Help / FAQ

Q. The app displays the wrong latitude and longitude, or rise and set times are way off

You need to allow Luna Solaria to access your location. Most likely when you first ran the app you disallowed location/GPS access, so the app was forced to use default coordinates (52N 0W).

In iOS this is also indicated by a missing "location services" icon (a little arrow on the status bar). In iOS 7, go to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services, find Luna Solaria and make sure location services is turned on. Other iOS versions will be similar.

For Android, the process will vary according to device but it's a similar process: there will be an area in settings (likely related to privacy) where you can allow/disallow apps from accessing your location.

The app should pick up your location on the next screen update.

If it doesn't, press and hold the LunaSolaria settings icon -- the one that looks like a gear -- for about 4 seconds. The app will restart and it should pick up your location and remember it.

Q. Why doesn't it work on my Android device?

The app requires Android version 4.0 or higher and it must be compatible with portrait mode.

Q. What location does the app use if it does not have an Internet connection?

If your device has successfully connected to the Internet before, the app will use your last known location. If your device blocks location services or doesn't have an Internet connection when it FIRST runs, it will use default coordinates (see topmost question above).

Q. The app is showing the wrong Zodiac sign

This app calculates the MOON SIGN, not the Sun sign. Most likely you are looking at the Sun sign elsewhere and comparing it to Luna Solaria's moon sign.

Q. How is the Zodiac sign calculated?

It is the "Tropical" Zodiac (as opposed to Sidereal). And it is for the Moon (not the Sun).


Q. What is "Azimuth" and "Altitude"?

Those numbers tell you the position of the moon. The Azimuth is basically the same as a compass bearing. It measures, in degrees, where the moon is on the horizontal plane, starting from grid north (not magnetic north) at 0 degrees and moving clockwise. For example, an Azimuth of 90 degrees means the moon is due east; 180 degrees is south; and 270 degrees is west. 360 degrees is equivalent to 0 degrees. The Altitude tells you how far up in the sky the moon is. For example, the moon could be oriented due west at 270 degrees, but that doesn't mean it is on the horizon. Altitude is measured from an assumed perfectly level horizon (this means that mountains or other obstructions may be in the way), at 0 degrees. An Altitude of 45 degrees is halfway up in the sky, and 90 degrees is straight up. Altitudes can be negative, which simply means the moon is below the horizon at that degree angle. So minus 90 degrees (-90) means the moon is directly "underfoot" (other side of the earth).

Q. What are the other times shown on the Sun screen (Civil, Nautical, Astro)?

Civil, Nautical and Astro refer to twilight, the period of time of varying light availability before the sun comes up or just after the sun goes down (sunrise and sunset). Calculations assume a flat horizon, clear weather and absence of other light sources like the moon. In the "Rise" column, Civil indicates the time when you can see significant detail in the landscape. In the "Set" column, Civil indicates when details of the landscape are no longer visible. Nautical twilight times are more about the very first light ("crack of dawn") or very last light ("nightfall"), the point when landscape details start to become visible or become hidden, and the horizon is barely visible. Astro is short for "Astronomical" twilight and it indicates when essentially all stars can be seen without light interference. For the detail-oriented person: Civil twilight occurs when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, Nautical is 12 degrees, and Astronomical is 18 degrees.

Q. What is the "Brightness" calculation?

Technically, this refers to the "apparent magnitude" of the moon. The more negative a magnitude, the brighter an object is. The apparent magnitude of a Full Moon typically around -12, and a New Moon is typically around -2. The Sun has an apparent magnitude of -27.