SoHO Viewer vs GlobeViewer Moon

SoHO Viewer is a simple application for downloading and displaying the latest images taken by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SoHO). It includes push notifications so you can be notified by a badge on the application when new images are available. It was quoted as “one of the ten best free applications to have on your iphone if you like stargazing:” http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/112210-free-iphone-stargazing-apps.html It appears in Mars 2015 edition of Sky And Telescope, page 70. Images are courtesy of SOHO consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. If you had like to see images taken by Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) please use the SDO Viewer application.

GlobeViewer Moon is an interactive and three-dimensional representation of the entire moon surface. The globe rotation view provides an overview of all the existing designations for various surface features. If you are interested in a specific region, an even higher resolution 3D map view can be loaded in order to take a close look at the craters, grooves and other features. There are four map modes available (elevation display, photo illustration, a combination of both and a grey texture for the telescope mode). These views were created from data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In addition, surface details (normal maps) have been obtained from the elevation data for the display, which can be combined with all map modes. Even the smallest craters, elevations, grooves and gorges are visible on the map. The lighting in the 3D map view is designed in such a way that the light can be directed into the crater from all directions. This is used to improve the visibility of height structures in the craters and is not intended to represent the real lighting situation. Realistic lighting that includes the ecliptic was also dispensed with in the globe view in favour of the visibility of the polar regions. In telescope mode the lighting is a realistic simulation including Moon phase and libration movement. So the app becomes a useful tool for telescope users. The app will recieve lot of updates in the future - this way, user feedback should flow into the further development. If you have any suggestions or ideas for further functions in the app, please contact us using the contact form on our website. We are looking forward to your feedback.