Date: July 29, 2010
Title: Astronomy and the iPad
Podcaster: TecnoCasters
Organization: http://www.tecnocasters.com/
Description: The Tecnocasters discuss different astronomy apps for the iPad.
Bio: TecnoCasters is the best technology podcast in Spanish. Hosted by Juan D. Guevara, Pedro Riveroll, Lorena Galan and Raul Mitre, TecnoCasters offers a funny and friendly point of view about the gadgets and technology you’ll come across in your ordinary day.
Produced simultaneously in the US and Mexico, TecnoCasters is an international podcast, specially created for the Spanish speaking audience in the world and or for all of those who want to improve their Spanish speaking skills and love technology at the same time.
Today’s sponsor: This episode of “365 Days of Astronomy” is sponsored by the NASA Lunar Science Institute at lunarscience.nasa.gov/, proud co-Founders of International Observe the Moon Night, around the globe on September 18th. More information at bit.ly/nomn.
Transcript:
Episode 365 Days Of Astronomy : By TecnoCasters
Publication July, 29 2010
INTRO – JDGT
Hello everyone and welcome to this Episode of 365 days of Astronomy. My name is Juan Guevara Torres , Host of TecnoCasters – the best technology podcast En espanol. You can be in touch with us our website www.tecnocasters.com, via twitter twitter.com/tecnocasters
We are very happy and thrilled to be here with you all once again. We want to thank Nancy Atkinson, Senior Editor of Universe Today and Producer of Astronomy Cast for letting TecnoCasters be a part of such a cool project like the 365 Days of Astronomy.
Please check out www.365daysofastronomy.com for more information about this podcast and the many ways you can support this effort.
The Ipad has become in my opinion one of the best gadgets to own. However, how practical is it for folks who love Astronomy? Well, very much so. In today’s episode, let me suggest to you 5 of the best Astronomy Apps out there for the Ipad:
1) “Star Walk for iPad” (Vito Technology Inc.)
it’s easily the best one out there. This application comes with an abundance of information, and it can act as your own personal planetarium as you explore the cosmos. Use the Digital Compass and the swath of sky above you will recreated on your device, allowing you to explore any given section of it with a tap on the screen. There’s also a nifty Time Machine mode, when you can jump ahead to a future date to see how the stars will look at that point. You can see moon phases in real time, while getting the known facts on most constellations and planets through Wikipedia links. And it’s all done through a handy set-up that shows you everything you need to know — and even some stuff you didn’t. “Star Walk” is out of this world.
2) “SkyVoyager” (Carina Software)
While “SkyVoyager” is a more expensive visionary tool than “Star Walk” ever could be, it also brings a pair of additional items that astronomers will think are utterly cool. First off, you can connect the application through Wi-Fi to a computer-controlled telescope, enabling you to look at the stars in real time. Granted, it helps to actually own one of these, but there are a few of you out there who probably have one around the college lab or something. In addition, Time Flow allows you to follow the course of a planet or star system for days, weeks, or even years, but compressed into only a few seconds. The touch display is user-friendly, and some of the images are absolutely dazzling. If you’re all about seeing stars, this is a nice complementary buy to go with “Star Walk.”
3) Emerald Observatory for iPad” (Emerald Sequoia, $.99)
Rather than a full-on exploration program, “Emerald Observatory for iPad” is more like an astronomical clock. Still, for those of you who are into that sort of thing, it does its job dynamically. You can track a number of things with this tool, including the setting and rising of different planets (including the moon and the sun), the Heliocentric orrery of each planet (basically their rotation around the sun), solar and UTC time monitoring, and the ability to find altitude and azimuth for each planet, though you’ll need to do them separately. It’s a bit technical, and you’ll get lost if you don’t quite understand astronomy, but some people will find this “Observatory” well worth visiting. Especially for only a dollar.
4) “Galaxy Collider HD” (Klaus Engel, $1.99)
You remember that song by Powerman 5000 called “When Worlds Collide?” Well, “Galaxy Collider HD” lets you do just that, smashing two galaxies into one another and watching the cataclysm that follows. You do this by simulating the physics of both galaxies, then mushing them together like peanut butter and chocolate and watching the fun unfold. Just for fun, you can also change viewpoints and certain physics for each galaxy to see what would change with each head-on scenario. While a bit unrealistic at times, “Galaxy Collider” is great to get lost in, since you’ll probably never see something like this in real life.
5) “Moon Atlas” (Horsham Online Limited, $5.99)
Suppose you didn’t feel like exploring the whole galaxy, and instead just wanted to focus on a specific spot — like, in this case, the moon. “Moon Atlas” is your program of choice here, as you can scan it using a faithfully recreated 3-D globe of our planet’s celestial neighbor. Check out minute details, such as phase, angular sizes and craters, or go looking at the one of 28 spacecraft that landed on the moon for a quick history lesson. It’s the next best thing to checking out the real thing on your dad’s telescope, and far more interactive.
Well, that is all for us today. Be sure to check www.365dayofastronomy.org to keep up with this podcast!! And for those who love gadgets and technology and speak spanish dont forget so subscribe to the TecnoCasters – the best technology postcast en Espanol, in Itunes.
Don’t forget to follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/guevarajd
My name is Juan Guevara Torres, host of TecnoCasters, and … thanks for listening!
Website: www.tecnocasters.com
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
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The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Astrosphere New Media Association. Audio post-production by Preston Gibson. Bandwidth donated by libsyn.com and wizzard media. Web design by Clockwork Active Media Systems. You may reproduce and distribute this audio for non-commercial purposes. Please consider supporting the podcast with a few dollars (or Euros!). Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org. Until tomorrow…goodbye.