The Sky Is Really Falling!
On Friday, February 15th, planet Earth gets a close shave from a nearby asteroid, 2012 DA14. This 180,000-ton space rock comes within a few thousand miles of the Earth's surface - closer than our geosynchronous communication satellites, and a record close approach for an asteroid of this size. Amateur astronomers in Europe, Asia, and Australia should be able to catch a glimpse in their telescopes! The view from North America won't be as good, but still within reach of larger backyard scopes.
There's something else unique about this asteroid flyby: it's the first one that you can follow on your smartphone! We've updated SkySafari Plus and Pro to predict the motions of asteroids and comets using the same highly-accurate solar system physics as NASA and JPL. As a result, unlike virtually every other planetarium program, SkySafari Plus and Pro can pinpoint 2012 DA14 accurately in the sky. As far as we know, ours are the only mobile apps - and maybe the only desktop apps - that can do this!
Here's a 6-minute YouTube video which shows the new SkySafari Pro update in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOYCzfvnrbQBest of all, this new update is free for current SkySafari Plus and Pro owners! If you haven't done so yet, now is the time to upgrade. Starting February 14th, 2013, and running through February 17th, our premier apps for iOS, Mac, and Android will be on sale at record prices to match this unique event.
SkyFi-USB is back in stock! Order today
for just USD $159.95 plus shipping!
To download SkySafari Plus for iOS, Mac, or Android, use the following links:
SkySafari Plus 3.7.3 for iOS (sale price USD $9.99, regularly $14.99)
SkySafari Plus 1.7.3 for Mac OS X (sale price USD $14.99, regularly $19.99)
SkySafari Plus 1.7.4 for Android (sale price USD $9.99, regularly $14.99)
To download SkySafari Pro for iOS, Mac, or Android, use the following links:
SkySafari Pro 3.7.3 for iOS (sale price USD $29.99, regularly $39.99)
SkySafari Pro 1.7.3 for Mac OS X (sale price USD $39.99, regularly $49.99)
SkySafari Pro 1.7.4 for Android (sale price USD $29.99, regularly $39.99)
Please note: the basic version of SkySafari does not support the new asteroid/comet orbit integrator. This new feature is exclusive to SkySafari Plus and Pro.
The year 2013 is shaping up to be a good one for asteroid and comet observers. Two new comets, PANSTARRS and ISON, have the potential to be "great comets" of the sort which haven't been seen in decades. SkySafari's new update will help you find them accurately, too.
SkyFi is Back!
After several months on back-order, our wireless SkyFi serial & USB telescope controller is now in stock. If you reserved a SkyFi at PATS last September, we've got one waiting for you! Send us an email or give us a call, and we'll be happy to send it your way.
We're pleased to announce that SkyFi's electronics are now manufactured, assembled, and tested just a few miles from our main office in San Francisco, California. SkyFi is now proudly made in the USA!
SkyCube and Satellite Safari
Most of you know that Southern Stars successfully completed a crowd-sourced fundraising campaign to build and launch SkyCube: the first Earth-orbiting spacecraft that will let anyone broadcast messages and capture images from orbit with their smart phone. Most of our work in 2012 concentrated on building the satellite itself. That work is nearly complete, and we're turning attention to the mobile app side of the project.
As we developed an app for the SkyCube mission, we realized it would be useful for more than just our one satellite. And we also realized that there are a lot of you out there who really enjoy observing and learning about our "birds" in orbit. So the SkyCube app has evolved beyond its original mission, and become a satellite-watcher's dream. And it now has a name: Satellite Safari.
Here are some screen shots:
Screen shots of our upcoming satellite app, Satellite Safari. Click to go to the SkyCube Project page. App will be available for iOS before April, 2013.
We're putting the finishing touches on Satellite Safari right now, and expect to release version 1.0 before April, 2013. Stay tuned to the SkyCube project updates page for further announcements on the satellite and the launch.
Summing It Up
It's been a very busy year so far. And it's only February! There are a lot of exciting times still ahead in 2013, and we're looking forward to sharing them with you. So have fun with SkySafari, crack out your telescope every so often, and keep an eye on the sky. You never know what might sneak up on you.
-Tim, Bill, Chris, and the team at Southern Stars