SkyORB 2021 Astronomy for macOS is your gateway to exploring the depths of the solar system and beyond.
This comprehensive astronomy software allows you to chart the stars, planets, and celestial bodies, including comets and asteroids, and embark on a voyage through space.
Key Features:
- Precise Location: Adjust your observation point with manual latitude and longitude inputs or effortlessly through Location Services.
- Astronomy Calendar: Keep track of upcoming celestial events and stay updated with the latest astronomy news.
- Sun and Moon Data: Access sunrise and sunset times, moonrise and moonset times, and full/new moon dates, all generated automatically.
- Immersive 3D Planetarium: Explore a 3D interface that features planets, satellites, and a variety of viewing options. Photorealistic textures and visuals bring celestial bodies to life.
- Solar System Animation: Observe a real-time or accelerated 3D animation of the solar system, complete with facts about each planet.
- Interactive Sky Map: Enjoy a 3D sky map that depicts the positions of planets, stars, constellations, deep space objects, comets, and satellites. Real-time precession keeps you updated.
- Comets and Satellites: Monitor the trajectories of comets and satellites with access to six different databases, including the IAU Minor Planet Center.
- World Map Sun Clock: Track the sun's movement with a world map sun clock, showing sunrise and sunset times.
- Multi-Touch Support: Some devices offer multi-touch support, allowing zoom-in and zoom-out through pinching gestures.
- Universal Search: Easily search for celestial objects and locations.
- Weather Data: Access weather information based on your location.
- macOS Features: Benefit from macOS-specific features, such as push notifications for important astronomy news and a Today widget to receive updates on astronomy events and observations near you.
- Customizable Location: Use your personal location to enhance star chart rendering.
System Requirements:
This app is officially supported on the following Mac models:
- MacBook Pro (mid 2012 and newer)
- MacBook Air (mid 2012 and newer)
- MacBook (early 2015 and later)
- iMac (2014 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017 or newer)
- Mac Pro (late 2013 or newer, or mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with Metal-capable GPU)
- Mac Mini (late 2012 or newer)
Please note that all 21.5" iMacs with Nvidia 750M and 755M graphics cards, although 'Metal' capable, are not supported.
This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
I really, really tried
Bob Bala
I read the negative reviews and thought "I'm better than those lame-assed dudes... I can figure out the UI... how bad can it be?" Pretty bad, unfortunately. Spent an hour tweaking, fumbling, bumbling, mumbling, and am now giving up. Too bad. It looks like a lot of work went into this, but not enough to make it usable for mere mortals.Lots of pretty screens can be generated, but to find real information in anything like a useful form is way too daunting if at all possible. The UI is simply inscrutible, and with no help files, tutorial, ANYTHING helpful, I just don't think 98% of Mac users will be able to get their $3 worth.I've used hundreds if not thousands of apps for the Mac since 1984, been working with computers since main frames in the early '60s, written software for dozens of computers and OSes, including Mac.Save your $3.
Removed app 5 minutes after installing
Paddlerkan
ATROCIOUS. I read the bad reviews but saw they were very old and there had been many new releases since then so I gave it a whirl. BIG MISTAKE. 11 years after launch it's still unusable. Furthermore, I bought it to see the minor planets that Stellarium 2 doesn't display and it couldn't find Nephele, the one I bought it to see. But that's not the reason for the 1 star review...it is just plain awful. I searched for Venus which apparently it found, but the view does NOT NAME the objects you're looking at! WHICH ONE WAS VENUS??? I had no idea. AWFUL. I want my $4 back.
UI still leave something to be desired
Theondry
Navigating in space doesn't feel very natural. While the graphics seem quite nice watching the solar system while making time move forward (which requires repeated click-and-drag, with no option to keep time advancing at a steady pace), you cannot easily change position or perspective around the system.Searching for a location (on Earth) or a space object doesn't feel very intuitive, either. Selecting a city always looking down at a (mollewide?) projection of the earth. Selecting a space object puts you somewhere on the earth, looking at the object. If it works as I think (you're at whatever previous earth-location you selected), looking at a space object from difference places will be tedious.The search box is also frustrating as it is not very responsive. Letters must be typed slowly for them to register.Some of the toggle boxes (hide/show names of whatever) do not actually work.For me, the fun aspects of an astronomy program come from tooling about the solar system and watching time advance, and this program disappoints on those regards. The planets are very squished together, with the orbits appearing to be at unit intervals around the sun which seems odd to me (though this may just be my ignorance of how planetariums display distance.) Also, in one of the modes, Mars is closer to the Sun than the Earth is.The images for Mars and Jupiter appear fine, considering the responsiveness of the system. I assume the reason for the dark sides of planets to be translucent is the lack of images, as Earth has a darkside, as do most of the farther planets.I think the software has promise, but many of the choices made are ones I would not have made and don't understand, which contributes to my rating.
Does Not Work Correctly
iPhone In
I have Sky Orb on my iPhone and it works great. Got it for my Mac Pro and the readings are wrong. If you put in your longitude and latitude, it will keep showing you what is stored in the app. For example Where I live, Mars should have been above the horizon which was verified with the iphone version and by looking up at the sky, but the app kept showing it below the horizon no matter how many times I tried to change the concordances. If they could get this sorted out, this would be an awesome application.
Thanks for using SkyORB 2021! This update brings macOS Sonoma compatibility, solar eclipse calendar notifications, and enhanced multi-language support.
Version 2021 LTS 8
The developer, Stephane Denis, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
