The text was originally published on August 6, 2018. We are reminding it due to the update and great interest in the topic.
Text updated on June 26, 2024.
Although games and applications on smartphones and tablets are mainly associated with entertainment, there is also no shortage of proposals among them that could be strictly classified as educational materials. And what kind! Interactive, using all the functions of a smartphone. Convenient, enjoyable, and often developed so well that even though it is strictly learning, it is closer to entertainment. The following application package focuses on… watching the sky. Only and as much as. On the one hand – we don’t need any additional tools to look out the window and look at the stars on a beautiful summer night. On the other hand – believe me, with such a handy package of knowledge, it’s a completely different story. Install it and set off to conquer!
SkyView Lite
Platforms: iOS, Android
SkyView Lite is a free app available for iOS and Android platforms that lets you identify stars, planets, and constellations using your smartphone’s camera. Its intuitive operation makes it ideal for beginner astronomy enthusiasts. Simply point your device at the sky and the app will display the names and details of the objects you are observing on the screen. SkyView Lite is a great tool for discovering the secrets of space for both children and adults.
Star Rover
Platforms: iOS, Android
Star Rover is a virtual planetarium app available for iOS and Android platforms. It allows you to view the night sky from different locations and at different times, allowing you to plan your observations in advance. The interactive map of stars and planets is easy to navigate and provides users with fascinating information about space objects. With Star Rover, anyone can become an expert on the night sky.
Heavens-Above
Platforms: iOS, Android
Heavens-Above is a dedicated app for tracking satellites, the International Space Station (ISS) and other objects in orbit. Available for iOS and Android, it offers accurate data and predictions about flybys, making it an indispensable tool for space enthusiasts. Heavens-Above is a great way to track the movement of satellites and other artificial objects in the sky.
SkyWiki
Platforms: Android
SkyWiki is an educational app available for Android that provides a wealth of information about astronomy. It includes an astronomical calendar, a compass for observing, and a moon phase calculator. SkyWiki is a great tool for anyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of space and plan their observations based on scientific data.
Cosmic Watch
Platforms: iOS, Android
Cosmic Watch is an interactive 3D astronomical clock available for iOS and Android platforms. It allows you to track the movement of celestial bodies in real time and astronomical simulations, making it an invaluable tool for astronomy enthusiasts. With Cosmic Watch, observing space becomes not only easy, but also incredibly fascinating.
Solar System Scope
Platforms: iOS, Android, browser version
Solar System Scope is an application offering an interactive 3D model of the Solar System, available on iOS, Android and in the web version. Ideal for those interested in detailed exploration of planets, moons and other space objects. Solar System Scope allows for a detailed understanding of our Solar System in an accessible and engaging way.
Sky Map
Platforms: Android
Sky Map is an application created by Google, available for the Android platform. It allows you to identify stars and planets in real time, even without Internet access. This makes it ideal for observations in remote places where network coverage may be limited. Sky Map is a simple and effective tool for every lover of the night sky.
Redshift Sky Pro
Platforms: iOS, Android
Redshift Sky Pro is a professional astronomy app available for iOS and Android. It offers detailed sky maps, observation planning, and astronomy simulations. With Redshift Sky Pro, both amateurs and professionals can enjoy discovering the secrets of space.
Starlight
Platforms: iOS, Android
Starlight is an easy-to-use app available for iOS and Android that lets you identify stars, constellations, and planets in real time by pointing your smartphone at the sky. The app offers an intuitive interface and is a great tool for those who are just starting out in astronomy.
SkyORB
Platforms: iOS, Android
SkyORB is an app available for iOS, Android and Windows, offering a 3D planetarium, astronomical calendar and the ability to track satellites and comets. Equipped with advanced tools for planning observations, SkyORB is the perfect solution for those who want to delve deeper into the mysteries of space.
Night Sky
Platform: iOS
Night Sky is one of the applications that Apple itself was very actively promoting just a few months ago. Probably a lot of credit for this is due to the focus on augmented reality – because the application is based on it. The program uses the potential of smartphones and tablets, allowing us to scan the sky in real time, and then it he tells about all the satellites and constellations that we can observe there. Pleasant, useful, magical – it is worth considering, however, that the whole thing works on the basis of a subscription. If after a few days of trial you already know that this is your cup of tea – it is worth taking an interest in a longer package, which, as you can see in the attached image, is much cheaper in the overall calculation! An additional advantage is support for Apple Watch and a beautiful, three-dimensional, sky map, to which we have access on the screens of our iOS devices on board!
Star Walk 2 and others from the Vito Technology catalog
Platforms: iOS, Android
Star Walk is an application that has been available on the market for a good few years now – and has been getting only good reviews from the very beginning. No wonder: it has always managed to captivate with its uncomplicated interface, which concealed captivating sky maps, beautiful visualizations, trivially simple navigation, and all of this topped with a whole package of interesting facts from around the world. For those who get lost in their sky-high journeys, the video tutorial will lend a helping hand, and there are also breathtaking photographs and film materials available in the gallery. The creators boldly use the possibilities offered to us by devices – a perfect example of which is reaching for the accelerometer when browsing the fantastically presented constellations there!
See also: best android apps 2018
However, when writing about Star Walk, it is impossible not to mention the rest of the team’s applications: from the improved in many respects Star Walk 2 application, through Star Walk Kids, Solar Walk, Sky Live and finally Solar Walk 2. Each of them presents the highest, sky-high, quality. That is why I heartily encourage you to familiarize yourself with the entire package of applications from Vito Technology – with them, the cosmos will have even fewer secrets for you. It is also worth bearing in mind that many of them are available in several versions: free, paid, with ads or microtransactions. It is worth looking through the catalog carefully, calculating and choosing something for yourself.
- Star Walk 2: with ads (iOS, Android), without ads (iOS, Android)
- Solar Walk: with ads (iOS, Android), without ads (iOS)
- Solar Walk 2: Space Explorer with ads (iOS, Android), without ads (iOS)
- Solar Walk 2 for Education (iOS, Android)
- Sky Live: Heavens Above (iOS)
- Star Walk Kids: Astronomy Game (iOS, Android)
- Satellite Tracker (iOS, Android)
Sky Safari
Platforms: iOS, Android
Sky Safari is one of those applications that are very difficult to ignore if you are interested in the sky. The product has been on the market for years and with each update its creators show even more claws, proving that they have not said their last word yet. This is a proposal that will benefit both users taking their first steps in the subject and professionals. An extremely powerful database (also available without the need to connect to the network!), support for augmented reality, fantastic animations and a solid dose of knowledge. And when I write this I mean the basic version – free, with a set of add-ons that can be purchased as part of the IAP. In addition to it, there are two additional variants available: Plus and Pro, richer in knowledge and new functions – including control of telescopes supporting WiFi.
Android:
iOS:
Star Chart
Platform: iOS, Android
Star Chart is, compared to the above proposals, a product that lags behind a bit. And you can see it from the very first moment after starting the application. It’s not that Star Chart is a bad application — quite the opposite, and its presence here is the best proof of that. It’s just that the competition is so strong that you really have to present a lot of advantages to break through. Star Chart also offers aesthetically made sky maps, a huge injection of knowledge, and all of this is decorated with convenient navigation. In addition, the creators have given us the ability to easily filter objects and a huge encyclopedia – but you have to bear in mind that, like with the competition, many of the options there are also waiting for us behind a paywall and we have to pay for them as part of an in-app transaction.
Stellarium Mobile
Platforms: iOS, Android
If you are a fan of the subject, you have probably already encountered Stellarium more than once or twice. The application is extremely popular on computers, and its mobile version – although smaller, can positively surprise. The mobile planetarium – similarly to Star Chart – is slightly worse than Sky Safari or Star Walk, but browsing the application itself is extremely intuitive. I also really appreciate the function of easy star identification.
NASA
Platforms: iOS, Android
Today’s cosmic the list ends with an application that is a bit different from all the others: the official NASA application. And although it does not focus on watching the sky like the others, I am convinced that no enthusiast of the subject will regret installing it. The free program will provide the most important information on a daily basis, allow you to configure notifications, watch breathtaking graphic and video materials, and also read about the missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
