All of the apps featured here show you constellations, yes, but it’s how they show them to you and how they make it useful (by giving a basic explanation to beginners or by providing exact coordinates that advanced users can input into their telescope, for example) that counts. Here are a few other things you should make sure your app has, and why they’re important. Easy to Use: Astronomy is fascinating but there is a lot of information involved.It can be confusing (or downright overwhelming) for beginners at first until they learn how to parse it, so it’s important that these apps be intuitive, well-organized, and able to provide assistance or helpful descriptions when needed. Robust, Accurate Charts: With the exception of apps designed for kids, the best astronomy apps show more than the basic contents of our solar system.Īnd for advanced users, important information needs to be available at a glance so you can spend your time staring at the stars and not at your phone.They should be connected to large databases that can show you at least a few hundred thousand stars, nebulae, galaxies, artificial satellites, and other deep sky objects. They should also be able to track and show you their movements in real time.

Object Information: It’s one thing to see asteroids or planets in the app.It’s another thing entirely to be able to click on one and see information about it in an instant, which these apps do. Some keep it brief, only telling you an object’s name and a quick blurb about it, while others provide more comprehensive information, including the object’s location, composition, mythology, distance from Earth, and so on. Night Mode: Dark mode is awesome, but when you’re stargazing, it’s all about night mode, which reddens fonts, buttons, and anything that isn’t black on your screen so that you can maintain your eyes’ dark adaptation while stargazing.īest Overall Astronomy App: Sky Safari Sky Safari. If you’re new to astronomy, Sky Safari (Free/Android, $2.99/iOS) is a great place to start. The app offers the standard night sky map with AR constellation overlay, as well as tons of helpful information about celestial bodies (including over 120,000 stars and hundreds of other objects) in its sleek and well-organized interface.

Stellarium mobile sky map quick start