Coming soon: Deep-Sky Planner Mobile Edition

Knightware is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Deep-Sky Planner Mobile Edition. It is planned for release in Q1 2019 for Android and iOS devices. It is currently targeted at 7 inch and larger tablets with support for phone-sized screens also coming.

The app has been under evaluation since 2014 and in development since late 2017. A few features remain to be developed for the initial release. Once all features have been added there will be a small, focused beta test program.

The app is designed to be used with or without Deep-Sky Planner Desktop Edition (for Windows). Mobile Edition users will have access to the Deep-Sky Planner Plan Library and equipment lists on the Knightware website. Users of the Desktop Edition will be able to create their own observing plans, equipment lists and location lists, and transfer them to the Mobile Edition via cloud storage services.

The screenshots below were acquired on a 9.7" iPad with the app running its blue-green Calypso skin and the red and black Nightvision skin.The app will ship with several additional skins.

Main app window - Calypso skin

Main app window - Nightvision skin

The observing plan window below shows deep-sky objects in the Messier list. The window includes catalog data, ephemeral (calculated) data and visibility modeling. Stars, doubles, variables, planets, asteroids and comets are also supported.

Plan window - Calypso skin

Plan window - Nightvision skin

Please stay tuned for more information about Deep-Sky Planner Mobile Edition in the weeks to come.

Reviving the Blog

for Android & iOS

It's been a very busy year at Knightware. We have been hard at work on new products while maintaining existing ones. Our newest product, DarkZone, was released in April. It is a very simple app for iOS and Android that converts darkness readings among units (MPSAS, NELM, mcdpsm). It's quite handy if you find yourself needing to convert among these units.

Another mobile app is still being developed. We will make a pre-announcement about it on October 12 at the International Astronomy Show (IAS) at Stoneleigh Park, UK. We will have it available for demonstration there so please stop by our stand (#9) for a quick peek. Once we return to the office from the UK, details about the product will appear on this blog. Please stay tuned for these posts.

With that out of the way, I'd like to share some thoughts about astronomy trade shows and IAS in particular. Knighware has attended several astronomy shows over the past 10 years - most often appearing at NEAF in New York, but also appearing at PATS in California and AstroCATS in Ontario, Canada. Common themes at all of these shows have been meeting users of Knightware's software and learning how other astronomers go about viewing and imaging the night sky. While product sales are important at each show, networking with users, manufacturers and media people are all benefits of going on the road.

Attending IAS in the UK has been on the radar for quite a while. The show has had several years now to mature into an important event for the UK and Europe in general. Meeting some of the many Deep-Sky Planner (DSP) and SQM Reader Pro (SQMRP) users from Europe will be rewarding, as will seeing new equipment and meeting new people.

Along with the upcoming product pre-announcement, we will demonstrate both DSP and SQMRP at IAS. Both will be available from the Knightware Online Store, and DSP will be on offer to show attendees at a special discount price.

If you are a DSP or SQMRP user, please come by stand #9 at IAS and introduce yourself. If you are not able to attend, please watch our social media pages for pictures and posts from IAS.

https://www.facebook.com/deepskyplanner