Welcome to star3map. This application allows you to point your phone at a certain place in the sky, no matter what time it is, and get an accurate view of the objects in the sky in that direction and at that moment. This includes stars, planets, constellations, and satellites, which are all labeled (even the direction 'Up'!). You may select any location on Earth and view the sky from what it looks like there. A newly added feature also allows you to select as many objects as you want and post what you have seen on Facebook. So, enjoy seeing the sky!



Here are the controls of star3map:



Here is the normal star viewing mode of star3map.


























To view satellites in star viewing mode, tap the picture of the satellite. You may also tap the icon to the right of it to switch between diffrent types of satellites. (Notice there is a loading message on the bottom of the screen.)


























The star icon means it is showing the (approx.) 152 brightest satellites in the sky.


























The diamond icon means it is showing (approx.) 66 amateur radio satellites.


























The block icon means it is showing (approx.) 92 Iridium Constellation satellites.


























Tap the picture of the eye to go into night mode. This makes it easier to see when outside in the darkness.


























Tap the compass rose to enable your phone's compass and be able to point you phone in any direction and accurately show what stars and satellites are in that direction.


























The Facebook icon is used to connect to Facebook. Simply tap the satellites, stars, planets, or constellations you saw, then tap the Facebook sign.



Fill in what you want in the field, then tap 'Publish'.


























To get to Earth Viewing mode, tap the Earth icon in the upper left-hand corner.



All the earth view controls are the same as the star view controls (except you can't select satellites...yet) but there are a few different controls. Tapping button one will send you back into star viewing mode. Button number two allows to to select which part of the world you want to be viewing stars and satellites from. Lastly, button three will use the GPS in your phone to position the red 'you are here' dot where you are.




















Also, the size and color of the stars you see in star viewing mode are scaled to the actual size of the stars and colored to the actual color of the star.



How to Find Satellites at Night

This section will tell you how to find satellites on your phone and view them in the sky.

To start looking for satellites, you need to go into Earth Viewing Mode and see whether any satellites are coming over or near where you are. If you see one, count how many groups of five dashes there are until it comes near, and that's how many minutes until the satellite is in your view.


























Also, make sure that your satellite is witihin the two black lines on globe view. The best time to see satellites is when you are within the two black lines. However, depending on how bright the satellite is, you may be able to see satellites before entering the black lines or after entering the black lines.


























Once the satellite is near or over you, step outside and go into star viewing mode on your phone, and make sure you have turned the compass on so you can see the stars that are in that direction when you point your phone at it. Also, if it is cloudy or foggy, you may not be able to see the satellite, depending on how bright it is. Look around with your phone and find out when the satellite is coming over your horizon (the blue line). On a clear night, with no significant clouds, and if the satellite is bright enough, you should be able to see a little star that moves. That is your satellite, hopefully.


























Tip: If you want, you can tap the satellite or satellites you just saw to select them, then press the Facebook icon to post a status of what satellites you just saw.

Information about the satellites

If you see a satellite that has the symbol "R/B" in it, it is a rocket booster, which are the remains of the launcher of a rocket.

























If you see a satellite with a name such as "CUTE-1 (CO-55)" or "OSCAR" it is most likely an amateur radio satellite, which are used for communication on different types of radio equipment. Most people use them to communicate with others on FM or SSB. You must get a license in order to use these amateur radio satellites for communication.





















An iridium satellite is basically any satellite with "IRIDIUM" in the name. They orbit the Earth in 100 minutes at 16,832 miles per hour. The satellites can be used with satellite phones, which can be purchased from Iridium. The Iridium satellite phones are more reliable, because you can communicate with other people when your cell network is disturbed or not availiable.





















Any of these satellites can be put into the brightest satellite category. It just depends on how bright they are.




The 10 Most Important Satellites


Satellites or satellite group Description
International Space Station (Zarya) The International Space Station began construction in Low Earth Orbit in 1998 and is scheduled for completion in 2011, and is hoped to stay operational until 2015 and likely will last until 2020. It provides an area to conduct experiments that require unusual conditions to get accurate results. The first part of the ISS to be launched into space was the module 'Zarya', and was launched on November 20th, 1998. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station
Hubble Space Telescope The HST was carried into orbit by a space shuttle in 1990. It was supposed to launch in 1983, but it was delayed by technical problems and budget issues. Within a few weeks of launch, they discovered there was a serious flaw in the optics, but were able to fix it and replace parts of the telescope. The HST enabled us to discover new things that could only be explain through new theories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope
The SL Rocket Boosters (SL-# R/B) The SL Rocket Boosters are remains of rocket lanchers launched by Russia. The SLs are names given to them by the US. Different numbers of The SLs have different names the the Russians call them. For example, we can see SL-12, but the Russians call it 'Proton'. We can also see SL-8, which the Russians call the 'Cosmos' series and 'Vslet'. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/rockets_launchers.html