A lot of stargazing apps are available on the market. Once you put the term “stargazing” into the Google Play & App Store search field, hundreds of applications will be available with bluish-purple icons. But which one is the best of all? Go through the article to know about the top stargazing apps.
What are Stargazing apps?
Star gazing apps indicate those applications which introduce people to the night sky wonders in a more accessible way than any other source. With the help of these apps, you can create a profound understanding of the cosmos, which could be carried out for the remaining part of your life and help you in reinforcing your interest in astronomy & astrophotography.
These take help from the GPS on your mobile for finding the constellations & deep-space objects from any location – no matter whenever you are. It allows you to access the cosmos where you want. Using a star-charting app, you will be able to point your mobile at a specific part of the sky. Then, the app will identify the object which you face. Despite the similarities, these are different based on factors like accuracy, complexity, features, presentation, and price.
5 Best StarGazing Apps:
We have given here the best Star gazing apps. Let’s have a look.
SkySafari 7 Pro:
This one is a well-designed stargazing application that comes with several features. Its standard price is $26.99. This app has Telescope control and a free version. In addition, it has an AR star map. Its database includes approximately 100 million stars, 3 million galaxies down to 18th magnitude, & 750,000 solar system objects.
Are you an experienced stargazer? Still, you will learn something from this comprehensive app which sat at the more expensive end of the market. The app allows you to connect it to your telescope. Besides, it works as a guide about the stars. This app comes with ‘Sky Tonight,’ a guided tour of the best sights on a show that night. It has a strong Events Finder containing the search engine using which you can look for celestial events. People who are into astrophotography can use this feature. Additionally, you can use the feature if you are willing to plan your shoot for any particular event.
The app can back up your settings and offer telescopic images & object information. As an educational tool, it is very challenging to beat.
Its earlier version comes with a lot more features. However, compared to the previous version, the newer one is even cheaper. While there are many enhancements, the major improvements are a simplified interface & a standard extended database. Remember, the app occupies a whopping amount of storage space in your device.
Pros:
- Makes a detailed observing list
- Insightful audio tours and pronunciation guides
Cons:
- Overwhelming layout
- Occupy a lot of storage space
Stellarium Mobile Plus:
The app has the most realistic look and the most comprehensive celestial database. Its price is $19.99. The app features telescope control, a free version, and an AR star map. Its database includes more than 1.69 billion stars, all famous planets, natural satellites & comets, minor solar system objects with 10k asteroids, famous deep sky objects, and more than 2 million nebulas & galaxies.
It is a great mobile version of the famous open-source desktop app, which is popular for the quality of its constellation illustrations. Unlike its Windows and Mac counterparts, the users have to pay for it $19.99. Although it offers a free version which doesn’t have as many features as the Plus version.
Its database offers more stars than any other app. But if it comes to talk about asteroids, Sky Safari would be recommended. While reviewing Stellarium Mobile Plus, it needs to be mentioned that GPS positioning and the night sky it displays are the two exceptional features to which you should give the app permissions. Therefore, the artificial sky you see on the mobile appears quite the same as the actual sky above you. Users can find out & detect their favorite planets & constellations, along with tracking moving satellites and accessing data on their preferred stars & planets.
Zooming in a picture allows you to see HD pictures of nebulae and galaxies, albeit some, such as the Pleiades. When you point your mobile at the sky, this one of the best mobile Star gazing apps will help you to reveal the objects you see. It can also connect to most telescopes easily.
Pros:
- Comprehensive Database
- Intuitive technology
Cons:
- Time controls are difficult to reset
- Zooming causes image distortion
- Lack of information on celestial objects
Star Walk 2:
It is available for $2.99. While there is no telescope control, it has a free version and an AR star map. The app’s database includes 200,000 stars, eight planets, 27 asteroids and comets, and 10,000 satellites. It is one of the most popular Star gazing apps which can give you a real experience of the night sky. Its free version displays ads and doesn’t have too many features. The app is designed in such a way that you can experience it from your mobile screen instead of connecting to a scope. Due to the presence of a simple-to-use interface, the app is ideal for beginners. The app has got several updates that improved stability, refined notification settings, along with adding an events calendar, and enhanced accuracy.
Pointing the mobile’s camera to look up into the sky allows the app to overlay constellations in the direction you’re facing. It is also possible to track the movement of planets. This one of the best real time star gazing apps even allows you to track objects like the International Space Station and the Starlink satellites, but you should pay for the upgrade. It has a calm audio track which lets you add some atmosphere and can be disabled, if you find it irritating.
It has a ‘Visible Tonight’ section which guides to the mind blowing objects that can be seen on a given evening along with photos and a link to the Wikipedia page for more information. Even at its most expensive rate, the app is offering a great experience of augmented astronomy in a low-cost way. People who are fine with the limitations can use the free version.
Pros:
- Simple to set up and navigate
- Customizable, including notification settings
Cons:
- Calibration issues may exist
SkyView:
The app can increase the sky watching knowledge. $1.99 is the price you need to pay to get the paid version of it. While there is a telescope control feature, it comes with a free version & AR star map. The database includes Stars, planets, satellites & constellations. It is a user-friendly app that has been around for a long time. Besides, it has received a lot of upgrades along the way. The interactive star map allows you to identify constellations & other objects in the night sky. In addition, it can display their motion when they pass across the center of the screen.
The position of your mobile must be very precise. Otherwise, you will not get the correct information you require. Moving even slightly from your preferred object can cause the details to vanish. The AR screen is extremely dark to view at night. However, the graphics are clear, whereas the illustrations of constellations are attractive.
Although the free version has details of fewer stars & constellations than the paid app, and contains ads. It is possible to upgrade the app by purchasing packs of additional stars, satellites, and a music package. Although the telescope integration is limited, sufficient detail is available on the app to make this eye-catching for novice astronomers.
Pros:
- Simple to use
- Easy access to information
Cons:
- The augmented reality screen is dark.
Skye:
If you are looking for an app that is rich in features, then the app is an excellent choice. Its full version is available for $9.99. While the AR Star Map is unavailable, the app does come with telescope control. Its database includes Stars, planets, satellites & constellations.
With a vast range of excellent features, the app can give most features for free. The app may not be the most user-friendly stargazing app, but it is easy to use & still fairly uncluttered. Its basic version is available without adverts, whereas the pro version lets you generate a personalized library so that you can easily access your favorite objects. The app can highlight more than 100 satellites and 800 comets.
Although it is an excellent option for astronomy lovers, beginners could be confused because it stacks complicated metrics & obscure abbreviations over subjects on the screen. Want to find out any specific object? Then, use the app’s search function, providing you with simple directions to your chosen object. The app is perfectly suitable for enthusiasts to pair with a telescope. It includes a useful ‘Insta-align’ function to make the process simple.
Pros:
- Easy interface
- Highly customizable
- Free without Ads
Cons:
- Only available for Android mobiles
- -Satellites come in only paid Pro version
Conclusion:
In this article, we have covered enough details about stargazing apps along with describing the best five star gazing apps. Choose the best one according to your requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is night sky a free app?
Night Sky X comes with a free database. Besides, it includes all “standard” features, such as news, stargazing conditions, and space objects visible tonight.
What app can you use to watch stars at night?
Names of the Best stargazing apps in 2023 are as follows:
- SkySafari 7 Pro
- Stellarium Mobile Plus.
- Star Walk 2.
- SkyView
- Skeye
- Star Rover.
- Starlight
Is there an app to identify stars and planets?
Sky Map lets you detect stars, planets, nebulae, etc. No matter whether you are a beginner or stargazing pro – the app allows you to find almost everything you want to know about the night sky.
