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Overview
Features
Videos
Screenshots
User's guide
Support
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 What's New in Luminos 7.2
User interface
- Selection history: If you've ever been frustrated at losing your selection, you'll be happy to hear that Luminos now keeps a history of the last selected objects. To quickly jump between them, just swipe across the currently selected object. Swipe towards the right to go back or towards the left to go forward in your selection list. Hitting the "X" button will clear the selection and the history.
- Action descriptions: For those learning to use Luminos, we now show the description of your current activity above the selection whenever you tap any action.
- Browser location memory: Previously, the Luminos Browser would reset to the top level whenever it was opened. Now, it will retain the page you were last on. This is helpful if you want to switch among similar objects without having to navigate down a deep hierarchy each time.
Visual quality
- Anti-aliasing: Devices with lower resolutions but powerful processors such as the iPad 2 and iPad Mini now have smoother displays via a technique known as anti-aliasing. This change causes curves such as grid lines and terrain to appear less jagged.
- Earth at night: The visual of Earth at night now includes blended textures showing city lights in the darker areas.
- Object shapes: To help distinguish small bodies and satellites from other sky objects, there are distinct shapes for them in the Sky View.
Satellites
- Actual and apparent orbits: When selected, satellites now display their orbit paths. A new toggle button allows you to switch between the actual orbit and the apparent orbit. The apparent orbit shows the path of the satellite over locations on Earth, which can provide a fascinating view of how satellites move (or don't move) in the night sky.
- NASA descriptions: Satellites now provide a link to the NASA National Space Science Data Center page, with detailed descriptions and data.
General
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Universal app for iPad / iPhone / iPod touch
Runs on all device types, but optimizes the display for each type. One purchase runs on all devices. All features are included in the base price. (All iPads, iPhone 3GS or newer, iPod Touch 3rd generation or newer.)
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Built-in user's guide
A complete user's guide is built in to help ensure that help is always available, no matter how remote your location. Includes chapters on all features and settings, with screen captures.
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Online video tutorials
Videos demonstrating all major features of the app with detailed instructions are online. New videos added to introduce new features. (Requires Internet access.)
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Interaction
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Motion tracking and panning modes
Choose between panning through the cosmos with oncscreen swipes; or a motion tracking mode allowing you to orient the device at your target in the sky. (Motion tracking not supported on iPod Touch.)
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Optimized frame rates
Luminos renders smooth movements and flight even on slower devices. Power-efficient architecture dynamically reduces the frame rate to help keep your iOS device going all night.
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Night vision mode
Preserve your vision in the dark with full-featured night-vision support.
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iPad enhancements
Operate the app on an iPad without obscuring the view of the sky. Most dialogs and information displays take minimal screen space.
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Dynamic item lists
Object lists in Luminos use variable icons and descriptions so that you can see at-a-glance what is visible from your location.
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Solar System
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Launch to remote locations
Fly to other planets for a view from orbit or touch down to view the universe from the surface.
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Modeled and textured planets and moons
Get up close and personal with solar system objects with extreme zooming and high-definition textures for many planets and moons.
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Surface feature display
Rotate and zoom in on planets or moons to see the official surface feature labels from the International Astronomical Union. More than 14,000 features are included.
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Lunar and solar eclipse catalog
View 5,000 years of solar and lunar eclipses. Jump to the time and location of greatest eclipse, or follow the eclipse path on an interactive Earth map.
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Lunar phase calendar
Browse a calendar of moon phases to plan your next outing under the stars.
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Planet visibility chart
Access a display indicating which planets are viewable tonight and at what times, customized for your location. Select a star or DSO and the chart will include it in the list, too.
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Interactive orrery
Zip out to a bird's eyef view of the Solar System and see the planets in their true positions and orbits
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Stars and Deep Space
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Millions of accessible stars
View over 100,000 stars with the built-in Hipparcos catalog, or download Tycho-2 for free inside the app for over 2,500,000 stars.
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Convenient star categories
Stars are grouped into named, brightest, and nearest categories for quick access.
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Deep space catalogs
Find galaxies and nebulae using one of serveral built-in deep space catalogs. NGC, Barnard, Sharpless, and RCW are included and rendered with sky atlas notation.
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Hubble telescope images
Browse a catalog of beautiful high-resolution Hubble images with accompanying descriptions.
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Detailed Milky Way views
Reveal the dark patches of dust in the Milky Way by viewing them in infrared or visible wavelengths.
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Telescope
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Remote mount control
Synchronize and direct your telescope mount with intuitive setup and controls. Suports Astro-Physics, Celestron, Meade, iOptron, and LX200 Compatible mounts. (Connection hardware or wireless adapter required.)
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Customized telescope display
Update your app display to reflect your personal gear. Configure your telescope type, eyepiece, camera, Barlow lens, and focal reducer.
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View flipping
Flip the view to match your telescope optics for more comfortable viewing.
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Observation lists
Challenge yourself to find objects in included lists such as Messier, or create custom lists with your own items.
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Simplified view tracking
Keep a record of things you've seen with a single tap, and browse the list at your convenience.
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Satellites
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Satellite monitoring
Track thousands of satellites current data from CelesTrak. Customize your preferences, from the International Space Station down to space debris. Data is updated automcatically, with no account required.
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Ride-along views
Quickly attach your location to the International Space Station or any other satellite for a smooth and serene view of the Earth from orbit.
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Satellite orbits
Satellite orbits can be viewed as either actual orbits or apparent orbits, showing where the satellite appears to move over the Earth.
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Custom satellite import
Add your own two-line element (TLE) files to Luminos to track satellites from any source.
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Asteroids and Comets
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Automatic small body tracking
Monitor comets and asteroids with automatic updates from the Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Render over 37,000 asteroids and comets and view them from space to see their distribution, all in real time.
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Environment
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Location-based viewing
Set your location automatically or browse a comprehensive list of cities around the world. See the actual terrain around you in 3D so you really know what's visible in the sky from anywhere in the world.
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Constellation displays
View the constellations as pictures painted in Tycho stars, or as traditional line drawings.
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Atmosphere rendering
Enjoy a beautifully modeled atmosphere of Earth, include the Belt of Venus.
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Simple time control
Alter time to observe the motion of objects in our solar system at accelerated rates. See the state of the cosmos in the past or future.
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