Well worth the money

I use a couple of astronomy apps because none seems to have the "perfect" combination of functions. I use Pocket Universe most, but it still lacks a few essentials that Ill list below.

Pocket Universe pros: "Visible" page; a quick and easy way to find out which solar system planets are visible, and the ability to see changes by fast-forwarding through time. Set observing location using

lat/long, gps, pick from list, pick from map. Lunar phase calendar. Moon map identifying about 30 lunar features. Jupiter/Saturn moons location diagram. Educational quizzes are great for learning and becoming more familiar with the night sky. Tonights sky; a quick overview of visible planets, ephemeris data for main stars, moon phase and special events. Portrait/landscape modes. Use current time, manually set time and fast-forward through time at different preset speeds. Contextual information on objects; doesnt bother with the advanced scientific mumbo-jumbo that I dont care about, just the useful stuff such as name, rise/set, alt/az, mag and brief description. Ability to set limiting magnitude for displayed objects. Turn guides on/off (ecliptic, grids, labels). Unobstrusive constellation lines. Night mode.

Pocket Universe cons: Status line displays only ra/dec; would like the ability to display alt/az instead (without having to use the cumbersome red sights). Biggest drawback: lots of stars displayed (9000+ based on selected limiting magnitude), but information limited to a handful of major stars (i.e. only 2 stars in Ursa Minor); need info on a larger selection, at least every star that makes up the constellation lines, even the free version of Distant Suns has more information. Would like to have the ability to select an object and have it remain centered while moving through time while the background moves; from what Ive found so far, only Star Walk does that. No way to turn off the target symbol; would prefer if double-tap was used for that instead of zooming increments.

Other comments: Not visually appealing like Star Walk and Starmap.

I give it 4 stars until it gets updated to display information on more stars.

astrowings about Pocket Universe - Astronomy