Cool Atmospheric Data
The addition of atmospheric data has been a plus for an informative app. The atmospheric aspects will help students to appreciate connections between Earth environmental physics and physical chemistry.
Dr. Hooks
Will there be an addition of radiation exposure to the atmospheric data? Clearly, the Jovian system exposure would be lethal with current shielding technology and the Martian surface exposure will exceed current levels for nuclear power plant workers. Perhaps, a calculation of the solar flux would be sufficient.
Dr. Hooks
Consider updating the atmospheric data for Pluto. It has turned out that spectrometry from an occulting event allowed an analysis of the atmosphere of Pluto. Nitrogen, in a proportion similar to Earth, was evident. The reported information was published in Scientific American (Space & Physics October 03, 2013). This information has been intriguing for the anticipated flyby of Pluto.
Dr. Hooks
Dr. Hooks
Will there be an addition of radiation exposure to the atmospheric data? Clearly, the Jovian system exposure would be lethal with current shielding technology and the Martian surface exposure will exceed current levels for nuclear power plant workers. Perhaps, a calculation of the solar flux would be sufficient.
Dr. Hooks
Consider updating the atmospheric data for Pluto. It has turned out that spectrometry from an occulting event allowed an analysis of the atmosphere of Pluto. Nitrogen, in a proportion similar to Earth, was evident. The reported information was published in Scientific American (Space & Physics October 03, 2013). This information has been intriguing for the anticipated flyby of Pluto.
Dr. Hooks
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Inane! Clueless. Arcane. (Sad.)
March 2013 hardware comparability update does nothing to fix the design flaws of this software.
Prior Review:
The "tour" in the update is just a frame showing what you could see just as easily by clicking through the app's many screens. The first one reads, "Use Wien's law..." yet the app still lacks any explanation of who Wien was, what the law shows, or why it matters. Still just a calculator for folks who already know. Useless for teaching one's self astronomy.
Wolfram may be the King of the Nerds as a programmer, but he apparently needs some people-types to show him how or why data and calculations could be made to matter to actual customers. Wolfram needs to download a copy of Southern Star's SkySafari and read the fabulous Help pages as a model for just how good his app might be.
Prior Review:
Disappointing *
Still disappointing after the update. The "in-app recommendations" are just advertisements for Wolfram's other apps, cluttering the main page of a paid app. The many technical terms remain undefined. Something? Maybe Wikipedia links if Wolfram lacks the data?
This app might be useful for the last person in the universe taking a computational astronomy course using a textbook without an answer key. It presumably calculates all answers correctly, yet without explaining anything used in the calculation. There are sources listed, but most are not clickable links -- a "Wolfram" app denying the power of the Internet! It's a limited universal answer key, not a tutor.
Prior Review:
Disappointing *
It's just a calculator. Nothing is explained, illuminated, or defined. I thought it would be fun to play with, that I could learn a lot from it, but no.
Worse, it is slow and requires an Internet connection, even for simple tasks such as drawing a star chart or performing simple calculations. Those star charts and other results lack links to explain the objects on them.
Maybe this is a five-star calculator, so if you know exactly why you need it, buy it. If you're an autodidact who hopes to learn computational astronomy from it, skip it. If you're Wolfram, think about how much better this could be, and update it.
And, what's this? Immediately after I spend $5 for an unenthralling app that is not selling and review it as such, Wolfram puts it on sale?!
Prior Review:
The "tour" in the update is just a frame showing what you could see just as easily by clicking through the app's many screens. The first one reads, "Use Wien's law..." yet the app still lacks any explanation of who Wien was, what the law shows, or why it matters. Still just a calculator for folks who already know. Useless for teaching one's self astronomy.
Wolfram may be the King of the Nerds as a programmer, but he apparently needs some people-types to show him how or why data and calculations could be made to matter to actual customers. Wolfram needs to download a copy of Southern Star's SkySafari and read the fabulous Help pages as a model for just how good his app might be.
Prior Review:
Disappointing *
Still disappointing after the update. The "in-app recommendations" are just advertisements for Wolfram's other apps, cluttering the main page of a paid app. The many technical terms remain undefined. Something? Maybe Wikipedia links if Wolfram lacks the data?
This app might be useful for the last person in the universe taking a computational astronomy course using a textbook without an answer key. It presumably calculates all answers correctly, yet without explaining anything used in the calculation. There are sources listed, but most are not clickable links -- a "Wolfram" app denying the power of the Internet! It's a limited universal answer key, not a tutor.
Prior Review:
Disappointing *
It's just a calculator. Nothing is explained, illuminated, or defined. I thought it would be fun to play with, that I could learn a lot from it, but no.
Worse, it is slow and requires an Internet connection, even for simple tasks such as drawing a star chart or performing simple calculations. Those star charts and other results lack links to explain the objects on them.
Maybe this is a five-star calculator, so if you know exactly why you need it, buy it. If you're an autodidact who hopes to learn computational astronomy from it, skip it. If you're Wolfram, think about how much better this could be, and update it.
And, what's this? Immediately after I spend $5 for an unenthralling app that is not selling and review it as such, Wolfram puts it on sale?!
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Yuk
Ugly and slow. Very un-iPad app. A couple of usefull feature but not worth the price.
Grand Tour Continued ... ->
After 10 months from takeoff, There is now a needed update, which only enhances the package plus there is indeed built-in tour, which continues the experience to a new level.
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As a long time user of Mathematica (the first year it was released), and now using Algebra and Calculus Course Assistants as well as WolframAlpha, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Astronomy and now have it on the same day it was released. I *know* that it will provide countless hours of usage. This app is the one I have wanted since it was first announced ... almost anything concerning Math and/or Astronomy I can now solve, or at least get very close to an answer, on my iPad.
==========================
As a long time user of Mathematica (the first year it was released), and now using Algebra and Calculus Course Assistants as well as WolframAlpha, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Astronomy and now have it on the same day it was released. I *know* that it will provide countless hours of usage. This app is the one I have wanted since it was first announced ... almost anything concerning Math and/or Astronomy I can now solve, or at least get very close to an answer, on my iPad.
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Wolfram astronomy app
Would like to see declinations and right ascensions on constellation charts
