Awesome skygazing aid  
By: Hawaii Star - Jun 18, 2009
Version: 1.0
This is one of the coolest apps I've seen yet. So easy to identify planets, stars and constellations in the night sky, find out when they rise and set, etc. Just scroll the display to the compass direction you're facing and hold the phone up in front of you. Very elegant!Plus there's tons of descriptive and astronomical data should you want it. I can't even use perhaps the coolest feature, which is the scope control. Makes me want to get a telescope again!

Impress Friends at Next Campout  
By: LMPicard - Jun 19, 2009
Version: 1.0
Wow! A friend of mine told me about this software and that it is totally worth the money. Incredible as you can fly around the sky on your iPhone, oriented to your exact location with CURRENT and live changes (including sunrise, moonrise and set). Further, i had instant access to plethora of data (or so it seems) on every constellation, star, planet, moon in the visible (and not visible) sky. I think I first started on Jupiter and spent a good 30 minutes reading the details on gases, its moons and amazing NASA and voyager photos within the ap once I selected the planet in the sky. I understand this has deep data for over 300k stars. Astounding. Can't wait until the 3Gs integration, where the compass will practically allow me to point at the sky and voyager tells me what it is!

Amazing app - this is a complete planetarium.  
By: JoeTooCool - Jun 20, 2009
Version: 1.0
Far more complete than any of the astronomy apps I’ve bought. The sky views are full of detail, and the object descriptions are crammed with information. It supports a huge number of scopes and digital encoders. I have an LX200 and can’t wait to run it with my iPhone. Don't have a scope? No problem - this app *simulates* one for you. I love the way the images fade in and out of view in the object "Description". Highly recommended for beginners and serious astronomy buffs alike.

Amazing! They packed the best planetarium into this fast, intuitive, beautiful app!  
By: Astronomy teacher - Jul 21, 2009
Version: 1.1
I've used the desktop version of this app for years and always found it simple, intuitive, fast, and complete. I also use it for teaching because my students are able to learn it so quickly. I had doubts as to whether it could be fit into an iPhone, but am incredibly impressed with this truly professional conversion. It's not just a port of the desktop app -- it has been completely reengineered for the iPhone interface. Carina really must have spent a lot of time refining this interface and carefully pruning the features to get everything that's useful on the small screen, while leaving out the more esoteric big-screen options (like alternate map projections and locations beyond Earth). In fact, I'm already getting spoiled by how easy this is to use: Zooming in on Jupiter to see the current positions of the moons. Tapping on a star or deep sky object to get its name, then double tapping to get a wealth of info including rise/set/transit times and for many objects detailed descriptive notes with historical background and beautiful photos. And it's such a beautiful display, with the photorealistic milky way, the way the stars (which are colored by spectral class) automatically adjust brightness and limiting magnitude with zoom level, the constellation lines that are useful without being oppressive, and the pop-up constellation boundaries. The database is amazingly huge and it still manages to be fast! I'm currently working with open clusters, and it has even the obscure catalogs like Trumpler. I love the way that it gives a live display as I adjust the magnitude limits, so I can see the effect without having to leave the settings. It is so cool to be able to stand outside and identify satellites as they pass overhead! Every aspect has been well-thought out and obviously tested for real-life use. This really is the very best of their $100 package for $15.

Intuitive, informative, addictive. Highly Recommended!  
By: FirestormPhoenix - Oct 11, 2009
Version: 1.2
I am not an astronomer and have elementary stargazing knowledge, but using this app has seriously made me consider buying a telescope and getting more involved in the hobby.
The interface was very simple for me to jump right in and use to identify stars, and search for and center on stars with which I'm already familiar. On the first clear night after I downloaded it, I was addicted, and found myself with a sore neck from staring up at the sky while using it to ID every star, constellation, and planet I could see. Since then I have used it to help me practice memorizing star names and locations, and constellation identification. My hand is now probably frostbitten from another long use of this app tonight.
It has a lot of useful features such as being able to search for objects and center on them, hot-corners for easy zooming, filters for sky object display, the ability to look at what the sky is like not only at the current time, but at any past or future time, and a plethora of other configuration options which make it very flexible to configure for your purposes. Its database of sky objects seems to be very comprehensive.
I have gotten a lot out of reading the descriptions. As other people have said, they are very in-depth, and offer a lot of background not only on the scientific data for the stars (and other objects), but also history and trivia surrounding each object, and plenty of detailed photographs when available, even for lesser-known objects. These aspects make it even more fun to use, as they give much more meaning to what you see, and are about as close as you can get to having a more experienced person with you.
I have an iPod Touch so I am not able to make use of or evaluate the compass feature. I wish I could because it's about the only thing that would make this app easier to use, and I'm glad Carina had the foresight to add in this feature for those who do have the hardware. I also don't have a telescope (yet), so I cannot evaluate its telescope remote control ability.
I was fortunate enough to pick this app up for free on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, but after having used it for some time, would gladly drop the $15 to support and encourage its creators for making such a wonderful companion to stargazing.

Great App by a Awesome Developer!  
By: Hello Hi Hello Hi Hello - Aug 15, 2009
Version: 1.2
I have had this since it was free a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't figure it out. I did not have it on my iPod until the latest update. And now it is even better! The iPhone 3G S Compass sounds cool, as I have a iPod. This app is so Amazing I might buy SkyGazer so the rest of my family can expierience the amazingness of this Developer and the ability of the interface of this app. I changed a few settings and BOOM! This app became even better! You can see the whole sky, the Messier Objects, Sattilites, Every Moon of every Planet, Every Planet, (Including Pluto) Constilations and Much More!! The Graphics are good, and I used it the other night when the Meteors were visible. (Aug. 11, 2009) This Definately worth what I paid. Oh yeah it was free. Well, I would pay $19.99 easily for this. Great Job Carina Software!!!

Amazing way to see the stars and astronomical  
By: theglobetrotter - Jul 21, 2009
Version: 1.1
I've been studying astronomy for years, and this application would have been perfect for my studies. The amount of information on each object, the clarity of the grpahics, and a very easy-to-use UI has made this a great way to bring my passion whereever I go! It is a tad pricey on the app front, so glad to see the reviews which helped me know that this was a good product. I think it'd be cool to see a lite version though for people who don't actually have a telescope.

An excellent astronomy app! Finally one that meets my needs...  
By: TeeDub - Aug 12, 2009
Version: 1.2
I am an experienced amateur astronomer and astrophotographer, and am used to desktop astro apps. I have been waiting for an app that would provide sky charts, specifically ones that would allow me to select the location and time I wished to view (including sunrise/sunset/twilight functions), and to be able to do so without a data connection using resident data in the app. For example, I'm often in an airplane when I want to see what's up or when local twilight ends. I've evaluated others but none fully met my needs (or, if I was unsure if they met my needs, the developers were unresponsive in response to requests for information).
I've used Carina products in the past and their experience shows in this iPhone app. It is fairly intuitive, especially for someone who has used a desktop astro app previously. The options, level of detail, and provided database are sufficient for my needs (and I think I'm fairly needy). Carina has been responsive for email support and information requests, which I appreciate.
I have not tested the telescope control function but it looks intriguing.
$14.95 is more than I've paid for any other app, but I'm glad I didn't drop the money on the other astro iPhone apps and waited for this one. It's been the closest to my ideal app for the purpose. As such, I don't think the price is out of line with the features provided when compared to other astronomy iPhone apps.
Carina has provided excellent features, a good interface, and their background in astro apps shines through. I'm very satisfied with SkyVoyager and I look forward to even better things in future versions.
***UPDATE FOR v1.2:
Carina responded to my request for user locations, the one thing I thought was missing before, so now I truly have the one astronomy app that does everything I need.
I've had time to use it more, and I continue to be impressed with the attention to detail they exhibit. Saturn's rings are tilted correctly, Jupiter's Great Red Spot is in the right place (something another developer of a much-downloaded astro app said couldn't be done), entering a decimal location automatically converts into the deg-min-sec format the program uses, and so on. The more I see, the more I like. v1.2 is an excellent update.

Lots of info; easy to use  
By: spoons1 - Jul 22, 2009
Version: 1.1
This has so much more information than I even knew existed about celestial objects! I'm not even a novice astronomer, but I can see how there's info in this app that will be useful to all levels of users.
The ability to select a certain star, or constellation, and see the scientific data about it, as well as the story (if one exists) is great. There's a lot of info that means nothing to me, but people more into astronomy will find this useful, I'm guessing (coordinates, azimuth, altitude, magnitude, catalog numbers, separation, distance, R.A., Dec., etc etc etc). But the stories, descriptions of the objects, ability to show satellites, choose different ways of outlining the constellations and so on, will make this a tool I use as often as I can. I think I'll learn a lot from this app! And for only a little more than I paid for a cardboard dial of the stars at my local sporting goods store, this gives a boatload more info.

Accurate, Informational and Fun  
By: ThirdPyramid - Jun 16, 2009
Version: 1.0
I have the desktop version of Voyager and was pleased to hear there is version for iPhone. I downloaded this app and can say it passed an initial test for current constellations and moonrise over the Pacific. I zoomed in on some of the planets (took me a minute to figure out the zoom hot-corners though instead of scrunching over and over) and found great renderings of their surfaces from what look like actual photos, and was impressed with the depth of the descriptions. I poked around for some deep sky objects and was impressed with the data there as well. I haven't read many in detail yet, but I definitely liked the historical as well as scientific pieces, including supplemental images, and I even spent some time reviewing graphics of the composition of the Sun. Very nice - good for both kids and professionals, I'm thinking. Lots of options in settings I haven't explored yet, but it seems pretty easy to use and somewhat like the desktop. Can't wait to hook it up to a scope in the field for a more thorough run - I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully no more lugging the laptop :) Thanks Carina!

Very well-done app  
By: medgirl2001 - Aug 10, 2009
Version: 1.1
To call me an amateur astronomer would be an overstatement, but I recently had the opportunity to use the SkyVoyager app, and I was very impressed. By orienting myself with the compass on the iPhone 3GS and then launching the app, which uses GPS to find your location, I was finally able to really "get" what I was looking at in the night sky. The app is easy to use with an intuitive user interface. There is a wealth of information about everything you see, including background on the names of the constellations, information about the stars, etc. The only thing I would add would be built-in incorporation of the compass, but that's a small thing. Excellent program.

Great App by a Awesome Developer!  
By: Hello Hi Hello Hi Hello - Aug 15, 2009
Version: 1.2
I have had this since it was free a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't figure it out. I did not have it on my iPod until the latest update. And now it is even better! The iPhone 3G S Compass sounds cool, as I have a iPod. This app is so Amazing I might buy SkyGazer so the rest of my family can expierience the amazingness of this Developer and the ability of the interface of this app. I changed a few settings and BOOM! This app became even better! You can see the whole sky, the Messier Objects, Sattilites, Every Moon of every Planet, Every Planet, (Including Pluto) Constilations and Much More!! The Graphics are good, and I used it the other night when the Meteors were visible. (Aug. 11, 2009) This Definately worth what I paid. Oh yeah it was free. Well, I would pay $19.99 easily for this. Great Job Carina Software!!!

An excellent astronomy app! Finally one that meets my needs...  
By: TeeDub - Aug 12, 2009
Version: 1.2
I am an experienced amateur astronomer and astrophotographer, and am used to desktop astro apps. I have been waiting for an app that would provide sky charts, specifically ones that would allow me to select the location and time I wished to view (including sunrise/sunset/twilight functions), and to be able to do so without a data connection using resident data in the app. For example, I'm often in an airplane when I want to see what's up or when local twilight ends. I've evaluated others but none fully met my needs (or, if I was unsure if they met my needs, the developers were unresponsive in response to requests for information).
I've used Carina products in the past and their experience shows in this iPhone app. It is fairly intuitive, especially for someone who has used a desktop astro app previously. The options, level of detail, and provided database are sufficient for my needs (and I think I'm fairly needy). Carina has been responsive for email support and information requests, which I appreciate.
I have not tested the telescope control function but it looks intriguing.
$14.95 is more than I've paid for any other app, but I'm glad I didn't drop the money on the other astro iPhone apps and waited for this one. It's been the closest to my ideal app for the purpose. As such, I don't think the price is out of line with the features provided when compared to other astronomy iPhone apps.
Carina has provided excellent features, a good interface, and their background in astro apps shines through. I'm very satisfied with SkyVoyager and I look forward to even better things in future versions.
***UPDATE FOR v1.2:
Carina responded to my request for user locations, the one thing I thought was missing before, so now I truly have the one astronomy app that does everything I need.
I've had time to use it more, and I continue to be impressed with the attention to detail they exhibit. Saturn's rings are tilted correctly, Jupiter's Great Red Spot is in the right place (something another developer of a much-downloaded astro app said couldn't be done), entering a decimal location automatically converts into the deg-min-sec format the program uses, and so on. The more I see, the more I like. v1.2 is an excellent update.

Very impressive  
By: Rant and rave - 08-Jan-2010
Version: 1.3
Might be a little early to do a review but having just upgraded to the iphone GS this was the first app I went for cus I have been after it for months but needed the compass from the GS to use it.Initial impression is that this app is awesome ! A minefield of information at your fingertipsCan't wait for the Summer months so I can sit on the patio and "read" the night skyI find the whole thing fascinating.One small gripe, as mentioned on previous reviews, is the non-ability to go back to settings from viewing - the app has to be closed then reopened - or have I missed something ?All in all simply brilliant !! Highly recommended

Intuitive, informative, addictive. Highly Recommended!  
By: FirestormPhoenix - Oct 11, 2009
Version: 1.2
I am not an astronomer and have elementary stargazing knowledge, but using this app has seriously made me consider buying a telescope and getting more involved in the hobby.
The interface was very simple for me to jump right in and use to identify stars, and search for and center on stars with which I'm already familiar. On the first clear night after I downloaded it, I was addicted, and found myself with a sore neck from staring up at the sky while using it to ID every star, constellation, and planet I could see. Since then I have used it to help me practice memorizing star names and locations, and constellation identification. My hand is now probably frostbitten from another long use of this app tonight.
It has a lot of useful features such as being able to search for objects and center on them, hot-corners for easy zooming, filters for sky object display, the ability to look at what the sky is like not only at the current time, but at any past or future time, and a plethora of other configuration options which make it very flexible to configure for your purposes. Its database of sky objects seems to be very comprehensive.
I have gotten a lot out of reading the descriptions. As other people have said, they are very in-depth, and offer a lot of background not only on the scientific data for the stars (and other objects), but also history and trivia surrounding each object, and plenty of detailed photographs when available, even for lesser-known objects. These aspects make it even more fun to use, as they give much more meaning to what you see, and are about as close as you can get to having a more experienced person with you.
I have an iPod Touch so I am not able to make use of or evaluate the compass feature. I wish I could because it's about the only thing that would make this app easier to use, and I'm glad Carina had the foresight to add in this feature for those who do have the hardware. I also don't have a telescope (yet), so I cannot evaluate its telescope remote control ability.
I was fortunate enough to pick this app up for free on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, but after having used it for some time, would gladly drop the $15 to support and encourage its creators for making such a wonderful companion to stargazing.

Impressive!  
By: Yappy Dog - 25-Jul-2009
Version: 1.1
A very powerful and infinitely customisable guide to the night sky. A must-have for anyone studying astronomy due to its vast database, it also caters for the non-specialist with clear menus, a simple swipe-to-turn interface, and the ability to turn features of the sky on or off at will.A particular highlight was tracking the real-time progress of the ISS over my house. If that sounds interesting to you, this is your App!

You won't outgrow this App  
By: Deborah Pickett - 07-Aug-2009
Version: 1.1
Sky Voyager is an amazing heavyweight astronomy app. It isn't the prettiest or the most photorealistic but it is definitely the most comprehensive.From a whole-sky view you can zoom in all the way to a planet's disc. All objects come with ephemeris information, and hundreds of deep-sky objects come with professional astrophotos showing how it looks through a telescope much better than yours.You can scale up or down the information overload on the display; which leads me to mention my only wishlist item: a toggle which hides everything but the stars, so I can quickly match what I see onscreen with what I see in the sky.Wow.

Educational, Powerful, Fun  
By: Mike.Wagner - 24-Jul-2009
Version: 1.1
Whether you're just starting out in Astronomy or a die-hard stargazer SkyVoyager is a tool of great power. With thousands of objects, an incredible array of configuration settings, and the ability to control compatible telescopes, you're a walking planetarium every time you step out under the stars with your iPhone or Touch.
The only feature I'd want to add at this point (as a newbie) is a tracker and countdown for Iridium flares.
Highly recommended.

Very nice, but...  
By: shadowbqb - Jul 22, 2009
Version: 1.1
This is a very well written astronomy app, even if it were running on my desktop. I stumbled across it on its free day, so woohoo! I have a couple issues, however. Just browsing random objects, 8/10 detailed descriptions have spelling or grammar errors--usually 1-2 in the body of the text. I'd also like to see a quick-unzoom to get back to a default zoom level. If you've zoomed in a great deal, I've not found a way to get back to the sky view without a lot of pinching. Over and over and over.

Nice  
By: Land's End Catalog - Aug 6, 2009
Version: 1.1
Great app. A nice new feature would be a News section that would list current or upcoming events in the sky like a meteor shower, comet, or planet-closest-to-Earth-in-3-million-years, etc. Also please improve the performance the app is a little sluggish. When flipping to horizontal mode the bottom menu goes away. The title bar tends to show then hide real fast when you are viewing info about an object.