Solar Book vs Real Solar System
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Solar Book
This app provides detailed information about solar eclipses, including timings for different phases based on your location. It allows you to view sequential images and star charts for planning and observation.
- Solar eclipse phase timing
- Location-based eclipse calculations
- Sequential eclipse image display
- Star chart visualization
- Past and future eclipse planning
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The Solar Book is an app for smart-phones and tablets for a solar eclipse. The Solar Book shows at what time each portion of the Sun is covered by the Moon during a solar eclipse. The beginning time of a solar eclipse, time of the maximum phase of the solar eclipse and the ending time of the solar eclipse will change depending on the location of your observing area. The Solar Book will show you the eclipse phases at your location. Your location for observing the solar eclipse can be designated with use of the location setup dialog box. This allows you to plan in advance the progression of the eclipse. Sequential images of the solar eclipse will be displayed in the appropriate order when you tap on the eclipse thumbnail images icon on the lower right of the screen. Solar eclipses can be displayed by designating the date of a solar eclipse in the past or the future if you cannot find it in a list of the selection. The Solar Book will show you a star chart of the sky at your place of observation if the solar eclipse is not selected.
Real Solar System
Explore a realistic solar system simulation using augmented reality. View the orbits of planets and celestial bodies based on real-time data, with adjustable speeds and zoom functions. Discover different objects and learn about their positions in space.
- Realistic AR solar system simulation
- Orbits of 8 planets displayed
- Realistic planet textures
- Planet positions based on real values
- Adjustable speed and zoom
- Changeable celestial objects
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This solar system simulator reflects actual planetary position information. When the app is launched, the sun is positioned 20 cm in front of the device, based on the device's position. Around it, the eight main planets of the solar system and the celestial body to be observed orbit. The orbits are displayed as if they were trajectories. The position of each planet is calculated based on actual values. # Features - x] Realistic solar system with ARKit - x] Orbits of the 8 planets are displayed. - x] Planets are realistic textures imported from USDZ files. - x] Planet positions are calculated based on real values (using Horizons API) - x] The object to be observed can be changed. - x] Display of the orbit of the object of interest - x] Calculate the position of the target object based on actual values (using the Horizons API). - x] Adjustable speed (minus value for reverse rotation) - x] Zoom function (zoom in/zoom out) - x] Toggle the display of the text information and the coordinate axis (New!) ## How to use 1. when you launch the application, you will be asked for "permission to use camera" at the first startup. If you allow it, an ARKit session will start. 2. 2. a coordinate axis will be placed 20 cm in front of you, based on the device's position. 3. Tap the "Load Planet" button to load the planet model. Just wait a moment. 4. The 8 main planets of the solar system and the object to be observed will orbit around it. 5. Move the device to observe the solar system from various angles. 6. Tap the buttons at the bottom of the screen to adjust the speed and zoom. 7. You can change the object to be observed from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. 1. Halley's Comet 2. Hayabusa2 & Ryugyu 3. Voyager 1 & 2 4. New Horizons & Pluto 5. Cassini (New!) 6. OSIRIS-REx & Bennu 7. Comparison of Circle and Ellipse 8. Geocentric theory (New!) 8. Toggle the display of the text information and the coordinate axis from the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. (New!)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Solar Book at 4.8 against Real Solar System's 1.0. Solar Book also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). Real Solar System's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 14 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Solar Book holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
Solar Book ships an update every 14 months, Real Solar System monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Solar Book | Real Solar System |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 302 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vixen Co.,Ltd. | Masaya Nagaoka |
In-app purchases
Solar Book
No in-app purchases
Real Solar System
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Solar Book free?
Is Real Solar System free?
Which has better reviews, Solar Book or Real Solar System?
Do Solar Book or Real Solar System have ads?
Which is updated more often, Solar Book or Real Solar System?
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