Michelin App - Solar Walk

One of the best educational apps out there on any platform, has to be this one from Vito Technology. It is called Solar Walk, and it is a universal app that can is for both the iPad and the iPhone, though it works better on the iPad due to the larger screen estate.

I used to remember when I was a little boy, how I used to enjoy reading encyclopedias, especially on subjects like space and aircraft. This app has single-handedly rekindled all those childhood memories.

Solar Walk transcends beyond just the printed page, however. It is like holding the solar system in your hands. It is a 3D representation of our solar systems where you can use touch gestures to navigate around.

3D View Of Earth

Using pinch and swipe, you can zoom to any planet or moon within the system, and you can rotate to any direction you want, giving you absolute freedom of control within this 3D representation of the solar system.

Everything is animated in photorealistic 3D graphics, utilizing beautiful light sourcing effects that is amazingly rendered in Retina iPad and iPhone clarity. On the new iPad, it is just incredible.

Educational Movies

In addition, Solar Walk also comes installed with a set of educational movies with voice-overs on topics like the solar eclipse and and moon phases. Each movie lasts about 5 minutes long and is well documented and animated as well.

Detailed Information 

You can also find very detailed information about the planets, moons and even the satellites that orbit around our earth. Almost everything you wanted to know about the solar system can be found here.

Beautifully Rendered Saturn

There is also a very unique time traveling feature where you can travel to a specific time in history to see the different alignments and positions of the planets and see planets move through time.

As an educational app, Solar Walk is invaluable to children in teaching them the fundamentals of the solar system. It is also extremely intuitive with its touch gestures to allow a child to explore the universe in a lifelike manner, almost as if they are in space.

But for adults, Solar Walk will prove equally fascinating in remembering our childhood memories of learning about the facts of our universe, and when you zoom all the way out, you can actually see a representation of the Milky Way.

There are quite a number of apps that depict the solar system, but Solar Walk reigns supreme both in its quality and its value. At only US$2.99, it is far more affordable than a book, and far more entertaining and educational at the same time.

Take note that Vito Technology also has another sister app called Star Walk which is also excellent.

Solar Walk (US$2.99) - Click here to download the app.