different items to see the resulting field of view
• Control your telescope via wi-fi and it can integrate with the ZWO ASIAIR computer unit
• Planets and deep-sky objects are shown with great detail and quality
• A very complete Help you can access at any moment
• If you have an M1 Apple computer, you can 

There is very little I don’t like in SkySafari:

• Not having a basic version that is free for iPhone and iPad users, as offered for Android devices
• Price is somehow steep for an app, particularly the Pro version.
• Nebulae are not always clearly identified as emission or reflection nebulae. A workaround is creating a custom list of, say, the emission nebulae most suitable for your observation and astrophotography.

Is SkySafari Free?

As you may have figured out already, for the most part, SkySafari is not free. Almost all the versions are commercial.

Is SkySafari Available For Desktop And Laptop Computers?

When it comes to classic desktop and laptop computers, SkySafari 6 is only available for Mac OS X.

You can choose one of three versions available on the Mac App Store: SkySafari 6 ($9.99), SkySafari 6 Plus ($29.99), and SkySafari 6 Pro ($59.99).

While the basic SkySafari 6 is basically a classic planetarium to explore the night sky and get info about celestial objects, the more advanced Plus and Pro versions also offer, among the rest, the possibility of controlling a telescope and larger star catalogs.

If you have an iPad and an Apple computer with an M1 chip, you can install and run the mobile version on your computer.

Is SkySafari Available For Android? 

Yes, SkySafari is available for Android devices in the classic three versions: normal, Plus, and Pro.

As for Stellarium, another planetarium software, the basic version of SkySafari is free.

Is SkySafari Available For iPhone And iPad?

All three versions of SkySafari 6 are available for iPhone and iPad, but they are all commercial. No free app for us, nor the basic version, now called SkySafari 6 AR 🙁

On the other hand, at the time of this article, iOS-based devices can benefit from the new SkySafari 7 Plus and SkySafari 7 Pro.

SkySafari 7 Plus comes with a redesigned and more modern user interface with respect to SkySafari 6 Plus.

New interface aside, SkySafari 7 Plus comes with the in-app purchases for SkySafari 6 Plus already available. 

The first add-on is an Interactive H-R diagram , showing the star type distribution for the portion of the sky you are visualizing.

The second one is the Galaxy View , which shows you the position of a target with respect to our position in the Milky Way.

Is SkySafari Right For You And What Are SkySafari Best Alternatives?

I honestly can’t see a way for SkySafari not being the right application for you, except for cost.

If you are a casual observer, there are cheaper options out there, particularly for iOS, like Sky Guide .

Stellarium is another great app we have recently reviewed, but like SkySafari, the free version is only available for Android.

Telescopius is another web application that allows you to explore the best targets for your location and to simulate the field of view of your setup. But you cannot control your telescope with it.

If you are a night sky enthusiast,  you can’t go wrong with SkySafari Plus/Pro. 

Conclusions

Despite the somewhat steep price tag, SkySafari 6 Plus/Pro are powerful planetarium apps offering plenty of advanced tools to enjoy, learn, observe and photograph the night sky.

And they offer you all of this at the tip of your finger, thanks to being available for both iOS and Android-based mobile devices.

And if you have an iPhone or iPad, I would suggest you jump straight to the new and improved version: SKySafari 7 Plus/Pro.

About Andrea Minoia

Andrea Minoia works as a researcher in a Belgian university by day and is a keen amateur astrophotographer by night. He is most interested in deep sky photography with low budget equipment and in helping beginners along their journey under the stars.

The Ultimate Astro App for Android & iOS!

StarSense Explorer technology now in SkySafari 7 Pro on Android & iOS!   Tap for step-by-step activation instructions.

Why SkySafari 7 Pro?

- Massive database w/ 100 million+ stars 

- 3 million galaxies  to 18th magnitude

 - 750k solar system objects 

- Dynamic observing lists

- Simulate 5MM years past or future

- State of the art mobile scope control

- INDI & ASCOM Alpaca protocols

- AR & Voice Control (iOS)

- AstroBin.com Integration (V1.0)

- Powerful event finder & custom alerts

- Social stargazing modes

- StarSense Explorer Technology

- Featured Event Content

- Version 7 Comparison Chart

SkySafari PRO

$50 $24.99 USD

$60 $17.99 USD

SkySafari PLUS

$20 $14.99 USD

$30 $9.99 USD

SkySafari Basic

$5 -->   $4.99 USD

$10   $4.99 USD

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"Same Day! An Occultation and an Eclipse" & "The Iris Nebula" recently published in Featured Stories for SkySafari Premium.

Sign up for a free trial in any V7 app today to sample content and features...tap the "Tonight" button.

"The new events section & observation planner tools along with the search & filter functions provide an amazing level of control, while the innovative social stargazing features provide a new level of community to our hobby. SkySafari 7 is a huge upgrade!"

Dave Farina

CosmosSafari.com

Every single night our operators, in a matter of seconds, can use SkySafari Pro to look up answers to obscure questions posed by visitors about the object being viewed, share the iPad’s screen view, pull up professional images of the targets and show the object’s location in the Milky Way using the galactic view. Visitors love the technology...

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SkySafari Pro 7

By IB20 November 5, 2021 in Discussions - Software

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This is newly released and currently on 50% sale for £21.99 on the iOS App Store.

Having only had SkySafari Plus 6 previously I thought I’d go for it. Already liking it more than the previous version, a cleaner user interface and more intuitive from my playing around with it so far. Moving to pro also means I now have the GAIA catalogue too.

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To put it in monetary context I purchased a round of two drinks yesterday for £13.50. I’ve spent the last hour messing around on SkySafari so pretty much already have my monies worth!

I live in the Midlands but yes, accidentally travelled down South. 😅

That’ll teach you for missing your stop on the train and ending up in “The South”

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Seems pricey, and that’s at half price.  🤨

Oh yeah it is pricey for an app but it’s probably my most used Astro item and well worth it IMO. Not sure if they plan to release standard and Plus versions like the last SkySafari, which were much more reasonably priced. 

I got an alert this morning about this 50% upgrade offer.

It does seems pricey. I’ve not investigated what I get extra from the money.

3 minutes ago, JeremyS said: I got an alert this morning about this 50% upgrade offer. It does seems pricey. I’ve not investigated what I get extra from the money.

Unsure whether I’d have “upgraded” from Pro 6 to Pro 7 but happy enough with moving from Plus to Pro, if purely just for those Mag 18.5 galaxies. 😅

Think I will be upgrading. Used SkySafari for a few years on Mac and IPhone and I love it. People say it’s pricey for an app but it’s not just an app, it’s software worthy of more than the “app” label, there are plenty of planetarium “apps” SkySafari does a load more so I think that the current price is a bit of a bargain 

6 minutes ago, IB20 said: I purchased a round of two drinks yesterday for £13.50

What!  😲   You must live down south  😂

Just now, callisto said: What!  😲   You must live down south  😂

9 minutes ago, IB20 said: I live in the Midlands but yes, accidentally travelled down South. 😅

I'm an android fanboi and 7 Pro hasn't filtered down yet so far as I know. But if/when it does I'll be all over it.

It's the only mobile planetarium I use and rate it very highly. 

I was going to ask about this yesterday when i got the alert- so is it just the upgrade that’s 50% off or is it also if you buy it outright? They had regular 1/2 price sales on version 6. If i didn’t have 6pro already i’d definitely go for it but it seems a bit pricey for a redesigned front end so not sure i’ll bother. It is a bargain really though i think if you’re serious about this hobby- use mine all the time 👍  And yea to put it into perspective i just had to buy a new (old) car having spent £12.50 a day for half a week for the pleasure of driving a few miles to work…(ulez)

FenlandPaul

I’m still on 4+ so maybe it’s time to take the plunge!! 🤣

15 hours ago, markse68 said: I was going to ask about this yesterday when i got the alert- so is it just the upgrade that’s 50% off or is it also if you buy it outright? Mark

I checked via the offer notification on the app and just through the App Store directly and it was the same price of £21.99. 

I've got Pro 6 on my android. Is there a list of new features in Pro 7 compared to 6? I'd like to go through that first before I decide if the upgrade is worth it when version 7 becomes available in Google Play.

27 minutes ago, KP82 said: I've got Pro 6 on my android. Is there a list of new features in Pro 7 compared to 6? I'd like to go through that first before I decide if the upgrade is worth it when version 7 becomes available in Google Play.

https://skysafariastronomy.com

If you want to compare detailed features, you can see the different editions for version 6 here and those for version 7 here .

I can't find a delta for the detailed differences between 6 and 7.

Apologies, I didn't read it properly. Those two links are just the changes - from V5 to V6, and from V6 to V7 - respectively.

So this is the one that answers the question "what are the details of the new features in V7, for each edition of the app?"

Just downloaded this having had 6 Pro and I do like it. Seems like an improvement over 6 in terms of useability. I use LiveSky occasionally and was able to import my kit list into 7 just by logging in. There a cool feature where you can link remotely to someone else who has 7 and guide them to targets, and also one sky which seems to show what other people are looking at. Might be fun/useful maybe.

It seems more responsive than 6 too, and I like the fine rendition to the stars which is much better.

3 hours ago, FenlandPaul said: I’m still on 4+ so maybe it’s time to take the plunge!! 🤣

7 minutes ago, Saganite said: I 've had the Nexus DSC for a year plus now and still cogitating about Skysafari of any version.  I should take the plunge really.....or cogitate a bit longer perhaps....

Have you used the Nexus DSC much?

I have used it a few times, but I really like the idea of controlling it from a smartphone.  The problem is my middle name is Ludd.

28 minutes ago, Saganite said: I 've had the Nexus DSC for a year plus now and still cogitating about Skysafari of any version.  I should take the plunge really.....or cogitate a bit longer perhaps....

Do it Steve! It will change your life 🤣 🤣

Seriously I find push to with SkySafari to be a great way of finding new targets, great for finding doubles in the area you are observing in too.

Captain Scarlet

How annoying. I just opened SkySafari 6 on my phone, and sure enough up came a banner saying “upgrade now to 7 for half price”. Navigating my finger to the “buy” button I accidentally touched the screen elsewhere and flicked the banner away! Now I can’t get it back grrr

1 hour ago, Saganite said: I 've had the Nexus DSC for a year plus now and still cogitating about Skysafari of any version.  I should take the plunge really.....or cogitate a bit longer perhaps....

The “problem” with the nexus dsc I find is that it’s so good in native mode, I feel less urge to use it in a different way. I must force myself to smartphone it…

1 minute ago, Captain Magenta said: How annoying. I just opened SkySafari 6 on my phone, and sure enough up came a banner saying “upgrade now to 7 for half price”. Navigating my finger to the “buy” button I accidentally touched the screen elsewhere and flicked the banner away! Now I can’t get it back grrr

Just go to the App Store and it is available there at the same price. Not cheap but I’ve downloaded it and like it. Took a bit of setting up to my taste but all good now

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SkySafari 7 Pro 4+

Astronomy guide to night sky, simulation curriculum corp., designed for ipad.

• #13 in Reference
• 4.7 • 3.8K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

SkySafari makes stargazing a simple pleasure. It has the largest database of any astronomy app, includes every solar system object ever discovered, offers unparalleled accuracy, advanced planning and logging tools, flawless telescope control, and provides the very best experience under the stars when you depend on it. Don’t postpone joy. Discover why SkySafari is the #1 recommended astronomy app for serious amateur astronomers since 2009. Here's what’s new in version 7: + Complete support for iOS 16 and iPhone 14. Version 7 brings a new and immersive stargazing experience. + Events Finder - go to the new Events section to unlock a powerful search engine that finds astronomical events visible tonight and far into the future. The finder dynamically generates a listing of moon phases, eclipses, planetary moon events, meteor showers and planetary phenomenon such as conjunctions, elongations and oppositions. + Notifications - the notifications section has been completely revamped to allow you to customize and manage which events trigger an alert notification on your device. + Telescope Support - telescope control is at the heart of SkySafari. Version 7 takes a giant leap forward by supporting ASCOM Alpaca and INDI. These next generation control protocols allow you to effortlessly connect to hundreds of compatible astronomical devices. Stargazing is often done on your own but looking up at the stars reminds us that we are all part of a larger interconnected universe. SkySafari 7 brings social stargazing to mobile devices with two new features to help you connect with other like minded people. OneSky - allows you to see what other users are observing, in real time. This feature highlights objects in the sky chart and indicates with a number how many users are observing a particular object. SkyCast - allows you to guide a friend or group around the night sky through their own copy of SkySafari. After initiating SkyCast, you can generate a link and conveniently share it with other SkySafari users via text message, apps or social media accounts. + Sky Tonight - jump to the new Tonight section to see what’s visible in your sky tonight. Expanded information has been designed to help plan your night and includes Moon & Sun info, calendar curations, events and the best positioned deep sky and solar system objects. + Improved Observation Tools - SkySafari is the perfect tool to help you plan, record and organize your observations. New workflows make it easier to add, search, filter and sort data. + Home Screen and Lock Screen Widgets keep your favorite astro information at your fingertips. The Small Touches: + You can now edit the Jupiter GRS Longitude Value in the Settings. + Better Moon Age calculation. + New grid & reference options allow you to display Solstice and Equinox markers, Orbit + Node markers for all solar system objects, and tick marks and labels for the Ecliptic, Meridian, and Equator reference lines. + Previous In-app Purchases are Now Free - this includes the H-R diagram, 3D Galaxy view, and the PGC galaxy and GAIA star catalogs. Enjoy. + Many more. If you haven't used SkySafari 7 Pro before, here's what you can do with it: + Hold your device up, and SkySafari 7 Pro will find stars, constellations, planets, and more! + Simulate the night sky up to 100,000 years in the past or future! Animate meteor showers, conjunctions, eclipses, and other celestial events. + Control your telescope, log and plan your observations. + Optionally backup all of your observing data in our secure cloud storage and make it easily accessible to multiple devices as well as from our new web interface, LiveSky.com. + Augmented Reality (AR) mode + Night Vision. + Orbit Mode. Leave the Earth’s surface behind, and fly through our solar system. + Galaxy View shows the position of deep sky objects in our Milky Way! https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://www.livesky.com/privacy.html

Version 7.3.6

Our latest update is packed with improvements to make your astronomy experience even better. + Zoom with Mouse Scroll Wheel: You can now zoom in and out using a mouse scroll wheel gesture on MacOS. + Fixed Sticky Slew Buttons: Resolved an issue where the Scope Control Buttons could get stuck in a "slewing" state, causing unintended movement. + Status Bar Popup Control Panel: The status bar popup control panel buttons no longer turn white when selected. + Orbit Mode Crash: Fixed a crash that occurred when Orbit mode was selected while SkyCast was active. + Night Vision Improvements: The Description section in the Info panel now respects Night Vision settings. Calendar on iPad now properly follows Night Vision mode. + 'Now' Button (iPad): A "Now" button is now available when creating or editing Date/Time Observations on iPad. + Additional bug fixes and improvements

Ratings and Reviews

3.8K Ratings

Still learning :-)

I’ve always had a fascination with the sky I am one of your blind subscribers so when I saw this app advertised I thought it would be fun to learn which stars and planets were actually showing because I really haven’t taken time till this chapter in my life to do that. So I was very happy to find the app and learn all of the information about the objects and their history. I really enjoy looking at the Compass I’m trying to see which stars and planets are showing and when they are rising. I’ve always been the one fascinated with the space documentaries and never really wanted to be an astronaut or a astronomer but I enjoyed learning about the sky. I was very happy when this app came along. I am still exploring the richness of the information and still figuring out how to use the app. But I am really enjoying it. Please keep making the information accessible. The only problem I really have is when it shows the pictures I’m not sure which ones are being shown but I can always imagine where they are. :-) And my compass somehow doesn’t always want to work the way I think it should. :-) I will keep enjoying the night sky. Thank you for this app it is a lot of fun and I’m sure it takes a lot of work and I appreciate that work. :-)

Developer Response ,

Thank you very much for the kind review! You keep us going :) Thank you thank you.

SkySafari 7 Pro

I have been using SkySafari 6 Pro for several years and I have found it to be an indispensable tool for planning astrophotography sessions and for controlling my GoTo telescope drive. When SkySafari 7 Pro was offered, I immediately installed it. I found the user interface to be enough different from version 6, that it took some time to change my procedures to use it. This problem apparently had something to do with the fact that I had not re-booted the iPad in a very long time because after I re-booted the iPad the crashes stopped. This problem is resolved > 1) Tapping the “Observations” item on my iPad installation causes an immediate crash. This problem resulted from the changed user interface - it is resolved > 2) In SkySafari 6 there are a number of Field of View Display Options available, including “Show Even if not Connected to Telescope”. This option is critical to planning an astrophotography session. SkySafari 7 does not have this option as well as the other necessary option: “Field Rotation Angle”. Lacking these options makes SkySafari 7 useless for those of us who are planning astrophotography sessions. Please include them in future updates. I think SkySafari 7 Pro has the potential to be as useful as version 6 when missing user interface issues (as described above) are resolved. Over all, this version 7 is looking like it will be even better than version 6.

Hi V.Tyree, thank you for your feedback. We'll look into issue 1 - we' haven't been able to replicate on the devices we have yet and it hasn't been reported by our beta tester group. It would be great if you could reach out to us here support.simcur.com. You might want to try Settings-Revert to Default Settings as well just in case. On 2), you still have the Scope Display options available, including “Show Even if not Connected to Telescope” and rotation. Tap the option icon (looks like two sliders) on the top right of the Scope Display panel, the button is to the left of the Done button. In a future update, we hope to add rotation handles to non-circular FOV indicators directly on the sky chart, to further make it easier for imagers.   It will take a couple of days to adjust to some of the panels. We updated the Help files to reflect the changes. Thanks again!

I am disappointed! After spending a few hours getting to know and configuring the app I still can’t see any images of any galaxies or clusters of stars. I have even downloaded the in-app purchase of the 3 million galaxies and 90 million stars. In my app configuration I have it shows objects and images within the deep sky but no images are showing up! All I see are circles and dotted circles. Every time I tap on them and then orbit to it, it shows nothing but blank. And I have also used the “show dss image “ option but it will only show a picture of distance stars and not the actual images that is supposed to be there! For instance, when I tap on a circle, the info button will say it’s a galaxy (Andromeda for instance) then orbit option, it then fly you to it, but it goes to a blank circle. What fun is that?! And when you used the “show DSS image” option, it will show you a picture of distance stars, not the galaxy! The whole app doesn’t show any galaxy images at all! The stars images will come up but I don’t even know if it’s the correct image or not. The concept is good but it needs the correct images to whatever you’re observing. Overall it’s a bland observation app! I’m saying when you use an observation app, want to observe the correct thing, right? Not nothing! I really hope it’s a bug in the app, either that I have wasted my money!

App Privacy

The developer, Simulation Curriculum Corp. , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• User Content
• Identifiers
• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

• SkySafari Premium Monthly $3.99
• SkySafari Premium $29.99
• PGC Galaxy Database $0.00
• GAIA Star Database $0.00
• Apollo Lunar Missions $0.00
• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

Family Sharing

Some in‑app purchases, including subscriptions, may be shareable with your family group when family sharing is enabled., more by this developer.

SkySafari 7 Plus

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Copyright © 2024 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Flash sale: SkySafari 7 astronomy app is up to 60% off on app stores

SkySafari 7 stargazing app is as low as $2.99, giving astronomers savings of over 50% on the 'Plus' and 'Pro' versions of the app which is available for iOS and Android.

SkySafari 7, an app that locates millions of planets, stars and constellations at the tap of your screen, is now up to 60% off on different app stores. 

The 60% discount means you can save up to $40 and browse a database of over 100 million stars, three million galaxies and 750 thousand solar system targets. This is the perfect app for anyone interested in the night sky and astronomy, but the sale ends March 4 2023 so you'll have to hurry. 

This deal is a good one, not just because the saving is big but because the app itself is one of the best on the market, in fact, the previous version ( SkySafari 6 which we reviewed ) features on our best stargazing apps guide. Using the database is cool for looking at the night sky but can also enhance your experience if you're already using one of the best telescopes or best binoculars out there. 

SkySafari 7 Pro stargazing app now 60% off .

The saving varies based on which app store you get it from and what version of the app you purchase. However, the 'Pro' is 60% off on the App Store and Google Play while it's over $40 off on the Mac App Store. The 'Plus' version is 50% off and the 'Basic' version is 40% off. 

Note: There's also a one-week free trial of SkySafari Premium. The deal ends on March 4.

There's no getting around the fact the 'Pro' version of the app is the most expensive, but it also comes with the biggest saving and it offers you the most. As mentioned, its database holds over 100 million stars and 750 thousand solar system targets - which is seriously impressive.

We gave the previous version, SkySafari 6 (Pro version), four out of five stars in our full review and we were impressed with the option to create a detailed observing list so that you can come back to your favorite objects time and again. For the uninitiated astronomers, there are helpful audio tours that give insight into popular stars, planets, constellations and more.

• SkySafari 7 Pro: iOS $19.99 / Android $19.99
• SkySafari 7 Plus: iOS $9.99 / Android $9.99
• SkySafari 7 Basic: iOS $2.99 / Android $2.99

SkySafari 7 also offers social stargazing, so you can see what others are looking at in real-time, event finder and notifications for shadow transit, solar eclipses, etc. It also has an improved interface, tilt-to-slew scope control and augmented reality voice control.

Sure, finding the best telescope deals or even the best binoculars deals is worth doing, but if you don't want any additional kit right now or you simply want to enhance your stargazing experience, then getting 60% off SkySafari 7 Pro is definitely worth considering.

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Those using the Mac App store can only take a discount offer on SkySafari 6 versions, prices are: SS6 Pro: $19.99 / SS6 Plus: $14.99 / SS6 Basic: $4.99

Follow Alexander Cox on Twitter  @Coxy_97Official . Follow us on Twitter  @Spacedotcom and on  Facebook .

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STAFF WRITER, E-commerce — Alex joined Space.com in June 2021 as staff writer covering space news, games, tech, toys and deals. Based in London, U.K. Graduating in June 2020, Alex studied Sports Journalism in the North East of England at Sunderland University. During his studies and since his graduation, Alex has been featured in local newspapers and online publications covering a range of sports from university rugby to Premier League soccer. In addition to a background in sports and journalism, Alex has a life-long love of Star Wars which started with watching the prequel trilogy and collecting toy lightsabers, he also grew up spending most Saturday evenings watching Doctor Who. 

Contact Alexander: E-Mail   Twitter

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• OldDogZeroOne Sounds great. Except when I follow the links to the Google app store it says, "this app is not available for your device". (A Samsung Galaxy 8) It says it for all three versions, basic, plus and pro. Guess I'll just keep using Stellarium Plus. F.J.Cernik Reply
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