SkySafari 4 Pro app review: the universe at your fingertips

Introduction

The SkySafari 4 Pro app is no longer in iTunes but you can find an alternative astronomy app on our iPhone list. You can also find all the best iPhone apps on our applists. We have also reviewed these stargazing apps or check out our iPhone app reviews:-

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Startracker, Starlight, Cosmic Zoom, Cosmic watch, Mars atlas, Astonomy pictures, Astronomy magazine

SkySafari 4 Pro has been rebuilt for iOS 7 and now boasts the largest database of any astronomy app available on the iPhone or iPad. This app contains over a gigabyte of data that includes more than 25 million stars collated from the Hubble Guide star catalogs and more than 740,000 galaxies down to the 18^th magnitude, and more than 630,000 objects within the solar system including all the comets and asteroids known to man.

This incredible tool for astronomers, beginners and professionals, can be found in the Education section of the App Store, where it can be purchased for $39.99. Though this pricing may seem steep, any similar resource in the form of books, software, or otherwise, will likely put a far greater dent in one's wallet, so I personally feel the price tag is appropriate.

Let's take a look at this app's features.

Fly Me To The Moon!

As mentioned in the introduction, this app will take about a gigabyte of space on your iOS device, so you'll certainly have to make room for it. However, I think this is a fantastic thing because it means all the data is stored within the iPhone or iPad, and can be accessed regardless of a WiFi connection. The app constitutes 1500 encyclopedia-style descriptions of everything from constellations to stars and planets written by professional astronomers.

Using SkySafari 4 Pro, you'll be able to simulate a vantage point from anywhere within the solar system or beyond it. What's more is that you can even go back or forward in time by up to a million years and see what the universe would look like then!

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Maps, Images, and More

You'll also find encased within this app the latest maps of the Moon as well as Mars, in a resolution which is more than eight times higher than all the other versions of SkySafari along. Maps are integrated with Apple Maps in order to enable you to choose your vantage point using the Maps view built into the app.

800 images from the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA space missions, and independent astro-photographers are also included, all in high-definition, to ensure the most complete and authentic experience you can have short of actually flying into space.

One of the most incredible things about going into space is the ability to turn around and look back at our home planet in all its glory. This app also includes horizon panoramas including the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, the Uluru in Australia, and the top of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island.

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Pros & Cons

Pros

• Go anywhere in the solar system and view any object from there, up to a million years in the past or future
• New and updated descriptions for hundreds of thousands objects from within and outside the solar system
• Completely reinvented scope control panel which allows for easy navigation
• Objects lists under Search are sortable by name, number, magnitude, RA, Dec, and many other properties
• Advanced Search options let you find objects using properties other than their name

Cons

• There is nothing negative to say about this app

Final Words

SkySafari 4 Pro is the complete package, and a must-have for any astronomy enthusiasts, whether professional or hobbyists. It's sure to completely revamp your astronomy experience and turn it into a mobile endeavor from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad. Highly, highly recommended.