Our Galaxy

Wonderful app that provides a perspective that is totally different than “looking out” from our small perch on the earth. Go ahead and jump all the way out of the Milky Way and look back for a change. Wow! It is beyond my understanding how anyone can calculate the position of what we see as unmoving points and smudges of light in the night sky. But here it is. The detail is highest closest to the Sun, demonstrating limits to our vision, but we also see galaxies individually and as groups far away. The app is new to me and I am totally blown away.

Not a planetarium program which just places objects on a sphere around the Earth, this app lets you gain a sense of how far away objects are from us. Amazing to see all the galaxies in our local group - many quite close. Messier objects vary tremendously in relative distance. This is not for sky maps, but rather provides a sense of wonder and amazement about the universe. Time flies as you explore the Milky Way and this app’s mind-blowing capabilities. A wonderful complement to your favorite “sky-mapping” app.

I’ve been imaging nebulae for just a few years and always am on the prowl for helpful tools. While SKY SAFARI has become an indispensable companion in my observatory, OUR GALAXY provides a whole new level of perspective for understanding where deep space objects reside relative to the Earth. The best feature for me is the ability to jog between it and SKY SAFARI; find an object, go to SKY SAFARI and learn more; then jump to ASTROBIN to see what other imagers have captured. A true trifecta!