Star Chart, a massively popular astronomy app on Windows 8 has another major update, which adds the ability to explore the solar system in a very cool way! It also ads real time planetary positions of Earth and all other planets in our solar system. So, the position of the planets you see when using the app will correspond to their theoretical position at the date and time set on your PC. Of course, you can fast forward or rewind time and observe the orbit and rotation of the planets react It’s very cool! Check out the screenshots below for a visual representation of the new features.

Also, this week, the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Star Chart is 75% off of its original price. The app is six dollars, but at the time of this writing, you can get it for one and a half dollars. If you want to get it, now is a great time! Anyway, here’s some screenshots that I took. Below that, I included the developer’s description and a download link for your convenience. Enjoy!

Screenshots

With this new update, we can now have a closer look at each of the planets. This is Earth, but you can see more planets to choose from on your left.

Here, we are looking at the moon. You can pinch to zoom or rotate with your finger. Yes, it works with the mouse as well.

You can zoom out and see the solar system as a whole. Try fast forwarding time and watch the orbit around the sun at super speed.

Here’s another neat little feature. You can play “movies”, which basically adds horizontal film strips on your screen and automatically pans around the solar system for a lean-back experience. Turn off your lights and enjoy! :)

Description

*** Special Discount this week only. Over 75% off! ***
Explore the wonders of the Solar System with Star Chart, the definitive star gazing and astronomy app. From our own star – the Sun, to the moons of Jupiter and rings of Saturn, Star Chart gives you a virtual window into the visible universe.
Make the most of your powerful Windows 8 Augmented Reality enabled device and hold it up to the sky. Star Chart will tell you exactly what you are looking at! Augmented Reality (AR) mode is available on tablets, laptops & devices with accelerometer and digital magnetometer sensors.
Alternatively, explore the universe from the comfort of your desktop to learn about the wonders of our solar system and beyond. Visit the planets, explore their rings and moons, learn about the constellations, discover majestic Messier objects, and travel both forwards and backwards in time.
Using state of the art GPS technology, an accurate 3D universe and the latest high-tech sensor functionality, Star Chart calculates – in real time – the current location of every star, planet and moon visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are; even in broad daylight!
Want to know what that bright star is called? Point your AR device at it – you might just find out it’s a planet!
Want to know how the night sky appears to people on the other side of the earth? Well just point your AR device down!
Want to know where your star sign is in the sky? Star Chart will tell you all this and much more.
So point your Windows 8 AR device at the sky and see what’s out there!
————
Escape Velocity and Escapist Games will update Star Chart regularly, so please send us your feedback and feature requests to scwin@escapistgames.com

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StarChart
Visit the Star Chart website: http://www.starchart.info
View Star Chart tours: http://www.starchart.tv
Follow Star Chart on Twitter: StarChartApp – twitter.com/StarChartApp
Also follow our latest developments: twitter.com/EscapistGames

Features

• Explore our beautifully rendered Planets, Moons, Rings, Stars, Constellations, Messier objects and much much more.
• Just point and view. Hold your Windows 8 AR enabled device up to the night sky and peer directly into the universe.
• Sit back and enjoy tours of all the planets, as Star Chart shows you views of our Solar System that you have never seen before.
• Shift forwards and backwards in time by up to 10,000 years.
• Share your beautiful screen captures, astronomical discoveries and night sky viewing with your friends, with the help of Windows 8 Share.
• A powerful and dynamic search function lets you search the entire night sky, utilising the new Windows 8 Search.
• Supports dynamic device orientation viewing. Allows you to view the night sky with your Windows 8 screen at any angle.
• Accurately depicts all the stars of the northern and southern hemispheres up to magnitude +10 – a total of over 120,000 stars!
• Explore all the planets of the Solar System, their moons, our Sun and our Moon.
• Features all 88 constellations, with intricate constellation imagery based on the beautiful artwork by 15th century astronomer Johannes Hevelius.
• Includes a complete re-mastered and high quality Messier catalogue of exotic deep sky objects.
• Select anything in the sky and get facts on what you are looking at, including distance, brightness and exact position in the sky.
• Very powerful zoom function lets you view the sky in extra detail.

 

Download Now: Star Chart