Mini-review: ISS Finder and NASA Picture Galleries UWPs...

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Two for the price of one? Well yes, even though these are from different developers, since one leads - literally - into the other. Screenshot explanations below. Essentially, you get to track the International Space Station, find out when to watch it where you are, see the video stream from its cameras, and then link through to see amazing photos from NASA's archives. One (or in this case two) for any space geek!

From the blurb for ISS Finder:

ISS Finder helps you spot the International Space Station in the sky. You can watch its position above the ground in real time and get visible passes predictions for any location on the earth (with details like duration, altitude and quality of observations). Don't forget to set reminders to not miss a pass! With ISS Finder you can also watch HD live streaming from the ISS as well as NASA TV and get details about the crew on board.

And from the blurb for NASA Picture Galleries:

Zoom into 5000+ high resolution pictures of 11 NASA galleries! Search very easily to find your favorites and download, share them with your preferred social app, create your own space lockscreen/background. And for any image, download, copy/paste or navigate to the original NASA web page.

Here are ISS Finder UWP and NASA Picture Galleries UWP in action:

ISS Finder UWP screenshotsISS Finder UWP screenshots

The two main views, both shown here zoomed out, but you can zoom in as far as you like. The red track is the ISS, the yellow one is the sun's path in the sky. The Mercator projection maps distort the actual earth's surface horribly, of course, but you'll get the idea of where the ISS will be overhead through the day...

ISS Finder UWP screenshotsISS Finder UWP screenshots

The hamburger navigation menu, accessing all of ISS Finder's areas...; (right) zoomed in quite a way, we can see that the ISS is just about (in about 5 mins) to pass over San Francisco. Oh yes, and it's currently travelling at 27,609 km/h!

ISS Finder UWP screenshotsISS Finder UWP screenshots

The sighting schedules calculations work out when you might expect to see the ISS from any location in the world, with a reminder facility so that you can dash outside with your binoculars...

ISS Finder UWP screenshotsISS Finder UWP screenshots

The 'Pictures Gallery' menu option actually dives out to the NASA Picture Galleries application - if you haven't installed it yet, then you're prompted to do so in the Store. This is chock full of stock and archive NASA photos, with options to download them to your phone if you'd like.

ISS Finder UWP screenshots

NASA TV is always interesting - here with ISS Finder UWP in landscape mode, which works well. Two astronauts on the ISS are doing a live interview about the next step in space!

ISS Finder UWP screenshots

The 'ISS HD Earth Viewing' is - as you'd hoped - a webcam aboard the ISS aimed straight ahead - so you're zooming over Planet Earth 400km high. In this case, note the white storm circle on the right - this is Storm Emma that has been causing havoc in the UK over the last 24 hours.

You can grab ISS Finder here and NASA Picture Galleries here in the Store. Highly recommended and both absolutely free, for any Windows 10 phone, tablet or laptop.

Source / Credit: Store