Ranking updated
Stargazing apps: name stars and constellations with your phone
Point your phone at the sky and these apps name what you see. Stellarium Mobile simulates the sky for any date, time and place and has a red night mode. Sky Guide works without Wi-Fi, cellular service or GPS and tells you when the ISS flies over. SkyView Lite uses the camera to spot objects day or night, Star Walk 2 Plus lists what is visible tonight from where you stand, and Night Sky adds AR tours and an Apple Watch app.
How we chose: stargazing apps that identify stars, planets and constellations by pointing the phone at the sky, free to download on the App Store, with features taken from each app’s own store description. We leave out ratings, download counts and awards.
Stellarium Mobile: a planetarium in your pocket
Stellarium Mobile shows the stars, constellations, planets, comets and satellites, including the ISS, in real time once you point the phone at the sky. It simulates the night sky for any date, time and location, with landscape, atmosphere and realistic sunrise and sunset, and lets you pick the constellation shapes of different sky cultures. A red night mode keeps your eyes adapted to the dark. An in-app upgrade to Stellarium Plus shows much fainter objects and adds advanced observing features. Its listing includes Ukrainian.
Sky Guide: stargazing without a signal
Sky Guide identifies any star, constellation, planet or satellite when you hold the phone overhead, and its AR mode draws the graphics onto the real sky. It works without Wi-Fi, cellular service or GPS, so it suits a trip out of town. It sends a notification when the International Space Station is about to fly over and keeps a calendar of eclipses and other events filtered by your location. Its listing includes Ukrainian. iPhone and iPad only.
SkyView Lite and Star Walk 2 Plus: quick answers
SkyView Lite uses the camera to spot and name galaxies, stars, constellations and satellites such as the ISS and Hubble, day or night. Sightings reminds you of sky events, Sky Paths follows the Sun and Moon, and time travel shows the sky on other dates. It also works without a data signal or GPS. Star Walk 2 Plus follows your movements with the gyroscope, and its Visible Tonight section lists events and objects you can see from your location, with 3D models of constellations, a time machine and astronomy news. It is ad-supported, with an in-app purchase to remove ads.
Night Sky: AR, sound and the Apple Watch
Night Sky identifies stars, planets, constellations and satellites when you hold up an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. Sky Tags let you pin objects and add notes and photos, AR sky window removes the ceiling of a room to show the sky behind it, and the interface has a red mode and a light pollution indicator. The Aura AI astronomer needs a subscription. Its listing includes Ukrainian. iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch only.
Which one to use
For the most accurate sky on Android and iPhone, start with Stellarium Mobile. Out of town without a signal, Sky Guide or SkyView Lite keeps working. To know what to look for tonight, Star Walk 2 Plus has a ready list. On an Apple Watch, Night Sky. For walks under a dark sky, see hiking apps, and to name birds by day, bird identification apps.
| App | Best for | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Stellarium MobileApp StoreGoogle Play | an accurate planetarium | sky for any date, time and place, satellites and the ISS, sky cultures, red night mode, 3D planets |
| Sky GuideApp Store | stargazing offline | works without Wi-Fi, cellular or GPS, ISS pass alerts, eclipse calendar, AR mode |
| SkyView LiteApp StoreGoogle Play | quick camera AR | camera spots objects day or night, Sightings reminders, Sun and Moon paths, time travel |
| Star Walk 2 PlusApp StoreGoogle Play | what is up tonight | Visible Tonight list, 3D constellation models, time machine, astronomy news |
| Night SkyApp Store | AR and Apple Watch | Sky Tags, AR sky window, light pollution indicator, red mode, live sky tours |
Frequently asked questions
Which app shows the constellations when I point my phone at the sky?
Stellarium Mobile, Sky Guide, SkyView Lite, Star Walk 2 Plus and Night Sky all identify stars and constellations in the direction you point the phone.
Which stargazing app works without internet?
Sky Guide says it works without Wi-Fi, cellular service or GPS, and SkyView Lite says it does not need a data signal or GPS.
Which stargazing apps are in Ukrainian?
The App Store listings of Stellarium Mobile, Sky Guide and Night Sky include Ukrainian.
Can I see when the ISS flies over?
Yes. Sky Guide sends a notification before the International Space Station passes over your location, and Stellarium Mobile and SkyView Lite show satellites including the ISS.