# Moon Globe HD

> Interactive 3D model of the Moon with realistic lighting and terrain data. (iPhone/iPad app by Midnight Martian.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-globe-hd/id376000038 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Midnight Martian](https://appshunter.io/developer/284473660)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: $0.99
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 149 App Store ratings · 149 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 7.0 · 245 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2010-06-28
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-globe-hd/id376000038/reviews.md

## What is Moon Globe HD?

Hold the Moon in your hands. Moon Globe HD turns your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into a precision instrument for viewing Earth's Moon. Satellite imagery and topographic laser altimeter data are combined to render the Moon with realistic lighting in realtime 3D. 

Use the multitouch screen to manipulate the view. Spin above the surface, or switch to Telescope mode to see the Moon as it appears from your location on Earth. Adjust the display time and watch the sunlight shift over the lunar landscape. A "tag cloud" floats just above the surface, labeling terrain features and spacecraft; touch any label to find out more about that feature. Moon Globe also shows you where the Moon and Sun are in the sky with its dynamic sky compass. 

PLEASE NOTE:  Regular Moon Globe is a smaller download and is free. This HD version has slightly, not extremely, better resolution.

## Key features

- Real-time 3D lunar rendering
- Realistic lighting simulation
- Multitouch navigation
- Telescope mode
- Labeled terrain and spacecraft
- Dynamic sky compass

## What do users think of Moon Globe HD?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🌙 Stunning high-resolution lunar imagery
- 👍 Excellent for amateur astronomers and telescope users
- 🔄 Flexible viewing modes (telescope view, globe view, mirrored)
- 💡 Accurate moon phase and illumination simulation
- 🎯 Comprehensive crater and feature identification with labels
- 📱 Works smoothly on mobile devices (iPhone/iPad)
- 🌍 Shows Apollo landing sites and spacecraft locations
- ⏰ Time-slider feature to see moon phases across lunar month
- 🔗 Wikipedia links for detailed feature information
- 💰 Excellent value for low price
- 🎨 Beautiful 3D rendering and visual design
- 🧭 Configurable orientation options for different telescope types

**Cons**

- ⏱️ No updates for 8+ years
- 🔗 Dead support links and broken URLs
- 🖱️ No mouse/trackpad support on Mac/iPad
- ❌ Missing recent lunar missions (Chinese landers, etc.)
- 🔍 Limited zoom capability compared to Google Earth
- 📏 Lacks advanced data (latitude/longitude, libration, gravity maps)
- 🌓 Poorly defined terminator line (should be sharp, not gradual)
- 📱 iPad version not significantly better than iPhone version
- 🔤 White text unreadable on bright lunar features
- 🖥️ iPad version requires menu navigation for telescope view
- 🎯 Search feature exits telescope view and loses orientation
- 📍 Location-based features don't work properly

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App not updated in 8 years, compatibility concerns
- Support links lead to dead URLs
- Location services don't work accurately
- Terminator line appears fuzzy instead of sharp
- iPad version lacks smooth telescope view access
- Search feature causes app to exit telescope mode
- Feature search doesn't maintain feature visibility after search
- White text invisible on bright crater areas
- No zoom difference between free and HD versions (reported by some users)
- Unexpected app closure when sharing wiki pages to OneNote
- Aliasing/jagging artifacts along lunar horizon
- Label resolution degrades when zoomed in
- Latitude/longitude perspective feature not functioning

**Most requested features**

- Mouse and trackpad support for Mac and iPad
- Zoom and scroll buttons for easier navigation
- Update with latest lunar landers and missions
- Topography, gravity, and magnetic field maps
- Moon phase names (full moon, new moon, etc.)
- Grid overlay for scale reference
- Measurement tool similar to Google Earth
- Higher resolution imagery and greater zoom depth
- Lunar latitude and longitude coordinates display
- Libration information and ephemeris data
- Selenographic co-longitude of sun
- Secondary crater nomenclature
- Ranger spacecraft impact points
- Print and save functionality
- Earth glow simulation option
- Transparent labels to show terrain context
- Improved text contrast with black borders on white labels
- Observing list feature to keep selected features highlighted
- Manual coordinate entry for location
- High-resolution labels when zoomed in
- Automatic location feature improvements

## Recent user reviews (10 of 149)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-globe-hd/id376000038/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Made for each other

*2026-06-13*

Great companion app for crater  hopping with a decent telescope…

### 5/5 — Toll

*2026-03-17*

Macht Spaß!

### 5/5 — Great app on mobile

*2025-12-08*

This is a great app on phone and iPad, in fact the best Moon atlas for mobile. It would also be a great app for the Mac (or iPad with touchpad or mouse) if mouse support was added, or at the very least zoom and scroll buttons.

### 5/5 — Best moon globe app

*2025-01-19*

Detailed moon globe with names, and accurate moon phase.  Great for identifying moon stuff when looking through a telescope.

### 5/5 — Good for orientation

*2024-06-04*

Nice little app that does what it is meant for: It helps to identify the structures which you see in the telescope, and lets you adapt the view to the type of your telescope. Can also show you the back of the moon, but the current view of the moon is the interesting part when you own a telescope. Well worth the money.

### 5/5 — 月をぐるぐるして裏側も見られる

*2024-02-12*

天文学、宇宙、NASA、JAXA、月齢に興味がある人なら絶対に後悔しない出来。無料版のHDじゃない方でも実は解像度はそれほど変わらないけど、こっちはもう少し寄れます。クオリティを考えればもっとぜんぜんぼったくっていいんだよ！有料でアップデートして欲しい。

### 5/5 — Замечательно

*2024-01-07*

Дети в восторге. Я тоже.

### 5/5 — Great App

*2023-05-27*

Very pleased with the information that this app shows.

### 5/5 — No update for 8 years

*2023-01-25*

This is a superb app for moon topography and still works well although has not been updated for 8 years. Perhaps the answer is simply that it does not need updated. I would however like to know if it is now an orphan app?

### 2/5 — Good, but out of date and unsupported

*2022-02-23*

Does not have the latest Lunar Landers, for example the Chinese lander. Has not been updated in 4 years. App Support links to a dead URL. All of which is a real shame, as it’s a really nice app!

## Frequently asked questions about Moon Globe HD

### What does Moon Globe HD do?

Moon Globe HD transforms your device into a detailed 3D model of the Moon. It uses satellite imagery and topographic data to render the Moon with realistic lighting that changes in real-time. You can explore its surface, identify features, and even see the Moon as it appears from Earth.

### What are the key features of Moon Globe HD?

Key features include real-time 3D rendering of the Moon with realistic lighting, multitouch controls for navigation, a Telescope mode to view the Moon from your location on Earth, labels for terrain features and spacecraft, and a dynamic sky compass showing the Moon and Sun's positions.

### How much does Moon Globe HD cost?

This is the HD version of the app, which is a paid application. There is also a regular, free version available with slightly lower resolution.

### What devices is Moon Globe HD compatible with?

The app is designed for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices, leveraging their multitouch screens for an interactive experience.

### Who would find Moon Globe HD useful?

This app is ideal for amateur astronomers, students learning about space, or anyone with a general interest in the Moon and its geography. It provides an engaging and educational way to explore lunar features and understand its relationship with Earth.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3 — 2014-10-08

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included.

• Updated for iOS 7 and iOS 8. iOS 7 or later is required for this update.
• Supports full resolution on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
• The Sky Compass projection is now based on angular elevation. This better indicates how high the Moon and Sun are in the sky.

### 2.2.4 — 2012-09-28

Improved spin rate, especially for iPhone 5.

### 2.2.3 — 2012-09-19

- Support for iPhone 5 and iOS 6.
- The minimum required iOS version is now iOS 4.3.

### 2.2.1 — 2012-04-07

Graphics performance improvements.

### 2.2 — 2012-03-26

- Updated for full resolution on the new iPad.
- Improved lighting map generated from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Wide Angle Camera Digital Terrain Model (LRO WAC DTM).

## Apps similar to Moon Globe HD

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [PushToCam for Telescope](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pushtocam-for-telescope/id1639616441) | 4.3 (8) | Free | Education |
| [Deep-Sky Planner ME](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deep-sky-planner-me/id1375351170) | 1.0 (1) | $10.99 | Education |
| [PegasusAstro Unity](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pegasusastro-unity/id1663343148) | 1.0 (8) | Free | Education |
| [ScopeBoss](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scopeboss/id948492188) | 4.0 (6) | Free | Education |
| [SoHO Viewer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soho-viewer/id356679615) | 3.4 (19) | Free | Education |
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## More apps by Midnight Martian

- [Moonlight Mahjong](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moonlight-mahjong/id284943962)
- [Moonlight Mahjong Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moonlight-mahjong-lite/id285490012)
- [Mars Globe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-globe/id324185998)
- [Moon Globe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moon-globe/id333180321)
- [Mars Globe HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mars-globe-hd/id376020224)

All apps by Midnight Martian: https://appshunter.io/developer/284473660

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*