We’ll make the case for a paper (or plastic) planisphere in a moment. But ultimately we find the good old fashioned planisphere to be the most effective for most of what we want to do. In fact we DO use several apps for forecasting and navigating the night sky. We take exception to the “there is an app for that” assertion… but perhaps not for the obvious reason. Whenever we suggest purchasing a paper Planisphere our critics remind us that they are not necessary because “there is a great app” to do that. The app has a catalog of more than 600,000 stars that you can see in real-time on a skymap which you can also zoom-in/out and most importantly, the 3D rendering of the major solar system, planets and their satellites.ĭownload the Stellarium app on iOS and Android devices now and teach the children about the vast universe.Īstronomy sky-charting apps such as SkySafari, Starwalk 2 and Skyview Free are terrific for showing you what's in your sky every night.A topic that comes up a lot is discussion about what makes a good astronomy helper application. It also offers you to easily identify the stars and constellations, their positions in the sky and accurately tells you their positions in a given time and day. The app gives you a realistic view just like what you see with your naked eye or with telescopes. Stellarium offers you a realistic view of the night skies that lets you easily see the stars, constellations and satellites. Get a fully featured planetarium app in your iOS or Android with Stellarium app. Users can display asterisms and constellations from different cultures, as well as search for artificial satellites. The mobile app features a catalogue of more than 600,000 stars on a zoomable map that can also be used as a viewfinder and star or satellite identifier by pointing your phone up at the night sky. (The Android version is a free download, with in-app purchases unlocking features Stellarium Mobile Plus is a $9.99 app on iOS.) Mobile versions for Android and iOS let you take your sky guide with you when you head out to stargaze. Stellarium has long been a well-regarded open-source planetarium app on desktop devices.

Stellarium is a functioning planetarium on a mobile device.

Stellarium app iphone