Astronomy is a science that deals with the study of celestial objects. It includes studying the chemistry and physics of various stars, planets, and galaxies that are millions of miles away from our Earth.
Astronomy requires extensive knowledge not just of stars but of physics, chemistry, and mathematics as well, thus making it difficult for everyone to become an astronomer. As a consequence, amateur astronomy or stargazing has become widely popular among the general masses. Amateur astronomy is a hobby wherein participants enjoy watching the sky usually with portable telescopes or binoculars. Such stargazers are known for their intense passion and knowledge of the celestial vastness that lies beyond our planet Earth.
These days, thanks to the massive growth of mobile applications, there is an app for just about anything. And well, as you guessed it right, there is an Android app for Astronomy too. In fact, there are plenty of them thus making Android one of the best platforms to try if you're a stargazer.
Google Sky Map
Whether or not you are an astronomer doesn't matter, knowing the name of the star you just looked at is an amazing skill to have. We personally congratulate you if you possess such a skill; however, for those who are still rookies, there's an app for that. Google Sky Map is an incredible app that lets users simply point their device at the sky and know the name of the star they are looking at. Relying on GPS data, this free application serves as an amazing companion to the good old telescope letting you learn about distant planets, stars, and galaxies just using a touch of a button.
This free application lets you mount your Android phone or tablet to your telescope as a PUSHTO guide. With a fully featured night mode, SkEye can help you identify various stars, constellations and planets. The app comes with real-time Alt-Azimuth and Equatorial coordinates and a mini-NGC catalog. SkEye (pronounced sky) is free to try; however, you'll have to pay for the pro version.
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Though not that helpful for astronomers, this free application downloads the latest images from NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day and sets them as your wallpaper. The app downloads a brand-new image every day and works across tablets as well.
One of the best astronomy apps available for Android, Mobile Observatory comes with features that are useful for professional astronomers as well as stargazers. The app shows you a zoomable sky map thus letting you identify various planets, stars, and asteroids. Like the aforementioned Google Sky Map, this app too allows you to point your device at the sky and identify celestial objects. There is also a celestial event calendar that reminds you of future star sightings and other events. Furthermore, the app also comes with Messier Catalog and Caldwell Catalog along with images. Overall, Mobile Observatory is a great buy for anyone who wants to study astronomy in detail.
Vortex Planetarium is an augmented-reality astronomy app that lets you see accurate representations of stars and planets by simply pointing your device at the sky. Loaded with data about 88 constellations and more than 9000 stars, Vortex is a great buy for those who are studying astronomy. Furthermore, the app also comes with a fully revised NGC-IC catalog along with information about meteor showers.
Another cool feature about this app is its time slider. This allows you to see how the sky looked days and weeks earlier. Vortex also comes with loads of configuration options thus allowing you to tweak the application to your needs. Definitely worth a buy if you're looking for a good alternative to Google Sky Map.