Orbit Help

The Orbit button lets you leave Earth behind, and orbit the Sun, other Solar System objects, and even nearby stars. Please Note: this feature is only available in SkySafari Plus and Pro!

Entering Orbit and Returning to Earth

To orbit a solar system object or another star, first select one by tapping on it in the sky chart, or by searching for one with the Search view. Then tap and hold your selected object to open the selection popup and select the Orbit button (looks like a rocket). In a few seconds, you'll fly through millions of miles of space into orbit near the object you selected.

If you select the Sun, you'll fly to a location 100 Astronomical Units above the Sun, where you can see the entire solar system as a whole.

When you want to go home to Earth, tap the small Earth icon at the bottom of the sky chart. SkySafari will fly you back to same Earthly location you left earlier.

Navigating in Orbit

When you're orbiting a solar system object or nearby star, that object stays locked at the center of the sky chart. Swiping the chart moves you around the object. Two new buttons at the bottom right of the sky chart let you fly toward or away from the object you're orbiting.

You can magnify the field of view by pinching and zooming, just as you can when viewing from Earth. Zooming will not move you toward or away from the object you're orbiting; it simply changes the sky chart's field of view.

Using SkySafari in Orbit

When you're orbiting another star or solar system object, certain SkySafari features are not available. For example, you cannot use the compass or gyroscope, and you cannot use any telescope control features. These features are only designed to work when you're observing from the Earth's surface!