Originally developed by Google, Skymap is the Best stargazing app for android users. The app is open source nowadays and it doesn’t have any concern with Google at this time. The best part about this virtual reality astronomy app is that it doesn’t contain any ads and it's completely free.

If you are a beginner in the stargazing experience and want to know about the location and other details about the stars, planets, constellations, and satellites, then Skymap is the best app for you. The app recommends you calibrate your compass precisely; it allows you to customize what you want to see on the screen.

Are you someone who is intrigued by looking in the sky and wondering which one is the star and which is the planet? Do you often try to connect stars and try to create constellations?

Stellarium is the perfect app that will help you differentiate stars with the planets in the night. It will aid you in seeing the sky objects and its significance clearly. When you point your camera from the app to the night sky, the app will display the name of a particular star or planet, constellation, or other astronomical phenomena.

Apart from the planets and stars, this popular stargazing app will allow you to see comets, satellites like ISS, and other space objects in real-time. Astronomy lovers adore this app because of its night mode camera access; It lets them see the images in a more clear way. Not only does the app give you opportunities to watch the natural phenomena of the solar system but it also imparts you the information regarding man-made satellites.

If you think that stargazing is some unconventional kind of hobby, then you are wrong. An app like StarChart is proof that people love astronomy and space-related knowledge. The app has more than 20 million downloads which is quite surprising as it is a unique hobby.  

Point your AR-enabled device to the night sky and Starchart will provide you with the full chart of the universe. It shows you the precise location of stars, planets, moons, and satellites irrespective of the time of day. In addition to these basic events, the app’s upgraded version lets you experience the comets, meteor showers, man-launched satellite, and enhanced messier catalog.

Wanna know the star position and its information by going back to 10,000 years back? Star chart’s time shift feature ensures that you have all the needed information on your hand. The state of the art 3D visual representation of the solar system will aid you in digging meticulous detail about moons and planets.

Skyview is yet another widely used stargazing app among astronomy lovers. Like Stellarium, in Skyview also you can know all the stars, planets, constellations, and galaxies by pointing your device towards the sky. You can witness all the 58 constellations appearing and disappearing as you move your mobile across the sky. Additionally, don’t miss out on any upcoming celestial event with the schedule event feature of Skyview. The AR generated planet and satellite models appeal to students and children as it gives them a whole new experience of the universe. For a better and smooth watching experience, the app provides a red and green light filter.

Missed an important celestial event? No worries, Skyview allows you to see the past sky events. You also have an option for sharing HD photos of planets and their moons, satellites, and other wonders of space to your friend and family. The app is also available in the lite version which consumes less space and allows you the same experience as other versions of the app. Also, they are free to use.

Whether you are young or old, Starwalk is a top free stargazing app for the pro stargazers. With more than 10 million app downloads, this app is a rage among astronomy enthusiasts. If you are new to this astronomy world, they provide a complete manual that explains the app functionality and how its navigation works. Check it out here.

Amaze yourself by seeing moon phases, elevation angels, rise and set time for Venus, Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter. The app’s ability to see the night sky in different spectra makes it the best stargazing app. For intuitive and immersive experience Starwalk has a provision for AR features. The breathtaking 3D models of planets and constellations add a whole new experience for the users. The sharing option of the app allows you to share your favorite astronomical images with your loved ones through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Email. Furthermore, The app lets you change the day & night color scheme, constellation display, music option, object captions, ecliptic, and units.

When it comes to stargazing experience, there is hardly any app that provides such kind of immersive and absolute experience of space life. There are hardly any features that are not present in the Night sky app. The apps version is available for mobile phones, iPads, iWatch, mac, and apple tv.

Want to show children or students the whole universe in your living room or a classroom? Night sky’s AR technology makes it possible for you to walk around the virtual planets and stars. You can closely study all the planets’ moons, satellites, and other celestial bodies. The app boasts of having a 60 million-plus star catalog, 8X resolutions, and daytime sunrise and sunset effects for the best experience. Along with the visual effects, this top stargazing app takes you to the realm of space and planetary bodies with different space music tracks. Night sky allows its users to know about local stargazing attractions, events, and the planet’s rise and set times.

For better experience and functionality, the app has an option for Night Sky Premium which is available for $3.99/month or $19.99/year.

As the name suggests, the app is a safari of wonders of the cosmos. Think of it as the most advanced app. Again, this app is an alternative to the above-mentioned app that lets you identify the planet, stars, or satellites by pointing your phone towards it. There are other premium features too.

The voice command option of this astronomy app makes it unique to the above-mentioned app. Just utter words like, “ Mars’s moons, “Search Titan”, Select Mercury”, etc. You will be instantly provided with the information you asked for. As you walk by pointing your device to the sky, you get the real-time star chart. The app is rich with the content of the education like photos taken from NASA’s mission, Hubble telescope, and word’s renowned astrophotographers. Do you know what’s the best part of this app? Apollo 11 and 13 mission data. Yes! you will get all the information, images, videos, of Apollo missions which you won’t find in any other stargazing apps.

For iOS users, the app has three paid versions called Skysafari AR, Skysafari Plus, and Skysafari pro; it charges you $2.99 USD, $6.99 USD, $19.99 respectively.