NIGHT SKY SMARTPHONE APPS

any astronomers – experienced and absolute beginners – use their mobile phones and tablets to help them find their way around (1), a paid planetarium app with a huge database of objects; (2), a planetarium app with an attractive, realistic view of the night sky; or (3), which will tell you when the International Space Station and satellites will be visible from your location. Using them is really simple: just load up the app, hold your phone or device up to the sky, and a chart appears on screen showing you what you can see. The constellations, stars and planets are all labelled, and as you sweep your device around the sky the app tells you what you’re pointing it at. Apps also give information about rising and setting times, meteor showers and other astronomical events.