Reviews
"Smart-phone and tablet-based planetarium programs are game changers... Many of these programs behave similarly and have comparable features, but Southern Stars' Sky Safari 3 stands out for its pedigree... The Pro version of Sky Safari 3 has completely replaced my desktop planetarium program. Before now, we could only watch the sky on computer screens. With SkySafari 3 we can touch the sky, and that's revolutionary."
- Joe Heafner, Sky & Telescope, December 2011
Read the full review!"Move over, desktop astro programs (yes, you know who you are). SkySafari is one of those "I can't believe it" apps. It gives us the beauty of the night sky; we get outstanding data and commentary of objects; we can control our scopes through wi-fi; and best of all the finest tech support possible. It is difficult in this short space to convey the power and beauty of SkySafari. As stunning as it is on the iPhone, wait until you see it on the iPad. Words alone cannot do it justice. Get it now! Your nights under the stars will never be the same."
- Terry Sandbek, May 2011
"I have used several well known astronomy apps costing many hundreds more than SkySafari. Nothing I have used combines the rich feature set found in SkySafari with the mobility that comes with the Apple iPod/iPhone and iPad. Buy this app today and go navigate the night sky in a way you've never experienced it before."
- Gary J. Carter, May 2011
"Enter SkySafari Pro on our iPad and everything changed - astronomy time is now family time. My kids love using the program during the day and create observing lists of what they want to see. My wife enjoys using the sky chart at night by holding the iPad up to the sky and identifying bright stars and constellations. I love the application because it is functional, easy to use, and makes the night sky and information about objects immediately accessible. I also use SkySafari Pro with the SkyFi unit to control our scope via wi-fi without any wires. Compared with other astronomy applications we own (TheSky, Starmap HD, Redshift, StarWalk, and more), SkySafari Pro offers a beautiful interface, excellent features, an immense database, and is hands-down the most enjoyable to use. SkySafari Pro will not disappoint. Highly recommended for both the novice and advanced backyard astronomer!"
- Kevin Llewelyn, May 2011
SkySafari 3 - for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
According to The Mac Observer, SkySafari 3 is "the best of all the star chart apps for iOS". As just reviewed in Sky & Telescope magazine, SkySafari 3 is "revolutionary", and a "game-changer" that can completely replace your desktop astronomy software. Gizmodo says: "Of all the stargazing and astronomy apps available for iOS, SkySafari 3 is the best."
Now, with SkySafari 3.5 Plus and Pro, you can follow celestial events in Earth's sky - or from anywhere else in the Solar System. Spaceflight has never been so easy!
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SkySafari 3 - $2.99, 48 MB. 120K stars, no telescope control, view from Earth. The basic version of SkySafari 3 shows you 46,000 stars, plus 220 of the best-known star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies in the sky. It displays the Solar System's major planets and moons using NASA spacecraft imagery, and includes the best-known 150 (or so) asteroids, comets, and satellites. It accurately shows you the sky from anywhere on Earth, at any time up to 100 years in the past or future, and lets you identify stars, planets, and constellations with your iDevice's GPS, compass and/or gyroscope. |
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SkySafari 3 Plus - $14.99, 181 MB, 2.5M stars, telescope control, view from Solar System. SkySafari 3 Plus adds a hugely expanded database, wired or wireless telescope control - and the ability to leave Earth and fly into orbit around any Solar System object or nearby star - to our basic version. It shows you 2.5 million stars, and 31,000 deep sky objects - including the entire NGC/IC catalog. It includes over 4,000 asteroids, comets, and satellites with updateable orbits. And it can point your GoTo or "Push-To" telescope anywhere in the sky, using your iPhone/iPad/iPod's built-in WiFi, and our SkyFi or SkyWire serial accessories. |
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SkySafari 3 Pro - $39.99, 418 MB, 15M stars, telescope control, view from Solar System. The all-new SkySafari 3 Pro has the largest database of any astronomy app, period. It contains everything in SkySafari 3 Plus - but also includes over 15.3 million stars from the Hubble Guide Star catalog, plus 740,000 galaxies down to 18th magnitude, and over 580,000 solar system objects - including every comet and asteroid ever discovered - and a Moon map based on NASA's latest LRO data with 8x the resolution of any other SkySafari version. It shows you the sky with sub-arcsecond precision from anywhere on Earth, at any time up to one million years in the past or future - yet it runs just as fast and smoothly as our $3 basic version. |
All three versions of SkySafari are "universal" apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. All three require iOS 4.3 or later.
Southern Stars has licensed SkySafari to Orion Telescopes and Binoculars for separate distribution on the app store under the name StarSeek. Support questions for StarSeek should be sent to Orion Telescopes. Southern Stars will continue to support, maintain, and develop SkySafari in the future.
The constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius (highlited) |
Leave Earth with SkySafari Plus and Pro, and explore |
SkySafari Pro shows the Orion Nebula (M 42) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Consult the FAQ if you have questions about SkySafari for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch that are not anwered on our web site. If your question isn't answered in the FAQ, send us an email. We'll do our best to get you an answer - which just might make it into the FAQ!