Distant Suns 5 4+

All around useful Astro app

I've been an amateur astronomer & astronomy writer for over 30 years, and have seen a lot of software for stargazers. Since 1.0 for Windows, Distant Suns has been a great introduction to the sky, and a useful resource for users at any level. Since being ported to the iPhone, it has retained all the virtues of the original, and steadily added functionality while continuously improving the user interface. The developer is clearly committed to supporting users, and at a price that makes this one of the best bargains going. It doesn't quite measure up to Luminos in functionality I personally find valuable, hence the 4 stars, but it does some things Luminos doesn't. I use both regularly.

Great sky app!

Updated August, 2018

The last couple weeks Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars have all been in the sky, but Mars has been rising after Venus has been setting (depending on you views of the horizon).

I suspected that they may soon converge...

Annnnnd thanks to Distant Sun’s “What’Up?” Feature I just scrolled into the future, at 7pm, into September and October and see that mid-September should provide some nights when I/we all can photograph all four planets in the sky.

This “What’s Up?” is one awesome feature!!!

Thank you, Distant Suns!!!!!!

:)

Original review:

I have had the free version for years. I hesitated on paying because I was not sure that it contained some features.

Please know that Distant Suns Max DOES contain
1) position awareness... The screen moves to where you are pointing
2) it can draw the images of the constellations for you (per setting/preference)
3) when you look through the floor/ground it shows you the southern sky
4) it does have a red screen image, to help preserve your night eye sensitivity
5) it will also jump to show you the sky on a date/time you select

God bless you, Distant Suns development team!

Keep looking up!

syncing services don't work

Although I am very much signed in to iCloud the application will not recognize that and as a result won't sync properly. Crashes after toggling permissions in settings. This becomes permanent. After uninstalling and reinstalling the application no longer presents anything but a blackscreen after the tutorial is finished. This is perhaps what others are running into as well. iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen. iOS 15.5 This is super disappointing, but I understand your best. We had DS on Mac OS 7.5 in the 90s and it was largely responsible for my unending fascination with the cosmos. How do you look at the solar system or other objects from different angles? That was one of the best and most important features of the early Distant Sun Programs.

Developer Response ,

Thanks for the input. I'll take a look at it. Would you mind contacting via support@distantsuns.com?