Nowadays stargazing is an exciting & easy activity for stargazers with the help of astronomy apps . Even kids can engage with the new Outer space phenomenon and experience the beauty of the sky. Once you point your device to the sky, these apps open up a real-time space with stars, planets, satellites, and more.
You now have the luxury of downloading free stargazing apps on to your Android or iOS powered devices and you are all covered.
You can effortlessly witness and enjoy all the activities that are happening up in the blue sky with a simple tap on your mobile screen. What else do you want?
Simply download any one of these 24 stargazing apps to stay abreast with the heavenly activities that intrigue you in a number of ways.
1. Nightshift
Nightshift is an amazing app solution for amateur stargazers. You can understand significant astronomy highlights and give reminders on the active meteor showers, visible planets, and more.
Nightshift helps you gauge details about various lunar phenomena’s like the next full moon, new moon, etc. The app gives you in-depth information on all celestial objects.
App Features
- Track fascinating sky events.
- Large database of deep-sky objects.
- Customize your stargazing locations.
- Exact details via the event calendar
Ratings: 4.7/5
Installs: 100,000+
Download: Android
2. Mobile Observatory
Mobile observatory is one of the best stargazing apps enabling you to view sky’s wonders from your favorite location. You can get instant notifications about the upcoming sky events, well-arranged celestial catalogs, etc.
This app has a paid version with more amazing features. The other features of this free version include a 3D view of the solar system, Live mode to point your device and more.
App Features
- Photo-realistic display of day & night sky.
- Automatically created calendar.
- Daily notifications on celestial events.
- Orientation sensors as a guide.
Ratings: 4.7/5
Installs: 100,000+
Download: Android
3. ISS Detector
ISS Detector is the easiest way to spot the International space station with your naked eye on fewer taps. It allows you to know about the changes in weather conditions & ensure perfect spotting on a clear sky. An in-app purchase can activate extra features.
App Features
- Easy to use & elegant interface.
- Real-time tracking of satellites & telescopes.
- Personalize by adding sky events.
- A detailed description of ISS.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Installs: 5,000,000+
4. Skysafari
Skysafari is recognised as one of the best stargazing apps active on both Android and iOS. It is very easy to use, as once you hold your smartphone to the sky, you can become a pro sky gazer.
The app contains vivid illustrations on constellations & galaxies. You will get updates on daily sky events & audio narrations on history, the mythology of stars & sky.
App Features
- In-app purchases for premium features.
- 3D location of galaxies & celestial objects.
- Pronunciation guide on sky elements.
- Powerful planetarium on your pockets.
Ratings: 4.6/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
5. Starwalk 2 Free
Starwalk is the optimum astronomy guide to explore different stars, day & night, deep sky elements & more. All you need to do is to hold your device to the sky.
You can instantly transform your smartphone into a telescope & determine positions of planets and stars in the sky. This app is easy to use for kids and adults, space amateurs and serious stargazers.
App Features
- Pan/zoom features for each map.
- Superimposition of sky objects.
- Star chart app with 3D animations.
- Night mode for sky observation.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Installs: 10,000,000+
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6. Starchart
Starchart is one of the well-known stargazing apps used by millions of people all around the world. Using GPS technology, starchart provides you the real-time view of planets and elaborate details on their attributes.
Besides, you can enjoy the outerspace through your voice commands like “Go to Saturn”, at fewer taps. The TimeShift feature allows you to shift ten thousand years forward or backward.
App Features
- Dynamic device orientation.
- Powerful zoom function
- Manual setting of locations
- Fully configurable
Ratings: 4.5/5
Installs: 10,000,000+
7. NASA
Astronomy subjects never complete without saying about NASA. The National aeronautics and space administration managing science and technology doing with space and airplanes now comes handy with all its attributes.
Users can view about sixteen thousand NASA images and the latest news and features. You get a chance to update yourself about new NASA missions & upcoming sighting opportunities for ISS.
App Features
- Social media integration
- Map & links to all NASA visitor centres.
- 2D & 3D satellite tracking.
- HD video of ISS Experiments.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Installs: 10,000,000+
8. Solar walk lite
Solar walk lite is one of the best stargazing apps to discover the significance of planets & outer space. It is a 3D planetarium representing a time-sensitive solar system and easy viewing of other celestial bodies.
It has a zoom in /out feature to get the position of planets and distance between space objects. Solar walk lite as the name suggests is an interactive encyclopaedia of the solar system
App Features
- Orrery 3d mode for schematic view.
- Amazing graphics with a lot of information.
- An excellent educational tool for teachers.
- Up-close view of planets and sky objects.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
9. Light pollution map
Light pollution map is one of the best stargazing apps allowing clearer stargazing. The app comprises hundreds of astronomy tools with the most accurate light pollution map.
It allows you to know about dark sites where the sky won’t be affected by light pollution & perfect sky observing. An aurora overlay gain info on best viewing venues of northern lights with live webcam facility.
App Features
- Instant lives and notifications.
- Different astronomy-related calculators.
- Integrated cloud cover map and temperature
- Simple navigations
Ratings: 4.5/5
Installs: 100,000+
10. Startracker
Startracker is a perfect app for you to enjoy stargazing with your friends. You get a chance to view stars, constellations and planets in real-time simply via your smartphones.
One of the striking features of this app is its realistic high-quality graphic display of 12 Zodiac collections art and other deep-sky objects. The pro version can be availed via a payment unlock with many premium features.
App Features
- Autohide & AR track mode.
- Set location via GPS
- Smooth & quick motion
- Simple & immersive interface.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 5,000,000+
Download: Android
11. Starlight
Starlight gives you a chance to have an exciting cosmic tour at your fingertips. Simply point your phone to the night sky & gaze stars and constellations in real-time. This app serves entertainment & also educates kids with cosmic studies.
App Features
- Simple & faster navigations.
- Collection of handpainted artworks.
- Comprises viewing of Solar system
- Vibrant backdrop of stars.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
12. SkEye
Get a real-time planetarium and a push to guide for telescopes. SkEye enables you to identify each star, planets, and constellations.
It reminds you about each cosmic event and never let you miss any of them. The unique feature is that you can jump to any dates in the past or future you wish.
App Features
- NGC catalog with bright objects.
- Quick search with a guiding arrow.
- OTA mode for telescopes.
- Night mode
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
Download: Android
13. Constellation maps
Your smartphone can lead you into the cosmos in minutes with this app. Constellations Mao lets you know the individuals’ star’s names, their features, constellation, and planets.
Besides, it can also indicate the position of planets in the solar system in adjacent screens. Users can control the display parameters by narrowing /enlarging with their fingers.
App Features
- Easy to use interface
- Toggle display with double touch
- Display names of celestial objects.
- Get to know about every star
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
14. Heavens above
The app name itself showcases its vivid capability to portray heavenly objects. Skygazing is so innovative with handy ‘heavens above’ app. The app informs you about precise pass predictions for ISS, radio, and visible satellites.
Each calculation is done in real-time on your phone with high protection. Users can get a visual timeline on sky charts and the position of satellites.
App Features
- Device orientation.
- Up-to-date event calendar.
- Red on black color night mode
- Detailed overview of sky objects
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
Download: Android
15. Sun, moon and planets
This is an all-in-one app for getting information about astronomical objects in the solar system. The app comprises tools to calculate various things like position, rise and set, eclipses for sun, moon, and other planets.
Sun moon and planets are best known for their graphical displays about the moons of various planets.
App Features
- Graphical widgets for illuminated earth.
- Times of the rise and set.
- Intuitive navigations
- Package of unique celestial phenomenon.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 500,000+
Download: Android
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16. Stellarium
This paid app has a realistic portrayal of celestial objects. You can easily observe stars, planets, and constellations.
The app consists of more than 60,000 real-time zoomable maps & extensive catalogues of deep-sky objects. Stellarium lets users know how people in the other parts of the planet view sky and stars.
App Features
- Landscape stimulating light pollution.
- Protective night mode
- 3D rendering of solar system and satellites.
- View ISS including other artificial satellites.
Ratings:4.4/5
Installs:100,000+
Download: Android, iOS
17. MeteoBlue
Meteoblue gains a place on our list because of its high precision weather forecast. As we all know perfect sky-gazing requires better weather conditions with a clear sky.
Meteoblue makes you search for your location’s weather condition and is capable of forecasting about six million locations. The app ensures pictographic representations on 5 days or 7 days of weather conditions.
App Features
- Accurate Radar maps.
- Highly personalized settings
- Save weather data offline.
- Beautiful & simple app design
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
18. Skywiki
Skywiki is an encyclopaedia with detailed information on sky objects. You can virtually walk with the moon and other celestial things via realistic sky maps.
You get a chance to use periscopes allowing you to track the path of sun, moon, and planets. Skywiki is also an extraordinary solution to find aggregated news from global feeds.
App Features
- Amazing collection of astronomy photos.
- Compass feature for exact locations.
- Scrollable calendars on major events.
- Attractive interface.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 100,000+
Download: Android
19. Skyview lite
Skyview lite guides you into the exciting galaxies and celestial sphere in real-time. Your mobile camera turns into a Hubble telescope allowing you to identify stars and objects & get their details.
Easily scan the sky and trace those fady constellations which are hard to see through the naked eye.
App Features
- Night mode
- Ar camera to spot sky objects.
- Supports space navigations
- No wi-fi required.
Ratings: 4.3/5
Installs: 10,000,000+
20. Indian Sky Map
Indian sky map is an exclusive astronomy app with hundreds of skymaps in Indian locale. It is your virtual planetarium permit you to track nakshatra, their boundaries, and rashis.
As Indians are always conscious about stars and their position, the Indian sky map can fulfill their pro-sky-gazing.
App Features
- Awesome derivative of the sky map.
- Hindi language support.
- Updates with smoother navigation.
- Traditional astronomy aspects prevailing in India.
Ratings: 4.3/5
Installs: 500,000+
Download: Android
21. Planetarium
Planetarium allows you to know everything about the celestial objects. It can help you to select the preferred position for observing, date &time, etc.
Planetarium consists of a Bright star catalogs where users can display sky projections. You can engage with deep-sky objects in real-time and know, transit, and set times of moon and planets of our solar system.
App Features
- Widget functionality on screens.
- Notifications on astronomy events.
- Customize your gazing time.
- Simple and intuitive layout.
Ratings: 4.4/5
Installs: 100,000+
Download: Android
22. Skymap
Skymap is a dedicated app for astronomy activities with its fifty million-plus users. This handheld planetarium helps you in identifying stars, planets, and other sky objects in few seconds.
This was Google sky maps and now donated & open-sourced. Users can get exact directions for gazing and avoid any magnetic impacts on your process.
App Features
- Adjust sensor speed and damping.
- Accurate orientation
- No third-party ads.
- Innovative features on update
Ratings: 4.2/5
Installs: 50,000,000+
Download: Android
23. Solar Walk
Solar Walk is an amazing Outerspace simulator with 3D models of solar systems and planets. The menu contains detailed information on all celestial bodies and a wide range of exotic sky objects.
Along with basic info, you get to know the internal structure, planet positions in-depth.
App Features
- Different modes for sky exploration.
- Attractive and engaging view
- Extensive astronomy facts
- Gallery of solar movies
Ratings: 4.2/5
Installs: 1,000,000+
24. Skyportal
Sky portal redefines the sky gazing experience into the utmost level. By connecting to a compatible wifi telescope, you can start exploring hundreds of celestial bodies and deep sky objects.
The app helps you customize your star gazing venture with the best objects on preferred location and time.
App Features
- Hundreds of object descriptions.
- Exciting view of sky objects.
- Automatically point telescopes.
- Quick & accurate go-to alignment.
Ratings: 4.2/5
Installs: 100,000+
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Conclusion
There are plenty of inquisitive learners out there who are willing to the go the extra mile to assimilate information from the universe that lies above us.
As an exciting aid to all such curious lovers of astronomy, you can check out the above described stargazing apps that will satiate their quest for astronomical information concerning stars and other celestial objects.