iEphemeris review

Clare Hopping

We review iEphemeris Pro, an app for the Apple iPhone that allows you to track the moon in all its glory

Published on Sep 4, 2009

Astronomy and astrology aren't the first subjects you'd think of when talking iPhone apps, but there's a chance it won't be the last either. The App Store is full of apps that'll help you read the stars, but there are few that are focused on the sun and moon phases.

Although the maker says that iEphemeris is aimed at astronomers, it’s equally useful for those with an interest in moon, sun and earth phases.

The application features a sleek interface that constantly updates information, which means you'll need a permanent data connection.

The first screen is the location screen that includes the coordinates of your current location (calculated using Locate on the iPhone), date, time, Sidereal Time (time measured by the rotation of the Earth in relation to the stars), Julian Date (the interval of time in days and fractions of a day since January 1, 4713 BC) and sunrise, transit and sunset times.

Swipe your finger across the screen to view information about the current moon stage. When we were testing this application, London was in the Waxing Crescent phase.

Here, you’ll also find details about the moonset, moonrise, hour angle, moon age and distance. Below this information, you can find out when the next major phases of the moon are due, including full moon and new moon.

Swipe across the screen again and the sun information will appear. This screen includes details about the length of the current day, earth’s distance from the sun, angular diameter, ecliptic longitude and earth’s axial tilt.

Like many apps on the App Store, iEphemeris is probably too in depth for most people, but as an information app, or for those who would like to take an interest in astronomy to the next level, the interface of iEphemeris makes it simple to understand.

For those with more than just an interest in astronomy, it’s a must-have.