Best Stargazing App In 2024: TOP 7 iPhone And Android Apps To Keep Space In Your Pocket

17th Jun 2024

The Universe is one of the biggest mysteries that has captivated humanity for centuries and still remains completely unsolved. Fortunately, progress has come so far that today, it is not at all necessary to visit the nearest observatory or buy a telescope to immerse yourself in the enchanting mystery of the stars; you can simply carry space in your pocket.

Here is our best stargazing app guide, which will help you travel through the vast expanses of space right on your smartphone screen. And our detailed review will tell you how to do it best.

7 Best Stargazing Apps: List For 2024

Best astronomy apps are a kind of mini portals into space, accessible to everyone. They offer a variety of functions, from simple star-pointing to complex astronomical calculations. We analysed over two dozen offers in Google and the App Store and compiled the best stargazing app list in 2024:

Star Walk 2
GoSkyWatch Planetarium
Stellarium Mobile Plus
Sky View
Photopills
Night Sky
SkySafari 7

These apps will help you learn more about stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. They’ll also be great aids when using a telescope or planning astrophotography. Whether you’re a novice astronomy enthusiast or a seasoned astrophotographer, each app will offer you a unique experience.

Star Walk 2

This is the best stargazing app for entertainment and education, both for adults and children (Star Walk Kids). Star Walk 2 uses GPS to determine the exact position of celestial bodies—you just need to point your phone at the stars.

Star Walk 2 Features

Observing stars and planets in real-time.
3D models of constellations and other celestial objects.
Augmented reality for observing celestial bodies through the device’s camera.
“Time machine” for viewing the sky at different times.
Various filters for observing the sky.
Night mode.
“Sky Live” option for tracking astronomical events.
Space and astronomy news.

The app is available in the App Store and Google Store, making it the best stargazing app for Android and iPhone in our list. The premium version costs 3 USD for iOS devices and less than 1 USD for Android. Those who do not mind the ads can use the free version.

GoSkyWatch Planetarium

best stargazing apps: GoSkyWatch — GoSkyWatch. Image credit: gosoftworks.com

This second-best iOS stargazing app is an expanded analogue of Star Walk for iPhone and iPad. It uses your device’s accelerometer and GPS to locate astronomical objects, while gesture controls and unique graphics provide a truly interactive experience never before seen on a mobile device (according to the app’s creators).

GoSkyWatch Features:

Automatic detection of celestial objects using an accelerometer and compass.
High-performance animation.
Built-in database of all stars visible to the naked eye.
Adjustable star brightness to suit viewing conditions.
Over 200 images of planets and deep-space objects.
Complete catalogue of Messier and Caldwell objects with images.
Image of the Milky Way.
Search for planets, constellations, deep-space objects, and stars.
Lunar phase calendar.
Sunrise and sunset times.

GoSkyWatch does not have a free version, but a paid version will not cost you that much for such a luxurious space arsenal — 4 USD.

Stellarium Mobile

Stellarium Mobile combines a super realistic and accurate night sky simulation with the largest catalogue of celestial objects known to astronomers to date. This is also the best stargazing app for telescopes, but the telescope control feature is only available in the paid version.

Main Stellarium Mobile Features:

Accurate night sky simulation with stars and planets for any date, time and location.
Study of all known stars, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, comets, asteroids and other objects of deep and near space.
Enlarged images of the Milky Way and deep-space objects.
Tracking artificial satellites, including the International Space Station.
Simulation of landscape and atmosphere with realistic sunrise, sunset and atmospheric refraction.
Night mode (red) to adapt your eyes to the dark.

Additional Features Available In The Paid Version:

Telescope control via Bluetooth or WIFI.
Preparing observation sessions using advanced observation tools.
Calendar of upcoming astronomical events and satellite flight trajectories over a given area.
3D view of planets, satellites and many other objects.

Developers emphasise that their application has an intuitive, minimalist interface and works perfectly well without an Internet connection but with a reduced data set. Stellarium Mobile is available for iOS and Android. The paid version with the Plus-mark will cost about 14 USD, or 6 USD if you get a discount.

Sky View

SkyView® is one of the best star apps using augmented reality (AR). The technology of overlaying virtual images of stars, planets, and other space objects on a real image of the sky obtained through the camera of your device significantly enriches the process of learning and exploring the starry landscape, which makes SkyView very popular.

SkyView Key Features:

Easy to Use: Point your device at the sky to identify galaxies, stars, constellations, planets, and satellites passing over your location.
Night Mode: Maintain your night vision with red or green night mode filters.
Augmented Reality (AR): Use your device’s camera to search for celestial objects, day or night.
Celestial paths: Follow the celestial path of any object to find out its exact position at any date and time.
Informative: Lists thousands of stars, planets, and satellites with thousands of interesting facts.
Time Travel: Travel to the future or past and see the sky at different dates and times.
Social Features: Capture and share beautiful images with friends and family on social networks.
Mobility: Does not require WiFi, mobile Internet, or GPS to function. You can take it on hikes, on a boat, or even on a plane.

What’s The Difference Between SkyView And SkyView Lite?

SkyView® Lite is a version that can be downloaded free. But its functionality is limited. With the lite version, you won’t get the full interactive experience; you’ll quickly find yourself wanting more. To gain access to all features and the widest catalogue of celestial objects, we recommend paying 3 USD and downloading SkyView® Explore the Universe. The application is available for all iOS devices, including Apple Watch, as well as for new versions of Android.

Photopills

This application will become an indispensable assistant for photographers who strive for excellence in their art. PhotoPills is a powerful tool for visualising scenes and planning the perfect time and place to shoot. If you want to impress your friends with stunning star photos, use one of the best star gazer apps.

Photopills Features:

2D Map Planner: Plan your shots of the Sun, Moon, and Milky Way
Quickly search for Sun and Moon alignments: Find the perfect location and time to shoot
3D Augmented Reality: Visualize the position and path of the Sun, Moon, and Milky Way
Photo Plan Management: Save and manage your photo plans
Location scouting tools: Helps you choose the best location to shoot
Widgets: Get daily information about the Sun, Moon, and Milky Way
Calculators: For long exposure, time-lapse, star trails, hyperfocal distance, depth of field, and field of view

PhotoPills is available for iOS for versions 11 or higher and Android for versions 4.2 or higher. However, the application does not have a free version. However, 11 USD is a small sum to pay for taking magnificent photos of the starry sphere.

Night Sky

Another powerful personal planetarium with AR features that lets you quickly identify stars, planets, constellations, and satellites right above you.

Night Sky Features:

Augmented Reality: Point your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch at the night sky and the app will display celestial objects in real-time.
Sky Tags: Create a personalised night sky by adding tags to objects that you can share via iMessage
Audio Object Spatial Navigation: Use AirPods to find objects in the sky using sound
Sky Window: Using AR, you can ‘erase’ the room ceiling to see the sky beyond it
Billions of Stars: The app lists over 1.7 billion stars available for exploration
Night Sky Widget: Shows information about satellite flight trajectories and observation conditions
Night Sky Dials: Identify constellations right on your watchOS dial screen
Maps interface: Quick search, intelligent red night mode, and light pollution indicator
Planetary portals and AR solar system model: Explore the surface of other planets and the solar system in augmented reality

The application is developed by iCandi and is available for download only for iOS devices. It should not be confused with the Night Sky Guide app, which is available for Android. The developer offers a free version with in-app purchases, which allows users to start using basic features for free, and after, optionally expand the capabilities with a subscription ($5.99USD/month or $39.99USD/year).

Is Night Sky App Worth It?

If you own an iPhone, iPad, Macbook, or an Apple Watch — definitely yes. You will get a unique customised experience that no other top iOS stargazing app will provide you with. Download NightSky 12, put on Apple Vision Pro and you will experience planets and stars at your fingertips!

SkySafari 7

SkySafari 7 from Simulation Curriculum is marketed as Astronomy Observing & Telescope Control Software for iOS and Android and is rated as an impressive and easy-to-use application, ideal for amateur astronomers.

SkySafari 7 Features:

Responsive User Interface: The app has an elegant and intuitive interface.
Augmented Reality: Allows studying celestial objects from anywhere on the globe by pointing your smartphone at any part of the sky.
Various telescope support: Allows one to control various models of telescopes, in particular, starting with version 7, Celestron StarSense telescopes.
Extensive Database: Includes the most detailed database among astronomy applications. The basic version features over 120 thousand stars and 222 clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. The Pro version contains information about 100 million stars, 3 million galaxies, and 750 thousand objects in the solar system.
Interactivity: Provides a detailed 3D simulation of the dark sky, allowing one to explore and identify stars, constellations, planets, and other celestial objects
Educational Resources: Includes star charts and astronomical information to further one’s understanding of astronomy.
Time Travel Mode: Allows exploring the night sky from any historic timepoint.
Social features LiveSky and SkyCast: for sharing and social interaction
Frequent promotions and discounts: Users can take advantage of frequent promotions.

Disadvantages:

Large download size: The app takes up a significant amount of memory — 2.4 GB, so you should make sure you have enough free space on your device.
Has a learning curve: New users may need time to master all the app features.
Can be expensive: Users are offered three versions: Basic, Plus and Pro, costing from 5 to 20 USD. There is no free version.

SkySafari is constantly improving, offering subscribers more innovative stargazing features and a social community that will never get boring if you’re truly passionate about astronomy and the workings of the universe… And while not all features may be useful to you, we highly recommend SkySafari as the best star map app in 2024.

FAQ On The Best Apps For Stargazing

If you still can’t decide on the best stargazing app, we have collected the most frequent questions that can help you.

Which Is The Best Free Stargazing App?

We think the best free stargazing app is Stellarium Mobile. The application works on iOS and Android, offers a simple and intuitive interface, the largest database of astronomical objects, including asteroids, nebulae, artificial satellites, and ISS, and can function without an Internet connection. All of these features together make Stellarium Mobile accessible and fun for everyone, regardless of their astronomy knowledge.

What Is The App That Lets You See Stars And Planets?

Almost every stargazing app offers observation of stars and planets; however, the most extensive database of astronomical objects is usually offered by the latest versions of paid applications. We recommend Stellarium Mobile Plus, SkySafari 7 Plus/Pro, Night Sky 12.

What Is The Most Accurate Stargazing App In 2024?

In 2024, many sources recommend SkySafari 7 Pro as the most accurate stargazing app. This application earned praise for its extensive and detailed database of celestial objects, accurate telescope control, as well as sophisticated and exciting planetarium functions. It is called an obligatory tool for serious astronomers due to its exceptional accuracy and an extensive set of tools designed for both beginners and experienced users interested in studying the night sky miracles.

Keep The Universe In Your Pocket

The Universe is a bottomless well of unknown secrets which will take humanity more than one century to uncover. Nobody knows how our knowledge will evolve and how we will use it, but we don’t have too many options. Either we will destroy our civilisation and return to the Stone Age, or we will rush even deeper into space, where the best star apps will serve as ordinary guides for us, just like GPS navigators on Earth today. It won’t happen soon, but you can use the time you have now to your benefit.

Download the best stargazing app from our list to your smartphone and go on a virtual journey through space. We guarantee that it will be exciting and completely safe).