Comparison

ARMAS vs Aurora Tracker (Scientific)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ARMAS

Real-time radiation monitoring for aviation and space weather awareness. Pairs with hardware detectors or provides data from global systems for pilots and travelers.

Highlights
  • Real-time radiation monitoring
  • Space weather awareness
  • Pairs with ARMAS Flight Modules
  • Detects various radiation types
  • Global airspace coverage
  • Data from ground and space systems
Features
Read full description

The Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) program has been developed with NASA funding. It provides accurate, real-time radiation monitoring along with radiation and space weather awareness for the global airspace up to 100 km altitude. The ARMAS app is part of this program and does two tasks: - it pairs with and controls the 7th generation ARMAS Flight Module (FM7) and the 12th generation ARMAS Flight Module (FM12) radiation detector (purchased separately) to provide the highest quality, real-time dose and dose rates in aircraft and suborbital vehicles. It is sensitive to radiation from all sources including heavy ions, alphas, protons, neutrons, electrons, and gamma-rays. - it provides radiation awareness by hosting real-time space weather data coming from dozens of ground- and space-based systems that report all the information relevant to radiation processes without requiring a purchase of the FM7 or FM12. ARMAS is the 'gold-standard' in real-time radiation monitoring and awareness used by professional pilots, business travelers, and commercial space tourists. The ARMAS program is developed and operated by Space Environment Technologies, which specializes in space weather as an official NOAA "Weather Ready Nation" Ambassador.

About

Aurora Tracker (Scientific)

Features
Read full description

Aurora Tracker is a real-time space weather monitoring station for aurora hunters. It combines data from NASA, NOAA, and ground-based observatories into one interface designed for making go/no-go decisions about aurora viewing. REAL-TIME AURORA PROBABILITY A 72-hour probability forecast that combines the OVATION auroral model, live solar wind measurements from the DSCOVR satellite at L1, cloud cover predictions, and your exact latitude. Shows your best viewing window — the exact hours with the highest chance of seeing aurora at your location. SOLAR WIND MONITORING Live data from the DSCOVR satellite, 1.5 million km from Earth: • IMF Bz — the single most important aurora trigger (southward = aurora) • Solar wind speed — faster wind = stronger geomagnetic response • Proton density — higher density amplifies storm effects • IMF Bt — total interplanetary magnetic field strength All measurements include ENLIL model overlays showing predicted solar wind arrival. GEOMAGNETIC INDICES • Kp Index — 3-day planetary geomagnetic forecast from NOAA SWPC • Dst Index — real-time ring current strength from Kyoto WDC • GOES Magnetometer — geostationary orbit field measurements • Ground magnetometers — nearest station to your location SMART AURORA HUNT MODE Set your departure time and maximum driving range. The app generates a candidate grid, calculates real driving times via OSRM, fetches cloud cover forecasts at your arrival time for each direction, and ranks the top 5 viewing spots on a map with route lines. Each spot shows viewing score, drive time, cloud forecast, and a Navigate button for turn-by-turn directions. OVATION AURORA MAP Real-time OVATION Prime aurora oval heatmap overlaid on a dark map with cloud cover tiles. Tap anywhere to set your location and check conditions for that spot. 26 LIVE AURORA WEBCAMS All-sky cameras and horizon views from Svalbard (78°N) to New Zealand (45°S), sorted by latitude. Images auto-refresh every 30 seconds. See if aurora is visible at other locations before heading out yourself. SPACE WEATHER DEEP DIVE • 3-day storm probability forecasts (high and mid latitude) • Predicted K values by 3-hour block • NASA DONKI events — CMEs, solar flares, geomagnetic storms • NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center written forecast • 27-day solar rotation outlook YOUR LOCATION, YOUR CONDITIONS • Cloud cover forecast — total, low cloud, and precipitation probability • Darkness windows — astronomical twilight times for tonight • Moon phase and illumination — bright moons wash out faint aurora • Coordinates, timezone, and geomagnetic latitude Data sources: NOAA SWPC, NASA DSCOVR, OVATION Prime, WSA-ENLIL, Kyoto WDC, GOES Magnetometer, USGS Ground Magnetometers, Open-Meteo, NASA DONKI.

Screenshots

ARMAS4 screens
Aurora Tracker (Scientific)3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Aurora Tracker (Scientific) at none against ARMAS's 3. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ARMAS sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Aurora Tracker (Scientific) asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ARMAS versus Aurora Tracker (Scientific): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARMASAurora Tracker (Scientific)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.014.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpace Environment Technologies, LLC.Jansen Teng Weng Nang

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ARMAS

Subscriptions2
  • Premier$2.991 Year
  • Professional$2.991 Year
One-time1
  • Member$2.99
None

Aurora Tracker (Scientific)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ARMAS free?
ARMAS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aurora Tracker (Scientific) free?
Aurora Tracker (Scientific) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ARMAS or Aurora Tracker (Scientific) have ads?
Neither ARMAS nor Aurora Tracker (Scientific) shows ads.

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