I have listed below some space and astronomy apps, some of which I have used personally and some I have not.
The world of astrophotography and astronomy can be overwhelming for beginners. It certainly was for me. There are countless apps, tools, and software options, and choosing the right one can often make all the difference in your stargazing or imaging experience, ultimately making it slightly less frustrating.
Here's a beginner-friendly guide to the top 20 apps you might want to consider and in no particular order I hasten to add.
SkySafari 7 Pro
Price: £19.99
Why Beginners Will Love It: Intuitive and easy-to-use interface for identifying stars, planets, and constellations. Perfect for beginners learning the night sky. I sometimes use the light version of this app and it's realy easy to use.
Expert Appeal: Rich with information and advanced tools, such as telescope control, and detailed historical data.
Key Features –
- Massive star database with detailed descriptions.
- Night vision mode.
- Telescope control for advanced users.
Stellarium Mobile Plus
Price: £12.99
Why Beginners Will Love It: Visualise the night sky from any location, at any time. It has a sleek UI that’s simple for newcomers.
Expert Appeal: Highly accurate with 3D visualisation and comprehensive sky maps.
Key Features –
- Over 1.4 million stars, planets, and deep-sky objects.
- AR integration for real-time sky identification.
- Ideal for use with telescopes.
SkyView
Price Free / £2.99 Pro
Why Beginners Will Love It — Point your device to the sky, and instantly identify stars, constellations, and planets. This is a great little app and I sometimes stil use it from time to time even to this day.
Expert Appeal: Reliable companion for quick object identification, with a clean and straightforward interface.
Key Features–
- Augmented reality sky overlays.
- Time travel mode to see the night sky at any date.
- Simple and user-friendly.
Photopills
Price:£9.99
Why Beginners Will Love It: Plan your astrophotography shots with ease. It helps determine the best time and place for shooting you deep sky images.
Expert Appeal: Packed with planning tools like sun and moon positions, star trails, and augmented reality overlays.
Key Features–
- Precise planning for Milky Way, lunar, and solar shots.
- AR overlays for planning compositions.
- Deep integration with camera settings.
Polar Align Pro — iOS
Price: £2.99
Why Beginners Will Love It: Simplifies the tricky task of polar alignment with clear instructions and visual aids, making it beginner-friendly. I used this for a while before I upgraded to my current ASI Air sytem, and it was a great way to help PA. I used this astro app with my EQ5Pro mount shown in the image above. I also had to make a small jig to hold my phone in the saddle of the mount.
Expert Appeal: A must-have for fairly accurate polar alignment, especially for those using equatorial mounts.
Key Features –
- AR-guided polar alignment.
- Comprehensive tools for checking alignment accuracy.
- Optimised for all levels of astrophotographers.
Star Walk 2
Price: Free / £2.99 Pro
Why Beginners Will Love It: Beautiful graphics and an engaging interface makin the experience of stargazing exciting.
Expert Appeal: In-depth information and loads of detail, from deep sky objects to satellites.
Key Features –
- Real-time star maps.
- Customisable sky view.
- Augmented reality feature for identification.
Heavens-Above
Price: Free
Why Beginners Will Love It: Accurate and detailed predictions of satellite passes, including the ISS.
Expert Appeal: One of the most accurate sources for satellite tracking, making it perfect for astrophotography setups.
Key Features –
- ISS and satellite tracker.
- Detailed star charts and maps.
- Offline use and customisable settings.
Light Pollution Map
Price: Free
Why Beginners Will Love It: It shows the best dark-sky locations nearby for capturing pristine images of our night skies.
Expert Appeal: Essential for finding remote, low-light areas.
Key Features–
- Global light pollution data.
- GPS integration for finding dark sky locations.
- Heat map overlays for dark sky sites.
AstroAid
Price: £4.99
Why Beginners Will Love It: A handy calculator that helps with astrophotography settings and field-of-view calculations.
Expert Appeal: Perfect for precise focal length and sensor calculations.
Key Features–
- Field-of-view, resolution, and exposure calculators.
- Presets for common camera and telescope setups.
- User-friendly interface.
StarTracker
Price:Free / £2.99 Pro
Why Beginners Will Love It: A minimalist app that’s excellent for beginners to explore the stars.
Expert Appeal:A great option for those looking for lightweight apps that don’t drain battery life.
Key Features–
- 3D star map.
- Night mode to reduce eye strain.
- Smooth and fluid graphics.
Astrospheric
Price: Free / £6.99 Pro
Why Beginners Will Love It: Offers precise weather predictions for stargazing and astrophotography.
Expert Appeal: Data from multiple weather models, including seeing, transparency, and cloud cover.
Key Features–
- High-resolution weather forecasts.
- Data overlays for sky conditions.
- Cloud cover and seeing conditions.
Sky Map
Price: Free
Why Beginners Will Love It: An open-source, easy-to-use star map. Just point and learn.
Expert Appeal: Lightweight and highly accurate. Great for quick checks on constellations and planets.
Key Features–
- Point-to-sky learning tool.
- Quick identification of celestial objects.
- Open-source, community-driven.
ISS Detector
Price: Free / £2.49 Pro
Why Beginners Will Love It: Never miss an ISS pass again! Simple alerts for ISS and satellite passes.
Expert Appeal: Highly accurate timings and notifications for both satellites and the ISS.
Key Features–
- Customisable notifications.
- Detailed information on passes.
- Easy to use for all levels.
Clear Outside
Price: Free
Why Beginners Will Love It: Check weather forecasts specifically tailored for stargazing. This is my goto for checking upcoming weather, but like most weather apps can sometimes get it a little wrong.
Expert Appeal: Detailed cloud cover predictions and night-time forecasting.
Key Features–
- Cloud cover, temperature, and humidity forecasts.
- GPS-based forecasting.
- Nighttime mode for astronomers.
Lunar Phase Pro
Price: £4.99
Why Beginners Will Love It: Track the moon’s phases, rise/set times, and best viewing dates.
Expert Appeal: Detailed lunar data, making it perfect for planning lunar observations and photography.
Key Features–
- Lunar phase calendars.
- Rise, set, and transit times.
- Customisable notifications.
Sky Tonight
Price: Free / £1.99 Pro
Why Beginners Will Love It: A beautiful app for skywatching, with a focus on ease of use.
Expert Appeal: Offers detailed object information and dynamic sky maps for precision observations.
Key Features –
- Real-time star maps.
- Night vision mode.
- Customisable notifications for events.
Whether you’re gazing through a telescope for the first time or planning complex astrophotography shoots, these apps might simplify the process a little and help you to make best use of your time during your imaging or planning sessions.
Investing in the right space app for astro will help you enjoy and appreciate the night sky even more—no matter your skill level. Happy stargazing, astronerds!
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