How does Sky Map work exactly?

[mrbyte]

I just got my EVO and downloaded Sky Map. I was blown away that I could point my phone into the sky and have the stars show up like as if it was a window to the stars. Does anyone know exactly how this works?

I know GPS only gives a point on the surface of the earth. Gyros can tell if the phone is turned and what not. I was thinking before I started that app that I'd have to calibrate it to a particular star before use like some of the telescope stabilizers. How does it know exactly where to point right out of the box?

 

[cookie_monster]

i am currious about htis my self. I was like really is it just right of the box ready to go, or is there something else i need to do hopefully we get something from this!!!!


Great post

 

[mcrackin]

I think you answered your own question. A combination of the GPS and Gyros. GPS tells your phone where you are on the surface of the Earth, and Gyros tells your phone what direction your phone is pointed (like the compass and 'bubble-level' apps know which way is North and horizontal).

 

[Rokcet Scientist]

I think you answered your own question. A combination of the GPS and Gyros. GPS tells your phone where you are on the surface of the Earth, and Gyros tells your phone what direction your phone is pointed (like the compass and 'bubble-level' apps know which way is North and horizontal).

Indeed. That's part 1.
Part 2 is: and then it sends those data to the Google Sky Map database to be matched with the image(s) they've got of that part of the sky, which is/are then beamed back to your phone's screen.

 

[mrbyte]

@mcrackin: Okay. Makes sense. My last phones compass was more of a gimmick I thought than to be actually useful. I can see that if the EVO has a decent compass then it would work.

@Rokcet: Yeah..it blows me away that its a device just a little larger than a deck of cards.

 

[Rokcet Scientist]

Yeah..it blows me away that its a device just a little larger than a deck of cards.

Come to think of it: that database of images of the sky may even be resident on your 'deck of cards'... Inside, or related to, the Google Sky Map app. It's not a big db at all after all.

 

[mrbyte]

Come to think of it: that database of images of the sky may even be resident on your 'deck of cards'... Inside, or related to, the Google Sky Map app. It's not a big db at all after all.

I just tried it with airplane mode on and it works.