[BurningPlatform]

MoonCalc Pro is an advanced Moon tool. Provides real time calculations of Moon phase, age, illumination, distance, apparent size, coordinates (right ascension, declination, ecliptic latitude and longitude), azimuth, elevation, current constellation, moonrise and moonset times, perigees and apogees, full and new moons, Moon Compass, and more - for any location and date. Supports both GPS and manually entered geographic location coordinates.





Daily view shows all current data (as well as for any other selected date and location), monthly view displays summary of phases and illuminations in the current (or any other selected) month, "Perigees and Apogees" and "New and Full Moons" show lists of all corresponding events in a selected year, the Moon Compass lets one instantly find the Moon in the sky just by looking in the direction (and altitude) shown. "Moon Path" screen shows an interactive graph presenting Moon's path over your local sky throughout the day for any date and location. Built-in help pages explain all terms and data provided by the application.





Native Qt application using Qt components. Previous releases were best sellers on MeeGo and Symbian (see user reviews e.g. here). Available for all BB10 phone models.

Price: $1.99
Link: MoonCalc Pro - BlackBerry World

[zocster]

Nice, thanks for sharing your app!

[moosbb]

Very interesting !

[tdyhedge]

Any updates coming for StarFinder?

Via my simply amazing ? Q10 10.2.1.3247

[eldricho]

Interesting app!
Good luck with it

Posted via CB10

[BurningPlatform]

Thank you guys!

Any updates coming for StarFinder?

Yes, there will be an update, I think in August. It will bring more stars and Messier objects, and a simple "editor" to add objects by the user. I've been also thinking about some improvements to the list of objects - some filtering/ordering (e.g. stars listed either by magnitude or alphabetically or by constellation, etc.) and a search function.

[tdyhedge]

Well, I've only StarFinder. A search function and alphabetizing the current list would be great. Just a few observations and questions though:
Would it be possible to move the Settings and Menu buttons on the bottom bar to the top? As with normal BB10 behavior to hide it and swipe down to access? Also on my Q10, it always opens in landscape but quickly flips to portrait for some odd reason. And scrolling through text within the bottom portion most often is not smooth and fluid, sometimes even taking a little patience to access the top portion once again. But overall, I'd say it's a pretty decent app. Always happy to support developers on BlackBerry. Thanks.

Via my simply amazing ? Q10 10.2.1.3247

[BurningPlatform]

Hey, thank you for your feedback!

The problem with BB10 (for a Qt developer formerly developing for MeeGo, Symbian, and now also for Jolla/Sailfish OS) is that BB10 has both Qt4.8/QtQuick support, and its own Cascades. Which is a GOOD thing, but....

Cascades, although also based on QML and Qt, is completely different than QtQuick on all other Qt platforms (including the new Qt5 ones like Jolla or Ubuntu Touch). It is not a problem to learn it, but all applications (at least their QML UIs) need to be actually re-written from scratch due to fundamental differences, which is a PITA because developers need to maintain two completely separate versions: one for all Qt platforms (between which differences are really minor) and the other one for (similar but different) Cascades on BB10. Quite a huge, additional workload, and the more frustrating that BB10 actually has Qt4.8 and QtQuick 1.x support built-in.

So while there is no problem with making NEW apps which simply need to be done in Cascades, developers willing to port their EXISTING MeeGo or Symbian applications to BB10 have a serious dilemma and very often choose not to rewrite them in Cascades (which in case of complex apps would take weeks) but to keep them as they are and release them on BB10 using BB10 port of Qt Components - which makes it possible to reduce time and work needed to port an application to just days (and the same with all future updates which in such case can be done for all platforms at once rather than separately for Cascades). The disadvantage is that the UI isn't entierly BB10-native, hence the task bar at the bottom and a few other visual differences. The performance of SOME things (like e.g. flickable elements - scrollable texts etc.) also seems to be worse because BlackBerry (despite making Qt4.8/QtQuick available) never bothered to fully and properly optimize them.

Whenever I can, I make my apps for BB10 natively in Cascades. GeoCoder, EasyStreetView and one more application to be released in a week or two, are native Cascades apps, so they provide fully native BB10 expierience and performance. In case of a few other apps, like StarFinder, I decided to INITIALLY release on BB10 versions made in Qt/QtQuick (because they are fully usable and generally look and work fine with just a few minor issues like text scrolling smoothness), and then as soon as time permits re-write them in Cascades and release them as free updates for all users. Long story short, at some point, as soon as possible, as one of upcoming updates, you will get StarFinder rewritten natively in Cascades, with full native BB10 experience and performance (including the menu bar at the top, smooth text scrolling and everything else).

The problem with the screen rotating for a short while at launch must be a Q10/Q5-only issue as it doesn't happen on Z10 or Z30. I will take a look at it this week - I wish I had a real Q10 for testing my apps and not just the simulator. Can't afford buying one ATM, but maybe I'll be able to borrow one from someone. The task bar cannot be moved to the top as long as the application is Qt/QtQuick based - this will change to native BB10 behavior as soon as I rewrite it in Cascades.

Once again, thank you very much for your feedback. I'm glad that you like the app and I'll do my best to release the Cascades version asap, which will be as smooth as an app on BB10 can be.

[tdyhedge]

Thanks for your reply. I totally get it, the differences between coding in Qt vs Cascades. I thought that's what it was. I wasn't being negative in anyway. Just glad you're taking the time to try or to consider doing so. Best of luck.

Thanks mod...back to on topic...

Via my simply amazing ? Q10 10.2.1.3247

[SmileDahling]

Checking it out now. I look forward to a native Cascades app. Thanks, dev!

Posted via my beautiful Q10

[FF22]

Good luck with the app. It looks nice but missed the super moon by a few days!

[BurningPlatform]

It looks nice but missed the super moon by a few days!

Sorry, but I don't get what you mean....

"Super Moon" is when the Moon is full and at the same time it is at (or very near) its perigee - sometimes both events happen exactly at the same time (and in such case the Super Moon phenomenon is the brightest and biggest possible) and sometimes the Full moon happens a day before or a day after the perigee (and in such case the Super Moon effect is a tiny bit smaller and dimmer).

This application correctly reports the Full moon on July 11-12, and it correctly reports the perigee on early hours of July 13 (during the July 12/13 night). In July the Super moon phenomenon was on July 11-12 - on those days the Moon was full and it was very close to its perigee, which it reached on early July 13.

So all the data reported by MoonCalc were 100% correct.

MoonCalc also correctly reports the two remaining Super Moons this year: perigees on August 10 and September 8, and Full moons on August 10 and September 9. The August 10 Super Moon will be the biggest and brightest because both the perigee and Full moon will happen exactly on the same day. The July 11-12 Super Moon was dimmer and smaller than the August 10 one because the Moon at that time wasn't yet exactly at its perigee. The September 9 Super Moon (just like the July one) will also be a bit dimmer/smaller than in August because on September 9 the Full moon will already be past its perigee.

P.S. In the next version of the application (hopefully within a week or two) I will add a separate screen listing all Super Moons in a selected month or year, so that one does not have to check both Full moons and Perigees and "manually" compare them to find out when Super Moon will take place.

[FF22]

Yes, I meant that you posted the app just after the most recent SuperMoon occurred, not that the app missed those calculations. Sorry for any confusion. But also, thanks for even more info and explanation.

[BurningPlatform]

Yes, I meant that you posted the app just after the most recent SuperMoon occurred, not that the app missed those calculations. Sorry for any confusion. But also, thanks for even more info and explanation.

Oh, sorry for this misunderstanding The good thing is that it made me aware that MoonCalc needs a separate listing of all Super moons in a selected month/year, which I will add in the next release.

[tdyhedge]

One more idea...for StarFinder, would it be possible to create a quasi-search function? For example, if I aimed my phone at an early evening "star", could the search results be that Venus is the most likely object(s) at that particular azimuth and elevation, at that time? Thanks!

Via my simply amazing ? Q10 10.2.1.3247

[BurningPlatform]

One more idea...for StarFinder, would it be possible to create a quasi-search function? For example, if I aimed my phone at an early evening "star", could the search results be that Venus is the most likely object(s) at that particular azimuth and elevation, at that time? Thanks!

A *very* nice idea. I'll try to add it in the next release.

[BurningPlatform]

MoonCalc, formerly a Qt/QtQuick application, has been rewritten from scratch in Cascades, so now it is a fully native BB10 application, compatible with all devices and OS versions. This new version additionally provides the following features:

• switch between kilometers and miles as distance unit (e.g. in Perigees/Apogees view)
• Moon elevation shown both with and without atmospheric refraction
• azimuth shown as both numeric value and direction (e.g. NNW)
• improved "Moon Path" graph
• various other tweaks and improvements.

Some screenshots:

- Full touch









- Passport







- Q10 / Q5 / Classic

[FF22]

Oh, damn, it looks so pretty that I had to buy it!!!!!

edited to add: Passport reviews have been addressed.

[BurningPlatform]

Oh, damn, it looks so pretty that I had to buy it!!!!!

Thank you, hope you'll like it!

PS, I don't have the Passport but one of the reviewers is not happy about how it works on that platform. Have you addressed that or it just a bad review

The previous version wasn't Passport compatible and it was made available for the Passport by mistake (Blackberry enabled it automatically and I noticed it only after a few copies were bought by Passport owners).

This new version released today works perfectly fine on the Passport and on all other devices.

[BurningPlatform]

Another update of MoonCalc (1.3.0) has been submitted to BB World and should be available within a day or two.

This new update brings the following features:

- when minimized, the application now shows an Active Frame displaying current Moon data (phase name and image, illumination percentage, rise/set times, azimuth, elevation). It is dynamically updated every 30 seconds

- Share function in the menu to quickly and easily share current Moon data by email, SMS, on Twitter, Facebook, with other applications (e.g. Remember), etc.

Some screenshots:

[FF22]

Where did you get that "evening forest trail" wallpaper - it looks really nice.

[BurningPlatform]

Where did you get that "evening forest trail" wallpaper - it looks really nice.

You can find it (as well as a lot more of beautiful landscapes) here:
www.sliwinski-foto.eu/wyjazdy/Pieniny/IMG_4570

It is a ravine in Pieniny mountains in Poland and Slovakia.

[BurningPlatform]

I am pleased to inform that MoonCalc Pro is now Built For BlackBerry approved.



The most recent version also adds Magnetic North / True North selection for compass. If True North is selected, the application gets local magnetic variation (declination) and adds it to compass readings so that it points to geographic North (and thus also to astronomic North as the tiny difference between them is negligible).

MoonCalc Pro is currently the only Moon tracking tool for BB10 with Built For Blackberry designation.

It may take up to one day for the BFB designation to appear in the store as it has been approved only hours ago.

---
P.S. Kudos and thanks to the BFB team for how nice and easy it is to communicate with them. A striking difference compared to (R.I.P) Nokia developer support.

[andre3030]

This looks good!
I'm looking for some star tracking apps for doing astrophotography. Any recommendations?

Posted via CB10

[BurningPlatform]

I'm looking for some star tracking apps for doing astrophotography. Any recommendations?

I can recommend mine called StarFinder
http://forums.crackberry.com/app-ann...nstant-944906/

It is an application aimed STRICTLY at very quickly locating celestial objects (stars, galaxies, planets, nebulae, asterisms, etc.), hence no fancy 3D sky renderings but instead simple and obvious azimuth and altitude indicators - just turn in the direction and elevation shown and the selected object will be right behind the phone. It is meant to be simple and quick to use, not necessarily beautiful (but not very usable).

Additionally, for every supported object the application calculates a lot of astronomical data, including rise/set and transit times (so that you can always know when it'll become visible and when it'll be the highest in the sky where it is best visible), visual (apparent) magnitude, apparent diameter, and more.

There will be a large update within a day or two (details listed in the thread mentioned above).