Our Galaxy 4+
A Three-Dimensional Atlas
Otherwise
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- Free
Screenshots
Description
Our Galaxy is a unique app for both amateur astronomers and astronomy educators. It helps you visualize the 3-dimensional locations of deep sky objects in and around our galaxy, and provides you with an understanding of their physical properties. It addition, it illustrates the structural components of the Galaxy, including the thin disk, thick disk, galactic bulge and stellar halo.
The 3-D interface allows you to see where the cluster or nebula of interest is located relative to the center and plane of the Galaxy. By panning around, or moving closer to or farther away from the object, you derive a sense of where the object really is in 3-dimensional space.
The app enhances the observing experience by helping the user arrive at an intuitive sense of physical location, size, luminosity, and distance for the chosen object. It also serves as a great tool for education and outreach with its unusual visual perspective on the location of deep sky objects and their relationship to the center and plane of our galaxy.
See more videos and screenshots at the otherwise.com website.
Our Galaxy is also available of macOS.
What’s New
Version 2.1.0
• Improvements to the display of Search results.
• Search panel remembers previous search parameters. Use Reset to clear them.
• Added Proxima Centauri to database. Even though it's fainter than the 6th mag cutoff, it is special as the closest star other than the Sun.
• Fixed bug where the built-in view for the M81 Group was showing the Centaurus group by mistake.
• Miscellaneous small tweaks to database.
• Miscellaneous small UI tweaks.
Ratings and Reviews
Amazing
Wonderful app that provides a perspective that is totally different than “looking out” from our small perch on the earth. Go ahead and jump all the way out of the Milky Way and look back for a change. Wow!
It is beyond my understanding how anyone can calculate the position of what we see as unmoving points and smudges of light in the night sky. But here it is. The detail is highest closest to the Sun, demonstrating limits to our vision, but we also see galaxies individually and as groups far away. The app is new to me and I am totally blown away.
An Extra Dimension to the Sky
Not a planetarium program which just places objects on a sphere around the Earth, this app lets you gain a sense of how far away objects are from us. Amazing to see all the galaxies in our local group - many quite close. Messier objects vary tremendously in relative distance. This is not for sky maps, but rather provides a sense of wonder and amazement about the universe. Time flies as you explore the Milky Way and this app’s mind-blowing capabilities. A wonderful complement to your favorite “sky-mapping” app.
Super companion to Sky Safari
I’ve been imaging nebulae for just a few years and always am on the prowl for helpful tools. While SKY SAFARI has become an indispensable companion in my observatory, OUR GALAXY provides a whole new level of perspective for understanding where deep space objects reside relative to the Earth. The best feature for me is the ability to jog between it and SKY SAFARI; find an object, go to SKY SAFARI and learn more; then jump to ASTROBIN to see what other imagers have captured. A true trifecta!
App Privacy
The developer, Otherwise, 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
Information
- Seller
- Otherwise
- Size
- 60.4 MB
- Category
- Reference
- Compatibility
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- iPhone
- Requires iOS 11.0 or later.
- iPad
- Requires iPadOS 11.0 or later.
- iPod touch
- Requires iOS 11.0 or later.
- Apple Vision
- Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- Languages
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English
- Age Rating
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2021, Otherwise. All Rights Reserved.
- Price
- Free