Best stargazing apps for looking at the night sky in 2021

Night Sky on iOS is a gorgeous app that takes full advantage of Apple's push for AR apps to deliver a really nice-looking augmented reality sky ... Skiptomaincontent logo CreatedwithSketch. 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You'llwanttohaveonebeststargazingappsonyourphonewheneverthere'sabigastronomicaleventoccurring.Whetherit'smeteorshowers,lunareclipsesorfullmoons,theseappscanletyougetthemostofanycelestialevent.Butreally,anytimeistherighttimetoturntoagreatstargazingapp,especiallyifyouwanttolearnmoreaboutthewondersofthenightsky.Whetherit'slookinguptheconstellationsonamobilestarapporturningtosomeotherastronomicalaid,thebeststargazingappsputaplanetariuminyourpalm.Andthingsareonlygettingmoresophisticatedthankstoaugmentedreality,whichcansuperimposeinformationonthenightskyorrecreatethestarsabovewhenyou'restuckindoors.BestscienceappsBestmobileappsforstudentsoutsidetheclassroomOursistersiteSpace.comhasextensivecoverageofthestars,spaceexplorationandsimilartopics.Butforalookatsomeofthebeststargazingappsyoucanfindforyourphone,here’swhatwe’vediscoveredonourappstoreexplorations.ThebeststargazingappsforAndroidandiOS1.NightSky(Imagecredit:iCandiApps)NightSkyoniOSisagorgeousappthattakesfulladvantageofApple'spushforARappstodeliverareallynice-lookingaugmentedrealityskymap. Userscanviewthousandsofstars,satellites,planetsandconstellationsinthisbeststargazingappforiOS.NightSkytakesthingsfurtherwithAppleWatchsupportthatbringstheskymapdowntoyourwrist.UserscanholduptheAppleWatchtoidentifyobjectsinthesky,orlookdowntoviewa"celestialcompass"thatgivesanoverviewofobjectsvisibletonight. AnewadditionwiththeintroductionofARKitinpastversionsofiOSistheARGrandOrrerythatdisplaysavirtualmodelofthesolarsystemthatyoucancirclearoundandview.DownloadNightSky:iOS2.SkyviewFree(Imagecredit:TerminalEleven)TerminalEleven'sSkyViewgivesyouagoodideaofwhattoexpectfromgoodall-in-onestargazingandskyguideapps.SkyViewusesyourphone'sscreenandsensorstogiveyouanaugmentedrealityviewofwhat'supinthesky.UserscanturntheirsmartphonesandtabletsintoARviewfindersforidentifyingstars,planetsandconstellations;theappcandisplayanobject'strackintheskyaswellasinformationonselectobjects,planets,andsatellites. SkyViewalsoincludesa"timetravel"featurethatallowsyoutoviewtheskyasitwouldhaveappearedinthepast,orwillappearinthefuture,basedonwhatweknowofeachobject'smovements.WhileyoucandownloadSkyViewforfree,apaidversionoftheappcostsjust$1.99onGooglePlayandtheiOSAppStore,withmoreadvancedfeatures.DownloadSkyview:Android,iOS3.NASA(Imagecredit:NASA)TheofficialNASAappisagreatwaytoexplorethevastreachesofthecosmoswithouthavingtoputdownyoursmartphone.Combiningofficialnewsarticles,tweets,videos,photosandfeaturesfromtheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration,theNASAappofferseverythingyou’dwantfromoneofthebeststargazingapps. UserscanwatchliveNASATV,exploreagrowingarchiveofmorethan16,000imagesfromNASA’sprobes,missions,andothersources,andcheckoutthelatestspacenews.It’saparticularlygreatoptionforwhenyou’restuckindoors,butstillwanttogazeatthestars.DownloadNASA:Android,iOS4.SkySafari(Imagecredit:SimulationCurriculum)SkySafarihaslongprovidedexcellentskyguideappsforamateursandprofessionalsalike.Thecurrentversionofthisbeststagazingappoffersuparichofflinedatabaseofstars,planets,andothercelestialobjectsthatyoucanviewonanARstarchart,completewithanimatedvisualizationsandinfoaboutthehistory,mythologyandsciencebehindthesecelestialobjects. The$2.99CosmosCollectionin-apppurchaseunlocksadditionalfeaturessuchasnarratedtoursoftheheavens,orbitmodeandgalaxyview. Evenmoreadvancedversions,SkySafariPlusandSkySafariPro,includeanexpandeddatabaseandmorefeaturessuchassupportforWiFi-controlledtelescopes. DownloadSkySafari:Android,iOS5.PocketUniverse(Imagecredit:JohnKennedy)PocketUniverseisanothergreatall-in-oneskywatchingappforiPhonesthatprovidesbothaportableskymapaswellasawealthofextraslikeaugmentedrealitymodes. For$2.99,Userscanviewamapoftheskyabove,completewithlabelsandconstellations,aswellastrackindividualobjectsandplanets(witha"showme"modetoguideyouraim).Anaugmentedrealityorreryletsyouviewthesolarsysteminyourownlivingroom,andtheappincludesextraactivitiesandresourceslikequizzesandWikipedialinkstovariousobjects.DownloadPocketUniverse:iOS6.StarRover(Imagecredit:EEFan)StarRoverisanotherskymapappthatturnsyourphoneintoanARviewfindertohelpyoulocatestars,planetsandconstellationssimplybypointingwithyourphone.It'sa$1.99download. Theviewinthisbeststargazingappisconfigurable,withusersabletotoggleconstellations,thenamesofplanetsandmajorstars,andequatorialandazimuthalgrids.Youcanconfiguretheapptodisplaytheskybasedonyourcurrentlocation,dateandtime,orgotime-travelingbysettingthelocation,dateandtimeyourself—thatlatterfeatureletsyouviewthenightskyasitwasinthepast,orasitwillbeinthefuture.DownloadStarRover:Android,iOS7.CosmicWatch(Imagecredit:CelestialDynamics)CosmicWatchdoesmorethanjusttellyouthetime.TheappprovidesuserswithaslickmobileplanetariumandARskyguidedepictingtheplanets,stars,andconstellations. Theskyguideviewhasnumerouslayersthatyoucantoggleonoroff,suchasconstellationsandstarnames,askygradient,andcoordinateguidelines.Youcanviewthenightskyasitisrightnow,orusethetimemachinefeaturetoseetheskyinthepastorfuture.Youcanalsoturnthingsaroundwitha3Dviewoftheglobeorageocentricorheliocentricviewofthesolarsystem. CosmicWatchalsohappenstobeprettygoodattellingthetime,incasethat'susefultoyou.It'sa$6.99downloadforiPhoneowners,whileAndroiduserspay$4.49.DownloadCosmicWatch:Android,iOS8.StarWalk2(Imagecredit:VitoTechnology)VitoTechnology'sStarWalk2isa$2.99augmentedrealitystarchartthatdisplaysthestarsandplanetsintheheavensaboveyou.Inaddition,theappincludesdetailedinformationonthehistoryandmythologyofthevariousconstellations,starsandplanets,aswellasacoordinatesviewerforeasyreference. ATimeMachinesliderinthisbeststargazingappletsyouviewtheskiesofthepastorthefuture,andyoucantaponindividualobjectsformoredetails.Anightmodeallowsyoutostargazewithoutburningoutyournightvision,andanaugmentedrealityviewoverlaysthestarchartoveryourcameraview.DownloadStarWalk2:Andorid,iOS9.SkyMap(Imagecredit:SkyMapDevs)FormerlyaGoogleprojectthat'sgoneopensource,SkyMapisaneataugmentedrealityappthatturnsyoursmartphoneortabletintoamobileplanetarium. SkyMapusesyourphone'smanysensorstocalculateyourgeographicalpositionandthendisplayadetailedstarmapbasedonwhereyourdeviceispointed.Themapincludestheconstellations,thenamesofstarsandplanets,andmakesforagreatcompanionappforstargazers. Anightmodeensuresyourlowlightvisiondoesn'tgetruined,andatimetravelfeatureletsyouviewtheskyasitlookedinthepast,orasitwillbeinthefuture.DownloadSkyMap:Android10.StellariumMobile(Imagecredit:NocturaSoftware)Stellariumhaslongbeenawell-regardedopen-sourceplanetariumappondesktopdevices.MobileversionsforAndroidandiOSletyoutakeyourskyguidewithyouwhenyouheadouttostargaze.(TheAndroidversionisafreedownload,within-apppurchasesunlockingfeatures;StellariumMobilePlusisa$13.99apponiOS.)Themobileappfeaturesacatalogueofmorethan600,000starsonazoomablemapthatcanalsobeusedasaviewfinderandstarorsatelliteidentifierbypointingyourphoneupatthenightsky.Userscandisplayasterismsandconstellationsfromdifferentcultures,aswellassearchforartificialsatellites.DownloadStellariumMobile:Android,iOS11.SolarWalk2(Imagecredit:VitoTechnology)Ratherthanavirtualplanetarium,SolarWalk2isapocketorrery,modelingthepositionofthesun,planets,moonsandotherassortedcelestialobjectsinoursolarsystem. Lavishlyanimatedandillustrated,the$2.99appletsuserszoominoneachoftheplanets,moonsandevenanumberofspacecraftandsatellitestoviewstunningimages,infographics,anddetailedwriteupsofeachobject.Youcanalsozoomoutandviewtheentiresolarsysteminmotion,theappmodelingeachcelestialbody'smovementsovertime. DownloadSolarWalk2:Android,iOS12.SkyGuide(Imagecredit:FifthStarLabs)AnotheroldfavoriteforiOSuserslookingforthebeststargazingappsisSkyGuide,ahandyGPS-assistedskymapandrecognitiontoolforspottingandidentifyingconstellations,stars,planetsandsatellites.iOS11addedanewtwistwithanaugmentedrealityviewthatoverlaysthestarmaponyourcameraview. Aswiththebeststarmapapps,SkyGuideusesyourphone'ssensorsandscreentodisplayamapoftheskywhereveryourphoneispointedat,identifyingstarsandplanets.Inadditiontoshowingyoutheskyasitisnow,youcanalsotimetraveltoviewtheskyasitwasorwillbeonparticulardates.AppleWatchsupportletsyoureceivenotificationsforthingsliketheInternationalSpaceStationflyingoverhead;youcanalsoviewsolaractivityoraMooncomplication.DownloadSkyGuide:iOS13.GoSkyWatchPlanetarium(Imagecredit:GoSoftWorks)GoSkyWatchPlanetariumisanotherpopularappforiPhonesandiPads,datingbacktotheiPad2launch.The$3.99GoSkyWatchPlanetariumservesasaskymapandstarfinder,displayingalabeledstarfieldbasedonyourcurrentlocationanddeviceorientation,withasearcharrowthatcanguideyoutoaselectedstellarobject. Userscanadjustbrightnessandnightmodeforlatenightviewing,viewconstellations,experiencetimelapseanimationsofstellarmovementandconsultsunriseandsunsettimes.DownloadGoSkyWatchPlanetarium:iOS14.SkyWiki(Imagecredit:BluestreakLabs)SkyWikiprovidesuserswithasimplekitofhelpfulfeaturesforstargazingwithyourAndroidpphone,includingaGPS-assistedstarmap,acalendarofcelestialevents,compass,anda"periscope"chartthatdisplaysvitalinformation. TheSkymapautomaticallycalibratesbasedonyourdevicelocation,showingyouaprojectednightsky;crosshairsindicatewhereyourphoneispointedatrightnowtohelporientyourviewing. Theperiscopeviewalsoprovidessunriseandsunsettimes,aswellasaltitudeandheadinginfo,andasimilarspreadoffactsaboutvisibleplanetsandthesunandmoon.AhelpfulnightmodechangesmosttextandUIelementstoredinordertoprotectyournightvision—anotherreasonwhythislandsonourlistofbeststargazingapps.DownloadSkyWiki:Android15.SkEye(Imagecredit:HarshadRJ)SkEyeisamobileplanetariumappforAndroiddevicesthatdoublesasaPUSHTOguideforopticaltelescopes.SkEyeoperateslikemostotherstarmapapps,withabuilt-incatalogofstellarobjects,asearchfunctionandatimemachinemodeforviewingthenightskyinthepastorfuture. UserscanalsoattachtheirAndroiddevicetotheirtelescope'sopticaltubeassembly,andwithsomealignmentcalibrations,theycanusetheappasaPUSHTOguideforaligningtelescopestoobjectstheywishtoview.DownloadSkEye:AndroidBestiPhoneappsBestAndroidapps JohnCorpuz JohnCorpuzflip-floppedbetweencomputerscienceandcreativewritingcoursesinschool.AsacontributortoTom'sGuidehe'sfoundahappymiddlegroundwritingaboutapps,mobilegamingandothergeekery. Topics Apps Seeallcomments(1) 1Comment Commentfromtheforums JustacommentaboutSkyGuide.Ican'tfindawaytoreinstalltheapponanewiPhone.I'vetriedemailingFifthStarLabsandfillingouttheCommentformontheirwebsite(multipletimes)andhaveheardnothing. Don'texpectanysupportfromthesellerofSkyGuide. Sorryforthenegativefistpost.Itriedtocommentonthearticle,butitnevershowedupthere.ShouldIeverhearfromFSL,I'llbehappytoeditthispost. Edit:Happytoreportthatafteramonthandahalf,andsixattemptstocontactFifthStarLabs,Ifinallyreceivedaresponse.Fromtheirsuggestion,Ididsomefurtherdiggingandfoundasolutiontomyreinstallationissue.Betterlatethannever,Isuppose. Reply ViewAll1Comment BeIntheKnow Getinstantaccesstobreakingnews,thehottestreviews,greatdealsandhelpfultips. ContactmewithnewsandoffersfromotherFuturebrands Receiveemailfromusonbehalfofourtrustedpartnersorsponsors ThankyouforsigninguptoTom'sGuide.Youwillreceiveaverificationemailshortly. Therewasaproblem.Pleaserefreshthepageandtryagain. 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