PocketSat3 for iPhone and iPod Touch (v3.4)
PocketSat3 is a full-featured satellite tracking application for iPhone and iPod Touch devices,
and is designed to be usable by both experienced satellite trackers as well as novices who are just
interested in knowing when they can look up in the sky and see satellites. It is the 3rd major
revision in the PocketSat series, which has set the standard for portable satellite tracking since
1999. PocketSat3 can display real-time plots of multiple satellites on both Earth maps and Sky charts.
It also includes tools to predict when satellites will pass overhead and potentially be visible.
PocketSat3 is compatible with all iPhone and iPod Touch devices with iPhone OS 2.1 or greater.
Features of PocketSat3 include:
- Configurable to compute satellite visibility from any location on Earth. Can query the device for your current location.
- Orbital data can be downloaded directly from the Internet, even if it is in a zip file.
- Track and plot real-time positions of up to 1000 satellites simultaneously.
- Map view shows satellite position and orbit track on an Earth map.
- Sky view shows satellite position and path in the Sky, as well as current brightness.
- Sky view can show positions of Sun and Moon, as well as bright stars and constellations.
- "Night Vision Red" display option helps preserve your eyes' dark adaptation
- Flexible application clock can be set to any date and time as well as clock rate, allowing "what happens when…" experiments. You can make time stand still or even go backwards if you wish. A single button press restores the clock to current system time.
- "Pass" mode allows pre-calculation of satellites that will pass over a particular location during a given time span, including filters for minimum altitude and brightness and whether or not a satellite is lit by the Sun and thus potentially visible.
- Predicts Iridium flare events. Not just the really bright ones: all of them.
- Does not require an Internet connection to operate, though you will periodically need one in order to download orbital data.
- Uses full "revised" SGP4 and SDP4 orbit propagation algorithms, allowing accurate tracking of any satellite.
In addition to the full PocketSat3 application, there is also a less expensive "LE"
version available. It is identical to PocketSat3 except that it only works with a fixed
set of 40 of the brightest satellites in the sky. These include the International Space Station,
the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Space Shuttle (if it happens to be flying) so PocketSat3 LE is perfect for
the neophyte or casual satellite observer who would still like to use a full-featured tool.
Note that as a consequence of the fact that the LE version does not load data for any Iridium commuications satellites, it cannot predict
Iridium flare events.
How to purchase PocketSat3:
You can buy PocketSat3 either from iTunes or by visiting the App Store on your device.
In either case, searching for "PocketSat3" will get you to it. Or, you can use these links:
to start up iTunes on your computer and go straight to PocketSat3.