Astronomy Now relaunches digital platform

by Astronomy Now Editor, Stuart Clark

We are pleased to announce that our new Astronomy Now app is live!

Since taking ownership of the magazine in July, creating an enhanced digital experience has been a high priority for our new Astronomy Now team.

Today we’re in a position to share an early version of the new digital platform, complete with the last 12 back issues and more – including this month’s issue! And we’re inviting all of you to try it for free until 16 October.

How to access the Astronomy Now App

All you need to do is open a browser and navigate to astronomynowdigital.com. You will then be prompted for an email address, and you will gain entry.

The new platform is optimised for both web browsing and mobile usage. When using it on your computer, you can simply read the magazine, turning the pages as you would the physical copy. From a mobile device, you also have the option of entering ‘article view’, which shows you each article in a form that is much easier to read on your phone or tablet.

Mobile users also have the option of listening to the articles being read to them.

For those who want to replicate the app experience, use your device’s option to add the webpage to your home screen, where it will then appear and function indistinguishably from a traditional app.

What happens if I’m already a subscriber?

From 16 October onwards – when the November issue goes on sale – the app will be available to subscribers only. Print subscribers need take no further action!

Unfortunately, all current digital subscribers will need to contact us, so that we can re-issue your subscription. Simply drop us a message via the Your Space contact form mentioning ‘App subscriber’ in the first line of the message. In the body of the message, send us your original confirmation and we’ll do the rest.

In common with many magazines and publishers, one of the reasons we have chosen to move away from the traditional app stores of Apple and Google, is to make it easier for us to stay in touch with our digital readers in the future.

As we near 16 October, we will announce the cost of the digital-only subscription. Currently, we’re still doing our sums but wanted to let you try out the app as soon as possible.

Future plans

Check back frequently over the coming days, because we’re busy uploading all issues from the last ten years!

As time goes by, we will also take advantage of the platform’s other features. Watch this space as we create an even more dynamic experience for you.

We welcome your feedback

A lot of you have already contacted us asking for an improved experience with respect to acquiring PDFs or having an up-to-date app. We thank you for your patience, and hope this brand new version will give you a smoother way to explore the Universe.

Do let us know what you think, or what could be improved. Write to us at Your Space. We may feature your comments or questions in our monthly ‘Your Space’ column.