Release History

Pocket Stars PDA has been publicly available since December 2001.
Pocket Stars PC has been publicly available since April 2003.
Pocket Stars SP has been publicly available since December 2003.

Version Date Change Log
6.1.0.0 2010.04.07 Release of PC and PDA versions only (no changes to SP version). 
  • Major UI changes.
  • Antialiased fonts.
  • Menu reorganiation.
5.7.0.0 2008.12.10 Private customer build of PDA and PC versions ONLY (no changes to SP version).  This is not a public release. 
  • UTM Coordinates.
  • Momentum when scrolling.
  • Display of comets.
5.5.0.0 2007.03.30 Release PDA and PC versions ONLY (no changes to SP version)
  • "Tap-n-hold.Rotate while scrolling".  The new default method of roaming through the sky automatically rotates the star chart as you scroll.
  • Added "Help.Star News" RSS feed for Nomad Electronics.
  • Zenith grid adapts to zoom setting.
  • Animate scrolling and rotation when double tap to center the selected object.
  • Added rotation angle readout at bottom of screen.
5.1.5.6 2006.12.06 Release SP version ONLY (no changes to PDA or PC versions)
  • Localization. Updated English, Italian, German, French, and Spanish language packs. Added Chinese beta.
  • Improved color schemes.
  • Added ability to use GPS to set position via Intermediate Driver using "Parsed mode" (not COM port).
  • Zenith grid adapts to zoom setting.
  • Sped up zoom in 2D and 3D
  • Added "Star News" RSS feed for Nomad Electronics
5.1.5.4 2006.11.15 Release SP version ONLY (no changes to PDA or PC versions)
  • Support for QWERTY keyboards
  • Localization. Initial releases in English, Italian, and Spanish.
  • Match PDA version rendering (star colors, 3D, fullscreen, etc.)
  • Clean up all WM5 display issues.
  • Default ephemeris changed to 2005 to 2015.
  • Added Sloan Digital Sky Survey image retrieval.
  • Fix: Rare hang only in earlier SP version when rotating chart.
5.1.5 2006.03.31
  • Change: 3D Mode rendering improved - planet images shown at high zoom levels.
  • Change: 2D Mode rendering improved - stars are shown in color reflecting temperature; sun and moon shown to scale with images at high zoom levels (giving accurate eclipse, transit, and occulation representations); and lunar phase is shown correctly at all rotation angles.
  • Change: scrolling is smooth at all zoom levels.
  • Change: clear button push commands from queue when scrolling so scrolling stops immediately when key released.
  • Change: RPN registration compatible with PocketGear's variant.
  • Fix: Star distances corrected.
5.1.2 2005.12.20
  • Fix: RPN Registration works with ASCII characters in user name with values > 127 (umlauts, etc.).
5.1.1 2005.12.12
  • Change: Default color schemes improved.
  • Fix: RPN Registration works with 16 bit intermediate computations.
5.1.0 2005.12.10 Major Update
  • New: 3D Solar system flythrough (Orrery mode)
  • New: ColorSchemes to allow skinning of starchart.
  • New: Fast zoom control at lower right of screen.
  • New: LatLong page has GPS button to set position using GPS.
  • Change: Menu rearranged
  • Full WM5 compatibility.
  • New: Planet magnitudes added to star chart display.
  • Change: DeltaT values updated to latest predictions. Also, files named "PocketStars.deltaT" and "PocketStars.LeapSeconds" can be used to load custom values.
  • New: Info for stars now includes distance in light years.
  • Change: Zenith ring numbering stars from zero on horizon.
  • Change: Draw objects 1 degree below horizon.
  • Change: Messier and Caldwell objects can be separately enabled.
  • New: Animation increments of 1 minute and 10 minutes added.
  • Fix: LagLong and other pages had repaint bug after soft input panel (SIP) is hidden.
  • Fix: Longstanding bug in Rise/Transit/Set pages triggered when RA rolls over from 2Pi to 0.
  • Change: Lowered total recalculation delay to 30 seconds.
  • New: Additional keyboard shortcuts for both PDA and PC versions:
    < or , : animate step minus
    > or . : animate step plus
    Shift 1 : animate step 1 minute
    Shift 2 : animate step 10 minutes
    Shift 3 : animate step 1 hour
    Shift 4 : animate step 1 day
    Shift 5 : animate step 1 week
    Shift 6 : animate step 1 month

all 2005.10.17
  • Updated PocketStars.mes for ARM to include all Caldwell images.
3.2.5 2004.12.08
  • Sun and Moon now drawn to scale when zooming
  • Caldwell objects drawn in a different color than Messier objects
  • Star display and object selection logic improved on VGA resolution devices.
  • Bugfix: Planets and ecliptic now drawn from observer's topographic position instead of from the center of the earth (Note however, the reported positions of planets for celestial navigation and in the upper left corner of the star chart have always been correct).
  • Bugfix: Removed spurious warning dialog when installing on WM2003SE devices.
3.2.4 2004.10.13
  • All Time and Date fields respect user locale and language
  • Step Animate using PageUp and PageDown keys
  • PDA Version only: Stretch display of sun and user location on world map for HIDPI
  • Bugfix: PC version only: Lunar Phase and Rise/Set dialogs display correctly on HIDPI display settings.
3.2.3 2004.09.06
  • Added "Zoom" menu to "Tap-and-hold"
  • Clarification: Changed Environment page "Index Error" to "Index Correction".
  • Bugfix: Full Screen mode was being incorrectly cancelled after displaying ViewObjects dialog
  • Bugfix: Prevented double activation circles on "Tap-n-hold". This is a workaround for a bug in MFC (finally!).
3.2.1 2004.08.01
  • Support ALL WM2003SE (QVGA, VGA, landscape, portrait, square) resolutions
  • Added "Full Screen" mode, which removes title bar. (Tap-n-Hold)
  • Moved "Flip Star chart East-West" from Menu.Preferences to "Tap-n-hold.Horizon"
  • "Menu.Preferences.Small Fonts" has a more pronounced effect at reducing/enlarging fonts used on the star chart, especially in VGA resolution.
  • Bugfix: Corrupt buttons on WM2003SE devices fixed.
  • Bugfix: Rise/Set page, Sun transit time accuracy improved.


2.3.1 2004.03.10
  • Fixed bug which caused app to be hidden at next startup if closed when iconic. Change to PC version only - no PDA update.

2.3.0 2004.03.01
  • Added day / night boundary to world map (works when animating!)
  • Added quick Horizon View (N,S,E,W...) on right click
  • Added GMT Aries and LHA to Details page.
  • Slight modification to deltaT to match USNO.

2.1.0 2003.12.21
  • First release of Smartphone version
  • Faster scrolling and zooming
  • Click and hold on magnifiers to zoom continuously
  • Smarter text labeling, avoids text overlaps
  • Reduce screen clutter at low magnifications by hiding some constellation names
  • Download Messier image files from within Pocket Stars if online.
  • Bugfix: Date display of LST and GST on main starchart was corrupted
  • Bugfix: Enter of non-realtime value on Time page works better with pen input.
  • Added a few more cities to citylist.


2.0.15.0 2003.09.09
  • Added "Find" or "GoTo" any body. ("Tap and Hold" on PDA, right click on PC.
  • Fixed PC version fault warning which appeared on some systems on exit.

2.0.14.0 2003.07.20
  • Added Civil and Nautical rise and set times to Rise/Transit/Set page.
  • Fixed lunar rise set times dialog. Infrequently, times shown for moon would be off by one day when viewing local rather than UTC times.
  • Added auto-configuration save at times other than application exit.
  • Minor resizing for PPC2003 (Menu bar star magnitudes).

2.0.13.0 2003.05.05
  • Added ability to flip star chart along North South axis (East and West reversal)

2.0.12.0 2003.04.16
  • Released Version 2.0!
  • First release of PC version.
  • Major new features:
    - Orbital Paths
    - Zenith and Polar Grids
    - Caldwell deep space objects
    - Animation of the sky in units of hours, days, weeks, and months
    - Calculation engine moved to separate thread.

1.0.0.31 2003.01.06
  • Fixed LatLong page, unable to enter Latitude between 0 and 1 degree North, and unable to enter Longitude between 0 and 1 degree West via text boxes.
  • Fixed Range and Bearing page, UI for "Rhumb Line" and "Great Circle" calculation selection was reversed.
1.0.0.30 2002.11.28
  • Zounds! I messed up the position of the ecliptic line. Fixed now.
1.0.0.29 2002.11.26
  • Added ecliptic line display. Show and hide using constellation toggle.
  • Fixed Rise/Set page off by one hour problem on days when transition to and from Daylight saving time.
1.0.0.28 2002.10.07
  • Added display of all 110 Messier objects.
  • Redesigned Info page to allow selection of star, planet, Messier objects.
  • Added choice of Rhumb Line or Great Circle calculation on Range and Bearing page.
  • Added "DIP Short" for inland cruising when true horizon is unavailable to Enviro page. "Details" page also includes "Dip Short" value or "Disabled".
  • Added choice of displaying Local Time, Local Sidereal Time, UTC, or Greenwich Sidereal Time on main star chart.
  • Added "LST" for Local Sidereal Time to "Details" page.
  • Changed location of configuration file (PocketStars.psj) to "\My Documents\Pocket Stars". This makes it easy to back up the configuration file.
1.0.0.27 2002.06.12
  • Finally finished the LOP graph!
  • Added 95% confidence ellipse to LOP graph.
  • Added ability to get LOP details by clicking on the endpoints of an OBS.
  • Added Standard Deviation of the estimated position sigma in nautical miles to LOP page if three or more OBS are enabled.
1.0.0.26 2002.06.03
  • Added MPP (Most Probable Position) to LOP page.
  • Moved "Info" to Tap-and-Hold on main star chart.
  • Added "Center" to Tap-and-Hold on main star chart.
  • Changed Azimuth formats to always show decimal degrees.
  • Added "Hints" at lower left of main star chart.
  • Added warnings if date selected is outside of ephemeris range.
1.0.0.25 2002.05.02
  • Added Country listbox to LatLong page along with all cities worldwide with populations greater than 250,000. Every country has entries for at least the three largest cities.
  • Added MFC "Transcriber bug" workaround. You can now use Transcriber on property pages.
  • Fixed display bug when position was exactly at North or South poles.
  • Fixed star chart scrolling problem if stylus double bounces on first click.
1.0.0.24 2002.04.29
  • Private build for O2 (BT Cellnet ), not released on Handango or PocketGear.
  • Added additional cities to city list for US and UK.
  • Re-enabled selection on Sextant page affecting visual selection on star chart.
1.0.0.23 2002.04.23
  • Fixed star chart display when compass rotated other than 0 or 180.
  • Fixed hang if the zenith point was clicked on the main star chart.
  • Added Daylight Saving Time corrections to Rise/Set page.
  • Improved formatting of "Details" tabular data.
1.0.0.22 2002.03.26
  • Added calculator for Great Circle Distance.
  • Added calculator for Range and Bearing.
  • Added calculator for horizon distances.
  • Changed all Lat/Long readouts to show N/S/E/W instead of signed values.
  • Added Lunar Fraction to Lunar Phase page.
  • Added option for RA/Dec readout on main page instead of Alt/Az.
  • Added course line (dashed gray line) to LOP page.
  • Stability fix, m_TimePicker.Detach(), multiple dialogs.
1.0.0.21 2002.03.14
  • Added Lunar Phase animated display.
  • Improved accuracy of all body positions by matching USNO deltaT values.
  • Fixed LOP graph so it displays correctly even if no observation selected.
  • Fixed Rise/set page hang if outside ephemeris dates.
  • Fixed paint problem if SIP displayed at program start.
  • Fixed FIX calculations involving moving vessel.
  • Improved display speed and appearance of star chart.
1.0.0.20 2002.02.06
  • Added 5 custom Lat/Long settings on Lat/Long page.
  • Added White and improved Red and Black star chart displays.
  • Added sum of corrections item to Sextant.Details page.
  • Fixed Rise/set page sometimes displaying wrong date.
  • Fixed Lat/Long off by one second problem on Lat/Long page.
  • Fixed Time off by one second problem on on Sextant and Time pages.
  • Fixed Sextant.Details page display of negative values (dec, refraction).
  • Fixed Moon and Sun upper/lower limb offsets.
1.0.0.18 2002.01.29
  • Added Red display to preserve night vision.
  • Added compass control to rotate the entire starchart.
  • Changed the calculation for upper / lower limb offsets for Moon and Sun.
1.0.0.16 2002.01.10
  • Added Rise, Transit, and Set Page.
  • Added context sensitive help.
  • Stop updates when app loses focus.
1.0.0.15 2001.12.22
  • Sextant Index Correction fixed (was in degrees, not minutes)
  • Added index numbers to observation list on LOPs page.
  • NMi distance shown on LOP page was not correct. Improvements to LOP.Graph page.
  • Stability improvements (defer star chart update until after propsheet is destroyed).
1.0.0.14 2001.12.14
  • Added city list to LatLong page (all cities worldwide with population greater than 500,000)
  • Added Messier objects. To enable check "Menu.Preferences.Show Messier Objects".
1.0.0.13 2001.12.05
  • Fixed stability problem and leak (releasing font while selected in hDC).
  • Fixed display not immediately updating position on power resumption.
  • Added memory status display (click lower right About page).
1.0.0.12 2001.12.01
  • First public Handango distribution.
  • First public Pocket Gear distribution.
1.0.0.1 2001.02.14
  • Initial Beta Release.

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