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raCompass app for iPhone and iPad


4.4 ( 6384 ratings )
Navigation Education
Developer: nikolaus altmann
Free
Current version: 1.2.2, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 11 Nov 2015
App size: 12.22 Mb

raCompass connects a magnetic compass to the celestial coordinate system, i.e. the celestial sphere. It relates heading and right ascension through proper aligned rings. An additional ring shows the ecliptic with the zodiac to get an idea of the orientation of the celestial sphere in relation to observer (Device) site. The compass gives information about right ascension, declination and local sidereal mean time (LMST=RA at heading south). This allows quick orientation in the night sky.

The red colored display is for reading comfort in dark environments.

Time and location the observer are automatically regarded.

The outer ring indicates the compass heading.
The middle ring shows the celestial horizon, i.e zero declination.
The inner ring outlines the ecliptic.

Controls:
One-Finger-Swipe for rotation.
Rotation-Gesture for rotating around the third axis.
Two-Finger-Swipe for move.
Zoom-gesture for zooming.
Double-tap on black for resetting the view.
Tap on the inner ring to get a legend of zodiac-symbols.