Iridium Flares
Description
Did you ever want to see a falling star but don't want to sit outside all night waiting to see one?The next best thing is watching Iridium Flares. The advantage of them is that you can know the exact time and place when they're about to happen. The big difference is that you're watching an Iridium (a satellite) that's reflecting sunlight, instead of a falling star.
This application lists the Iridium Flares that are visible on your location for the next 7 days. The only necessary thing to see them is a clear sky.
Features
- List of Iridium Flares for the next 7 days, including daytime flares
- Shows the date and time, the direction, altitude and intensity of the Iridium Flare
- Uses GPS to know your location, or you can enter your location manually
- Shows your last loaded Iridium Flares when offline
- Alarms can be set to remind you before a flare will occur*
- View the path of the flare on a map
* This only works on devices with iOS 4.0 of higher
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the app take Daylight saving time into account?
Yes.
The app is stuck at the "loading location" message, what can I do?
If you're inside a building or a place with a lot of tall buildings that block the GPS signal: try and get a clear view of the sky. If you've set the accuracy to very accurate (low value): change it to less accurate (higher value).
My application doesn't work anymore, what can I do?
Delete it and let iTunes reinstall your application.
Why does the compass sometimes points to the wrong direction?
The compass in the iPhone and iPad isn't very accurate. To re-calibrate the compass you can wave the device in a figure 8 motion.
What's the difference between Intensity and Centre Intensity?
Intensity is the intensity at your location, Centre Intensity is the intensity at the flare centre. The Flare Centre is the point on the flares track which is nearest to your location, so if you want to get the best possible view, that's the place to be. You can see the flares track on the map at the flare details.
Why can't I view daytime flares on the map?
Flares are downloaded from Heavens-Above.com and that website doesn't provide the necessary details about daytime flares to show them on the map.
Why doesn't the app display notifications in iOS 5?
iOS 5 doesn't allow local notifications by default, you'll have to turn then on in Settings -> Notifications -> IridiumFlares.