San Jose, California – Wobbleworks LLC has released the latest version of its flagship astronomy app Luminos, bringing visual improvements and stargazing additions to existing customers. Luminos 9.1 expands on the application features with new visuals such as Comet 67P and the theoretical Planet Nine, and new settings such as orientation modes. Luminos 9.1 is a free update for current iOS device and Apple Watch owners.
Users of Luminos will now see translucent versions of the terrain at their current location, as determined by their device sensors. Translucent terrain allows quicker identification of celestial objects below the horizon, and these objects can be tracked even when they are obscured by the ground. The translucent terrain is an addition to the Luminos dynamic terrain engine, which downloads 3D representations of hills and valleys based on current GPS coordinates.
To support more advanced users, Luminos has added orientation modes that allow the user to change the view from the default “horizontal” system to “ecliptic”, “equatorial”, or “galactic” orientations. While the traditional horizontal view appears as though the user is standing on a planet surface, the new options re-orient the screen interaction along a different baseline. For example, the ecliptic option adjusts the view along the plane of the Solar System planet orbits. Orientation modes provide easier tracking for many celestial objects.
The Luminos app now calls out variable stars with magnitude changes over time. Users can also sort star categories to find the largest, fastest changing, or closest stars with single taps.
The ESA Rosetta mission recently mapped the structure of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during its closeup study of that object, and Luminos has utilized the data from the Rosetta mission to include a 3D representation of the comet nucleus which users can rotate and explore.
The theoretical Planet Nine, a body as yet unseen but proposed by noted astronomers is now modeled in Luminos 9.1 using the best-known calculations of its hypothetical position. Planet Nine is thought to exist in the outer reaches of the Solar System due to observed fluctuations on known bodies that would be caused by the gravitational pull of another large body. While scientists search for proof of the planet, users of the Luminos app can simulate orbiting Planet Nine and observing the rest of the Solar System from its remote location.
Luminos is the recent recipient of a 2015 PC Magazine Editor’s Choice award. Previous versions of Luminos added the largest star catalog available on mobile, the most comprehensive built-in deep space image library, live sky charts for Apple Watch, and 3D meteor shower simulations.
App Highlights:
* Now in its sixth year of free feature updates
* Realistic sky visualizations
* Largest astronomy database on mobile, up to 113 million stars
* Smooth animations and 3D flight to any destination in the solar system
* Thousands of years of simulated solar and lunar eclipses
* Satellite, comet, meteor, and asteroid tracking
* Telescope control
Device Requirements:
* iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch
* Optional Apple Watch app included
* iOS version 9.0 or later
* 700 MB device space
Pricing and Availability:
Luminos version 9.1 is available exclusively through the App Store in the Reference category for $19.99 USD (or equivalent) with no in-app purchases.
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Luminos 9.1
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YouTube Video (Release 9.1 Preview)
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Wobbleworks LLC is the family business of John Stephen and Brian Albers. Together they have more than 50 years of hardware and software experience, from small startups to large enterprises such as Apple, Microsoft, and Oracle. Now they are focusing their passion on crafting astronomy software that will delight you. Copyright (C) 2016 Wobbleworks LLC. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Apple Watch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.