Velastar

Velastar is an innovative iOS sky atlas designed for astronomy enthusiasts, photographers, educators, and curious explorers. Built with Metal and a testable Swift core, it offers a highly responsive and immersive experience for exploring the night sky. Users can point their iPhone at the sky to identify over 8,000 Hipparcos stars, view all 88 constellations, and traverse through different times and locations, making stargazing more interactive and educational. Unique features such as landing on celestial bodies like the Moon, Mars, or Europa provide localized horizons, solar times, and planetary details, enhancing the experience of planetary observation. Additionally, it includes a 3D Solar System model, offline object guides, Milky Way planning tools, light-pollution maps, world clocks, and specialized astronomy widgets, making it a comprehensive tool for both casual sky watchers and serious astronomers.