Review: Pocket Stars: Hold All of the Mysteries of the Universe in Your Pocket.

Posted by: dgoldring on Dec 03 2006 - 2,180 views

 

I still remember my first mobile device that ran Windows CE.  It was an HP Jornada and, at the time, it was considered a cutting edge device.  Back then (at the turn of the century), such devices had not found the niche they now enjoy, and were considered much more a novelty than a mainstream device.  As such, there was little software available for it.  My Jornada ended up gathering a lot of dust and becoming, what my wife affectionately referred to as a, "$500 solitaire machine".  The one bright spot from that device, however, was an astronomy program known as Pocket Stars.  The amateur astronomy buff in me loved this program.  Now, I am happy to report the latest version of Pocket Stars is even better than I remembered.

Installation and Registration: Just download the zip file, and extract the executable from it.  Install it through ActiveSync and start your full featured tour of the universe.  Try all of the advanced features for fifteen days before you must register; but don’t say I didn’t warn you, even the most casual astronomy enthusiast will not be able to come close to the fifteen day trial period without registering.  Register it to unlock all of the mysteries of the universe.

Views: The main screen offers a 2-dimensional view of the night sky (2-D Star Chart Mode).  2-D Star Chart Mode allows you to view the night sky exactly as it would appear from your current location (this is based upon information you enter relating to your time zone and location.  You do not need a GPS device to make use of this feature.)  Zoom in on a particular star, constellation or heavenly body; or speed up time to watch your selected star speed across the sky.  You can even scroll across the sky to view other areas which are currently outside of your view.  Anytime you want, just hit "Home" to return to your current location.

The second basic view offered by Pocket Stars is the 3-D Orrery.  This is an amazing view which allows you to view a 3-dimensional image of the solar system, and its surrounding stars from any angle, and with various levels of detail.  You can see the planet’s orbital paths, add stars and objects, or remove them.  This is a truly remarkable tool for anyone interested in learning more about the planets that make up our solar system (even poor, forsaken Pluto).

Object Information: One of my favorite features of this program is the enormous information database it contains.  By tapping any object on the screen, you can display realtime information about that object’s location at the top of the main screen.  Additionally, tap and hold on the object to enter the information database, which will show you a  closer image of that object, along with detailed information about it.  From here, you can even select to search the Internet for more information on your selected celestial object, star, or planet.

Controls: The Pocket Stars controls are displayed across the bottom of the screen.  These allow you to control the view which is displayed on the main screen.  Use the compass to change the direction of your viewpoint.  You can set the star magnitude meter (a star’s magnitude is a measure of its brightness) to determine the intensity of the displayed stars.  Select a lower magnitude to get oriented, and then gradually increase the magnitude to show greater detail.  By default, Pocket Stars will display stars of a magnitude 4 and lower.  In addition to modifying the magnitude, you can also zoom in or out to show greater or lesser detail.  Use the smartzone feature to automatically allow Pocket Stars to set the star magnitude control as the view is zoomed in or out. 

Additionally, by utilizing the objects menu (shown below), you can control what objects’ names will be displayed, the level of detail that can be shown, and even add overlays such as constellation outlines, grids, orbital paths, and more.  Use the clock feature to speed up or slow down the time and animation of the Pocket Stars display.  This allows you to view how various objects will pass through the night sky over a period of hours or even days.  If you make a mistake setting any of these controls, simply push the Home button to return to your default current view of the sky.

Find and Search: While we all enjoy scanning the Heavens and identifying various objects with the star chart, sometimes, this is not enough.  Sometimes, you are searching the Heavens for a specific object.  For example, not long ago, Mars came as close to the Earth as it would come for hundreds of years.  I became obsessed with seeing it (and it was amazingly visible with the naked eye).  Pocket Stars’ "Find" feature is an incredibly powerful tool to assist with this endeavor.  Just select the object you are looking for, and Pocket Stars will automatically center the star chart around that object.  This is an indispensable tool, which I wish I had been able to use to help me find Mars (I found it, but it was much more difficult with my fifth grade paper star chart).

Customization: You can also control the look and feel of the main display screen.  There are three basic color schemes: black, white, and red.  Each of these color schemes can be further customized by selecting any element on the star chart and assigning a color value to that element.

Additionally, you can control how the clock is displayed on the star chart (local time or Greenwich Mean time for example).   Likewise, you can control the font size of information displayed on the screen.  In fact, virtually anything displayed on the screen, whether it is written information, or graphical views, can be customized to meet any needs.

Plugins: In addition to the myriad of features already available in Pocket Stars, there are also two Plugins available for download from the Nomad Electronics website: Messier Objects and Ephemeris.

The Messier Objects plugin adds images for all of the Messier Objects and most of the Caldwell Objects.  Messier Objects are a set of astronomical objects catalogued by the astronomer Charles Messier in the late 1700s.   Caldwell Objects are deep-sky objects catalogued by the British astronomer Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore in the 1990’s.  Both Caldwell and Messier objects provide interesting opportunities for the amateur astronomer to engage in deep space exploration.

The second plugin is an ephemeris.  An ephemeris is a table providing the coordinates of a celestial bodies at a number of specific times during a given period.  There are several different plugins, providing a variety of date ranges.  The smallest ranges from 2000-2010.  The broadest will show ephemeris information from 1700-2200.

Both plugins provide fascinating and advanced tools for users with an interest in developing more than just a passing knowledge of the universe.  Clearly, the developers of Pocket Stars recognized the importance of this program to both the casual stargazer and the more advanced astronomer. 

Calculators, Charts, Tables, and Other Tools: Pocket Stars is more than just an astronomer’s most valuable tool.  It also provides valuable calculators, charts, tables, and other tools that you can use to navigate your way down the street, or around the world.

Pocket Stars offers three invaluable calculators.  First is the Great Circle Calculator.  The Great Circle is the name given to the shortest distance between any two points on the globe.  Simply input the coordinates of your beginning and ending locations (click assumed position to use your current position) and the Great Circle Distance Calculator will calculate the shortest distance between the two points (in miles or kilometers) and graphically display it on the globe.  Next, the Horizon Distance Calculator allows you to calculate the visible horizon both for visible light and for radar waves.  Finally, the Range and Bearing Calculator allows you to determine the latitude and longitude of any location by simply inputting your current coordinates and a range and bearing. 

In addition to these valuable calculators Pocket Stars also offers a Lunar Phase chart and a Rise and Set table.  The Lunar Phase chart (above) provides a lunar phase calendar showing the lunar phase for each day of the selected month.  It even allows for the rare double new moon (commonly referred to as a Blue Moon).  The Rise and Set table (below) shows the rise, transit, and set times of the sun, moon, and planets in our solar system.  Simply select any date and view the information for each body on that particular day (by default, the current day’s information is displayed).

Finally, Pocket Stars also includes a variety of advanced tools used to navigate your way around the world by using the position of the stars.  These include latitude and longitude pages, which allow you to select a destination and view its latitude and longitude (it would be handy if this could tie into a GPS to automatically provide your coordinates); an environment page which allows you to enter your current environment in order to perform a celestial fix on an object;  a sextant page; and a Line of Position (LOPS) page.  All three of these are invaluable resources for celestial navigation, as is often done by those traveling by sea.  In fact, you can even choose to display your results as a chart or graph for improved navigation.

These calculators, charts, tables, and other tools, really did not need to be included in order to make this an indispensable program.  Most of us will rarely use many of them advanced features aside from their value as a novelty.  Their inclusion, however, is a testament to the developer’s ability to address the needs of users of all skill levels and abilities. 

Conclusions: I have been interested in astronomy since I was a young child.  It has always amazed me to view the "billions and billions" (as the famed astronomer Carl Sagan would famously say) of objects in the sky.  I was probably never as well versed in the intricacies of astronomy as I liked to think I was, but I have always had a fascination in learning all that I could.  Finding a tool that can satisfy this craving in an amateur, while also providing advanced tools for users of all skill levels poses a daunting challenge, and one that is well met by Pocket Stars.  This program is a mandatory addition to the toolbox of anyone interested in viewing or learning about the celestial objects we look at every night in the sky.  It provides numerous tools which illustrate that astronomy is much more than playing connect the dots with the stars. 

Vital Statistics:

Name: Pocket Stars

Version: 5.1.5

Developer: Nomad Electronics 

Available From: Nomad Electronics

                           JAMM Store

Price: $19.95

 

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