Star Walk 2 assists you in exploring the sky. It also offers separate sky, earth, and solar system views, a geocentric and heliocentric solar system view, and much more. The app features layered presentations, a 3D celestial sphere of the whole sky, a planetarium with star maps, an astronomical events calculator, a 3D astronomical clock, and a world clock. Cosmic Watch 2, which costs $5, calculates singular astronomical events so you never miss out on the next big cosmic thing. Play astronaut for a flight through the solar system, learn about the stars and constellations in the sky right above you,or time travel to past or future skies.

This award-winning augmented reality-assisted app lets you explore outer space by simply pointing your mobile device skyward. There’s no need for Wi-Fi, cell, or GPS - the app functions fine without them. The app also features sky paths for tracking objects, and a social feature that lets you share discoveries with friends and family. An augmented reality feature lets you use your camera to spot objects in the sky at any time. You don’t need a telescope to see the stars and constellations as long as you have Sky View Lite, an intuitive free mobile app that helps you find and identify sky objects like stars, planets, and satellite flybys from the likes of the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope any time of the day or night. Most apps are extremely easy to use and targeted to beginners and enthusiasts - just point your device’s camera toward the heavens and find the stars and constellations. Some also use augmented reality through the device’s camera to show you exactly where stars are positioned. If you’re in the wilderness, far from a Wi-Fi or cell connection, you can still benefit from astronomy apps. While an internet connection is helpful, it’s not always strictly necessary for every app. The best astronomy apps use the gyroscope and compass in your smartphone or tablet, along with date, time, and location services, to determine your whereabouts. Backyard stargazers use apps to discover a wealth of information on the location and identity of planets, stars, and galaxies - no telescope needed. While previously, you could only analyze constellations with charts, maps, and telescopes - or pay a visit to the nearest planetarium - today you can use mobile apps to uncover a vast amount of information about what’s happening overhead at any given time.

People have been staring at the starry night sky ever since the world began, wondering what it all means. Staring at the starry night sky? Get a little help from these astronomy apps

Stellarium mobile sky map quick start