Stellarium - Star Map

Stellarium turns your phone into a planetarium. Point it at the sky and it shows what is actually there: stars, constellations, planets, comets, satellites including the International Space Station, and deep sky objects, all matched to your exact location and the current moment. Identifying something takes a few seconds rather than a field guide and a torch. The simulation is accurate rather than decorative, which is what separates a proper astronomy app from a pretty one. It can be set to any date, time and location, so you can see what the sky looked like on a particular night in the past, check what will be visible next month, or find out what is above a place you are travelling to. Planning an observation becomes possible rather than guesswork. Satellite tracking has a practical use anybody can enjoy without equipment: knowing when the space station passes overhead means you can step outside and watch it cross the sky with the naked eye, which is a surprisingly moving experience the first time. The interface is deliberately minimal, which suits both adults and children and avoids the clutter that makes many astronomy apps hard to use in the dark. Stellarium is well established and its desktop version is used seriously by amateur astronomers.