Starmap Pro App Reviews

After update, Starmap Pro is drawing vector triangles on my iPhone 4 display when moving across starfield. Please fix this update. Reinstall does not help. Update by developer: I StarmapFredd The white strip bug has been found. A correction will be posted today to the AppStore. 25 minutes ago StarmapFredd Switching off Abbel Galaxy clusters display let the white strips disappear from the screen. This is a temporary solution. about 8 hours ago 1/26/2011 Update: this new version is now fixed

My favorite iPhone Astro-app. Good value for budding Astronomers. If you’re NOT an (amature) astronomer, youll see this as an over-priced, simple display, complicated menu App-- so get a cheaper one like Distant Suns, GoSkyWatch, Starmap 3D or Starwalk and enjoy their limited uses. But, Starmap Pro is worth every penny. Why? 1. Equipment/optics section: Lists MY eyepieces, Barlows, focal reducers, telescopes, and finders; I can preview how they will work in the field, and how that specific set-up will work when viewing a conjuction, or practice a star-hopping session to find an elusive DSO. 2. Dynamic magnitude limits. When zoomed out, only brighter stars are displayed, but as you zoom in, fainter stars are displayed down to mag. 14. 3. Customizable colors and display features. It displays what I want to see and either dims or inhibits what I dont. This App does NOT leave me wanting more features like the 15+ other astro-apps I’ve bought or tried (SkyVoyager comes close, and Starwalk looks pretty – like a coffee table book). Room for improvement? Yes. 1. Eyepiece grouping. Groups should be identified for individual telescopes or observing sessions. 2. Eyepiece identification. Should be identified by fractional numbers instead of rounding to the nearest whole number (8.8mm vs 9mm), or by names (Nagler, Pentax, etc.). Still my favorite iPhone astronomy App; and one of the most used of 400+ Apps I have on my iPhone 4.

This app is everything I want as an amateur astronomer. My most expensive app, and worth every penny. Also - the author does a nice job with updates and enhancements.

Wish I had just gotten the free one, certainly not worth the amount of cash lost on this app.

By far the most in depth and amazing star app on the app store. Pricey but absolutely worth every penny!

Ive used this app in Africa, Europe, and the United States; taught high school science lessons with it and amazed everyone Ive shown it to. It works great and is regularly updated. Truly one of the best apps out there.

I paid how much for this app and now you want me to pay that outrageous price again for an iPad version when other developers provide the same functionality for far less? Umm no thanks.

I have many astronomy apps (both paid and free) and Starmap Pro is by far the best. It is well worth the purchase price and the developer has posted many improvements since I first purchased it. One of my favorite features is “tonight’s highlights” which lists the best clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and planets to observe based on whether you are viewing unaided eye, with binoculars or with a telescope. You can input a date (and alternate location if desired), and use “tonight’s highlights” to help plan a future viewing night. Another of my favorite features lets you input the specs for your optics – i.e. telescope, eyepieces and finderscope. I loaded the specs for my big binoculars as a “finderscope”. Select an object (star, galaxy, cluster, asteroid, planet, etc.,) and the app will show you what should be in the field of view for the optics you chose. Select the photos icon and images of nebulae, clusters etc. are displayed on the star map at the correct scale and orientation. The photos and the optics view are a great help in knowing you are looking at what you want to be looking at.The moon map feature added with version 2.3 is a great aid when observing the moon. The amount of detailed information in this app is fantastic. There are even detailed charts of double/triple/quadruple stars showing the relative positions of each member. I would rate this app more than 5 stars if allowed.

This astronomy app is scientifically precise, but lacks fancy animation or links to Wikipedia or another informative source. Many other much cheaper apps include both visually pleasing animation AND informative links about these night sky objects. I hope they update this app to have at least object info links so I know how hot a star burns or why the constellations have their shape and names. Wikipedia links that allow you to stay in the app while reading about them shouldnt be too hard to incorporate. Thanks for all the hard work so far on this app!

Very informative. Lil pricey but if I only get one expensive app this is high on the list. Lots of options for viewing. Worked for me even in an area of low reception, Just would like to see a ISS tracker/spotter, more snap shots of selected objects, and a little more in-depth infos.

Ive had this quite a while and thought it was quite good, but over the year or more, others have surpassed this in graphics and fun info. This one is a bit to scientific, and not quite enough eye candy. I now have several others. At less than half the price paid for this one that I use far more. I might buy red shift or ski safari 3 tonight as they seem superior as well. I currently have around 10 night sky apps. This one is in serious need of a major over haul. Especially since I just went from touch to iPad and found this program doesnt fill the iPad screen. Shame on you... Update this dinosaur.... Allow it to to display on hd. iPad.... ESP at the price weve paid.

A basic app others are better, not worth the price. Orions puniverse and celestrons skyQ are much better. I have been an amateur astronomer for over 50 wears now. Save your money

This app is without peer in the iPhone world. However, it lacks one feature that is the singular reason I still use my Palm TX. Planetarium for the Palm OS has a compass feature that shows the altitude and azimuth of the Sun, Moon, Planets, and two user-selected ojects. If StarMap Pro would add this ONE feature and implement it the same way, I could retire the Palm.

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This is my go to astronomy application. The "tonight" feature blows away all the other apps Ive used as far as presention of whats visible on a given night. Ive tried lots of other observing apps and this one is by far the best for me and any serious observer who needs more than just the messier catalog and a few stars.

For the money there are other apps out there that are far better with much more friendly and intuitive user interfaces that are less expensive. (I have tried a number of them.) This does have some options though for the astronomer to put in their own telescope settings that others dont but it is more awkward to use.

Ive used Starmap Pro for about 18 months now and couldnt be more pleased with this gem. For many years I had used SkyMap Pro but have found the capabilities of Star Map Pro, coupled with the iPhone 4S to be hard to beat in almost any circumstance. Ive not yet had a chance to check out in detail the new Environment section but from a cursory examination, it seems pretty accurate in describing the limiting visual magnitude I might expect here at home. I particularly like the Tonight feature. With its ability to filter on various types of objects, one can do a pretty good plan for observing. It is particularly useful when folks who wander by while Im observing want to know what they could see. Tonight can highlight an object I might not otherwise consider looking at when someone expresses interest in what Im looking at. (Hum.. Maybe in a future version, Tonight could be the basis for putting together an observing schedule. Messier Marathon is one event that comes immediately to mind) I appreciate the manner in which the sky is displayed with various options for looking at the details of a particular object. I dont use the "live sky" feature all that often, but that is probably more of a function of being somewhat familiar with the sky. I also like the ability to manage my own menus and the order in which they appear. All in all Starmap Pro is an excellent app that keeps getting better with each update. It is well worth the price. When I get my new iPad later this year, Starmap Pro is going to be one of the first apps I download.

All you need to find your way round the night sky. Very easy to use and a lot lighter than a detailed star atlas. There is a lifetime of objects that the application can help you find. Makes starhopping bearable with its pointers. Highly recommended and new features are being added all the time.

Looks great. Love this App. It lives permanently on my home screen.

Very happy with Stapmap Pro - imagine what it it would be like if you combined your crate of reference books, bulky star atlas, telescope specific notes, observing notebook, the internet, give it a red backlight and put it in the palm of your hand. Thats Starmap Pro!