Starry sky for iPhone. Star Walk is one of the most beautiful apps for night sky lovers (Now also for Android)

Summer vacation time is a time of travel, rest from work days and pursuing your favorite hobbies. Astronomy is one of the few hobbies that you can indulge in today, not only looking through a telescope or sitting in a planetarium. Modern technologies allow you to satisfy your passion for studying the starry sky from almost anywhere on the planet and absolutely at any time. All you need is a smartphone or tablet running iOS or Android.

Here are five free mobile apps that can help you learn a lot about the stars, planets and other objects in our universe. In addition, you will be able to keep abreast of the latest scientific discoveries in the field of astronomy, which, unfortunately, are very rarely reported by the modern media. Three of them provide for a very significant expansion of opportunities due to in-app purchases, but even with basic functionality, they will be of interest to all amateurs.

1. "Planets"

The main function of Star & Planet Finder is to find the location in the sky of a given planet, star, constellation or satellite: you can select them from the list, after which, by changing the position of your smartphone or tablet in space, you can determine where they are located relative to you.

In the free version, Star & Planet Finder demonstrates only the location of the planets of the solar system and the moon, and for the demonstration of stars, constellations and satellites, you will have to pay 33 rubles for each group of objects.

4. Star Chart

One of the most popular free astronomical applications (over 12 million downloads) is Star Chart, which is the Atlas of the Starry Sky, and this is the only program in our review that is available in both iOS and Android versions.

Star Chart also uses augmented reality technology and shows you a three-dimensional simulation of the starry sky in relation to where you are observing and where you point the lens of your smartphone or tablet. That is, unlike most other similar applications, daylight and surrounding objects do not prevent you from seeing the constellations hidden from the naked eye.

The program catalog contains detailed three-dimensional images of the planets of our solar system, data on all 88 constellations with magnificent illustrations from the atlas of the Polish astronomer of the 16th century Jan Hevelius "Uranographia". The appendix includes a complete catalog of 110 exotic astronomical objects by the 17th century French astronomer Charles Monsieur, including various galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. Finally, the Star Chart contains all the visible stars of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, numbering more than 120 thousand units.

Among the unusual features of the Star Chart deserves mentioning the ability to go back in time 10,000 years ago and see how the starry sky looked in that distant era. To access the time shift function, you need to click on the current time, year or date in the upper right corner of the application: a slider will appear on the screen, moving which you can quickly return to the desired date. You can return to the present time by clicking on the word “Now” in the left corner of the screen. You can travel to the future in a similar way. If you want to find a specific event, it is better to use the calendar of eclipses, moon phases and other important dates.

The asset of the program is really excellent graphics and a lot of detailed information about various astronomical objects. For an additional fee (from 66 to 329 rubles), you can get access to advanced data packages on stars, comets, satellites, nebulae and meteor showers.

5. Astronomy Picture of the Day

The Astronomy Picture of the Day app for iPhone and iPad was developed in collaboration with NASA and uses a variety of stunning high-resolution photographs from space exploration.

Astronomy Picture of the Day is actually just a client for a giant NASA photo album available on the Internet. All photos are provided with brief annotations, you can search for images by date or switch to a random image. And although this is not an applied application, we decided to include it in our review, since a true astronomy lover will never refuse to admire such unique views of the world around us.

Looking at the night sky, strewn with stars, I often recall the Soviet cartoon "I Give You a Star", a magnificent work by Fyodor Savelyevich Khitruk. But seriously, as, probably, most of us, in the starry sky, I can distinguish only one constellation - the Ursa Major. In order to learn about the stars, their names and other constellations, excellent applications were created, which I would like to tell you about today.

Star walk 2

Star Walk 2 is one of the most beautiful apps, taking your breath away thanks to its 3D animations. You just need to raise your iPhone to the sky to find out the information you are interested in about the stars. Their exact coordinates will be displayed on the screen, as well as the constellations to which they belong. In addition, the application is accompanied by a wonderful soundtrack and various pleasant sound effects. Star Walk 2 also has the ability to see what the starry sky will look like at a later time of day or even a month later. An excellent application that is difficult to compete with.

Star Chart

Star Chart functions in exactly the same way as Star Walk 2. Thanks to its capabilities, you can see not only the stars of your, but also the opposite hemisphere. To do this, simply point the iPhone at the ground, and you will see what stars are observed by residents of other countries. Time Shift allows you to view the starry sky in the near future. To study the stars, you do not have to constantly point your smartphone at the sky; a variety of gestures will also help you in the application. When you make an in-app purchase, you will also have detailed information about a variety of comets and meteor showers.

Star rover

Star Rover helps you explore the sky map using the same augmented reality as previous apps. Star Rover has information on 120,000 stars and 88,000 constellations. In order to learn something new about any stellar body, just click on it. To look at the sky from another point on the Earth, you need to manually enter the coordinates you need. With just a couple of clicks, you can also get information about the moon and its various phases.

SkyView Free

Like previous apps, SkyView complements the reality around you. You can view information about the stars, constellations, as well as observe the sky, watch its state in the past and future.

SkyView Satellite Guide

Looking at the starry sky, you can forget about how many satellites fly around our Earth. For many, observing them can also be very interesting. The app can track their location and tell who launched them, as well as provide you with other useful information. You can even get a notification when one of the satellites flies over your head.

And finally, that wonderful cartoon "I give this star", watch and enjoy the beauty of the starry sky!

I do not presume to count the number of so-called astronomical programs, but I can say with confidence that they are all divided into two large groups. The first consists of lightweight applications designed mostly for entertainment; the second consists of powerful simulators used to educate aspiring astronomers.

The lion's share of programs for space exploration are written under Windows. And what about Android, is this operating system just as popular?

Are there astronomical programs for Android, and if so, how good are they? Of course there is, you just need to know where to look for them. As for the quality, in it they are in no way inferior to the Windows ones.

Star walk

At first I wanted to leave this application "for a snack", but then I decided that the first program in terms of quality of execution should be the first on the list.

Star Walk is perhaps the best application for the amateur study of the starry sky. This wonderful astronomical guide will allow you to navigate among the myriad of stars in real time. All you need is just to point your smartphone or tablet at the sky and all celestial bodies will be immediately identified. It doesn't matter if it is day or night.

The most significant space objects in Star Walk have a complete dossier. Also using this application you can learn information about constellations, nebulae, moon phases, trajectories of celestial bodies, etc. Also, you will be offered naturalistic pictures of planets, an astronomical calendar, various visual and audio effects. Star Walk is distributed on a paid basis, the cost of the application is low and is only $ 3.17.

Star Chart

Star Chart otherwise Star Chart can be considered as a very good alternative to Star Walk. It works in about the same way - point the device at the sky and you get a picture with a description of celestial bodies. The application provides detailed data on planets, stars, comets, constellations, solar systems and artificial satellites. Star Chart supports 3D mode, using audio commands, scaling, switching the color spectrum. Space photos used in the program are of excellent quality.

Sky map

The name of the third astronomical program on our list speaks for itself. Sky Map or Map of the Starry Sky is a simple free, open source application for viewing and studying the constellations of the starry sky. The application is developed by Google. The schedule does not differ in special quality, but everything is free. Among the shortcomings, one can also note minor errors in the identification of celestial bodies.

Solar Walk features include viewing the interior of planets, visually exploring the Milky Way galaxy, tracking natural and artificial satellites in real time, exploring the history of space in a time machine, and much more.

The software has 3D support, but you need Cyan-Red 3D glasses to take advantage of it. Solar Walk is commercial. The app is inexpensive at just $ 2.90.

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The image of a person staring at a small screen and not noticing anything that is happening around is a common illustration of a typical smartphone and tablet user. However, in fact, these mobile devices can not only tear a person out of reality, but also, on the contrary, discover new interesting facets of it. Today we want to introduce you to a series of Android apps that will open your eyes to the stars.

Planetarium

This app gives you basic information about the main astronomical objects such as constellations, planets of the solar system, their moons and so on. You can find out detailed information about their properties, location, visibility depending on the position of the observer, date, time and time zone. The application has a beautiful design and a well-developed interface.

Vortex Planetarium - Astronomy

One of the most complete planetariums on the Google Play store. Allows you to see the starry sky without leaving the comfort of your living room. With the help of a camera lens and special augmented reality technology, you can superimpose a picture of the night sky directly on your surroundings. This feature is not available in any other similar application.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

A simple program that automatically downloads and sets new wallpapers from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day catalog as a desktop picture every day. You can also read interesting facts about the displayed astronomical objects and phenomena.

Stellarium Mobile Sky Map

This is another fully functional planetarium for your phone that you can use to learn about the stars. By pointing the camera of the device at any astronomical object in the sky, you will receive its full name, picture and location within a few seconds. The app contains data on more than 600,000 stars, real-time sky maps and 3D visualizations of the main planets of the solar system and their moons.

Star Chart

This application is included in the list of the most popular programs in the "Education" category and has been installed on mobile devices by more than ten million people. Star Chart is a virtual planetarium right in your pocket. It uses GPS positioning technology, a 3D model of the universe that calculates in real time the current location of every star and planet visible from Earth. If you want to find out the name and information about any speck in the sky, just point the device's camera at it.

The colorful Star Chart program for android will help everyone who wants to study the stars in our Galaxy in detail. The application will introduce you to the planets and their satellites in the solar system. The user will see all the beauty of the starry sky anywhere in the world. This program can be considered educational. The user can know at any time what is the color, temperature, volume of each star. He will be able to study galaxies and their structure. The application database contains more than eighty constellations, more than a hundred thousand stars, more than a hundred amazing objects (clusters of stars, nebula, galaxies). Star Chart for Android has unique graphics. Satellites and planets in the program are presented in three-dimensional projection. The background of the constellations is decorated with artwork by the famous astronomer Hevelius. The trembling of the smartphone screen under the pulsation of the rays conveys the full magnitude of the sun. If you select any object, then full information will be displayed about its diameter, about the distance to the Sun and the Earth, about the period of rotation, the force of gravity, and temperature. Star Chart software is available in the free version. Additionally, for a fee, you can install satellites, meteorites, miniature planets in the gadget. If you constantly use the application, then over time you can remember the names of the stars and their location.

If you have long dreamed of unraveling star drawings, then this Star Chart will help you with this. The utility will reveal the secret where the sun hides at night and the stars are placed during the day. You can set coordinates manually, get a map and watch the sky on a foreign continent. And if you direct the smartphone down, under your feet, you can see the constellations that are located on the other side of the globe. Star Chart for android easily determines the location of a person relative to different constellations. The program provides a unique opportunity to study the starry sky through the camera of an android device. In this case, you can automatically calculate the position of all stars. An amazing picture of the world will open before the owner of the smartphone. And even during the day, you can admire the constellations and stars. To do this, you just need to point the smartphone camera at the sky. Star Chart for Android allows you to view the sky map both in real time and with displacement. You will be the first to know about the passage of a comet or meteor shower if you configure the program to receive notifications.