Solar System Builder AR vs DIY Solar System

"Solar System Builder AR is a terrific app to have. Whether you truly want to learn about the stars and planets, read funny jokes about space or want to create your own dynamic solar system, this app provides the perfect augmented reality environment to do just that! You'll be able to explore and learn, and have fun at the same time, all through the magic of AR." • This is the first app of its kind in which you can create your own complete solar system with orbital physics in an augmented reality environment providing a fun experience and an educational opportunity alike. • With real world augmented reality tracking, you can now place stars/planets/moons/whole solar systems in orbit in your own bedroom/classroom/outside environment. You can move around and study your creation, send objects into orbit from far away or up close at different velocities and watch the magic happen. • There are lots of stars/planets/moons to play around with besides the ones in our solar system. Explore what other alien worlds might look like with special artist depictions of far away planets! • Solar System Builder AR brings a great opportunity for parents and educators alike to get kids interested in the inner workings of our grand universe. Visualize how gravity effects all things around us, learn how stellar objects orbit each other and learn useful information about all the different types of bodies available in the cosmos, all while providing a fun and engaging experience. Features: • Move objects around even after they are placed in orbit and study the effects. • Complete physics simulation of the motion of celestial objects as influenced by gravity. • Orbital trails(optional) to visualize the effects the gravitational pull has. • A total of 35 celestial bodies to choose from when you design your universe(the planets and moons in our solar system included). • Possibility to create a static solar system for up close studying of planets, moons and stars. • Select an object and learn more about it in the information tab available. • Great educational opportunity for teachers and parents alike to teach kids about the objects in cosmos, gravity and orbits, in a fun way. • No ads or annoying pop-ups for a smooth experience.

DIY Solar System makes it easy for families and educators to explore the solar system from anywhere, anytime! The app was developed by the Children’s Creativity Museum, Sciencenter, and Museum of Life and Science, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science. INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES DIY Solar System includes 11 easy-to-use activities to learn about space travel, living in space, and the unique objects that make up the planetary system we call home. Design a Moon base, grow your own space garden, or experience what it’s like to control a rover on Mars! Each activity includes step-by-step instructions that have been tested by educators, kids, and families. Activity materials are easily available and inexpensive—you may already have many of them in your home! AUGMENTED REALITY PLANET WALK Don’t have the time to travel several billion miles to reach Neptune? Try dropping a scale version of the solar system outside your home to start a walk that will show you planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids. At each stop, examine the space object up close using real images from NASA. Don’t forget to take a space selfie with your favorite planet! IN OR OUT GAME Quickly scan awe-inspiring images of space objects from NASA’s Earth and space observatories to decide if the objects are in or out of the solar system. While the solar system is vast, it only represents a tiny corner of the universe. After you have mastered your solar system knowledge, challenge yourself to a new round of objects in or out of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Funding Source This work was supported by NASA under award number 80NSSC21M0082. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs are those of the author and do not reflect the views of NASA. Compatibility Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone and iPad. Rated 4+.