Top 10 Best Mobile Apps for Astronomers in 2024

A collection of mobile applications to help you navigate the night sky, locate objects and never miss an astronomical event.

The NASA application should be a staple for space enthusiasts. The app will keep you in the know about everything from missions, news, and countdown clocks for launches and even live streaming video. It's the best way possible to stay up to date with the world's space association.

Pocket Universe is a planetarium in your pocket. Simply hold your phone up and an annotated star map on your screen will display the view of the bit of sky you are looking at, naming constellations, planets and more.

The Sky Map application works in much the same way as Pocket Universe, but for Android users. As well as providing a detailed, annotated window into the night sky, the "Time Travel" option lets you view the sky as it looked in the past and the future.

Star Chart is another stargazing app and will be ideal for those new to astronomy. Once again, this app will let you use your smartphone as a point-and-click identifier. While pointing the device down at the ground, will show you what the other side of the earth sees during the night.

The International Space Station (ISS) is in constant orbit and is an excellent resource for observations from space. While most of us will never get the chance to see the view from the ISS, this app will let you know where the ISS currently is in the sky and will even send you a notification when it is due to pass your location.

Meteors are always passing by Earth and sometimes provide some of the most awesome scenes when a meteor shower is in effect. This app looks to make sure that you never miss the opportunity to see a passing meteor again. Like the last app, as well as telling you when to expect, this one will also provide you with notifications so you are reminded when to look.

If you would much rather check out space without having to actually look out and up at the night sky, then Solar System Explorer 3D looks to provide you with a HD view of our solar system. Content is created using images pulled from NASA as well as telescope capturing and as such, is designed to be as informative and realistic as possible.

You won't be disappointed with Stellarium, though you will have to shell out $2.49 to buy it. Still, it has no ads or in-app purchases, so you're getting a very clean experience here. For a simple, no-frills astronomy app, try out Stellarium Mobile.