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Cosmoscape

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See Earth, the Moon, and the Solar System in real-time 3D, placed where real astronomy…

By Toshihiro Nakanowataru · Education
Debuts score 84NewRate it first

Why we expect it: Accurate JPL ephemeris data, detailed Earth and Moon views, and a clear free-to-start model make this a compelling astronomy tool.

Cosmoscape screenshot 1Cosmoscape screenshot 2Cosmoscape screenshot 3Cosmoscape screenshot 4

In short

Cosmoscape is an educational app that shows Earth, the Moon, and the Solar System in real-time 3D, with planet and Moon positions based on JPL's DE441 ephemeris. It lets users view the Moon and Sun in the sky above a chosen city, follow Moon phases and libration, and move through time from 1026 to 3026. The app stands out for its sky dome with about 8,800 Hipparcos stars and an option to view it as a fisheye from the ground.

Summary by Debuts, based on the App Store listing.

About

See Earth, the Moon, and the Solar System in real-time 3D, placed where real astronomy puts them. In the Solar System, the planets and the Moon follow JPL's DE441 planetary ephemeris. Over your city, the Moon is calculated for your exact place, date, and time.

Watch day and night sweep across the globe, find tonight's Moon above your city, follow its phases and libration, or travel through the Solar System anywhere from the year 1026 to 3026.

EARTH - A detailed 3D globe with NASA Blue Marble imagery and terrain relief - Daylight and night move across the planet, with city lights on the night side - See Earth, the Moon, and the Sun together and move through time

MOON WATCHING - Choose a city and see where the Moon and Sun are in its sky, calculated for that place, date, and time - The sky dome shows the planets, about 8,800 stars from the Hipparcos catalog, constellation lines, and bright deep-sky objects - Look at the dome from outside to understand the geometry of the sky, or step inside for a fisheye view from the ground

MOON CALENDAR - Phase, age, and illumination for any date, with moonrise, moonset, sunrise, and sunset - A 3D Moon whose orientation and libration change from day to day, with craters lit by the Sun - Jump to Moon Watching to see that night's sky

SOLAR SYSTEM - Planets and the Moon move along positions from the DE441 ephemeris, not circular animations - Planet orbits, a Moon orbit that follows its real distance and tilt, and adjustable planet size - Speed time up, run it backward, or stop and look around - Tap a planet to see its information card

TOURS Let Cosmoscape fly you around Earth, the Moon, and the planets.

FREE AND COSMOSCAPE FULL Cosmoscape is free to download, and every mode is included. Cosmoscape Full is a one-time In-App Purchase, not a subscription.

The free version: - View any date and time - Play time forward or backward within 24 hours of now (Earth, Moon Watching) or within one year (Solar System) - Tours: 15 seconds per mode in each session - Up to 60 fps

Cosmoscape Full adds: - Time playback without limits - Unlimited tours - Planet details: next opposition, conjunctions, greatest elongations, retrograde periods, perihelion and aphelion - Complete Moon Calendar details: distance, angular size, altitude and azimuth, libration values, and the sub-solar point - Up to 120 fps on ProMotion displays

No account, no ads, no tracking.

Cosmoscape is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA or JPL. It is made for learning and enjoyment, not for navigation or other safety-critical use.

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