12 iOS Astronomy Apps For Learning
What better way to encourage STEM learning than by tapping into a child’s fascination with outer space? From the Mars Curiosity Rover to the behavior of water in zero gravity, space exploration has always widened many eyes.
12 Apps for Studying Aerospace, Outer Space, Planets, and Stars
Night Sky/ Night Sky+
Developer Description: This planetarium in your pocket makes it easy to discover the wonders of space wherever you go. Day or night, just aim your device skyward to see a live 3D map of the heavens, complete with beautifully illustrated constellations, stars, planets, and satellites.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Price: Free to use with ads, $39.99/year for ad-free content, and access to all features
NASA
Developer Description: Come explore with NASA and discover the latest images, videos, mission information, news, feature stories, tweets, NASA TV, podcasts, and featured content with the NASA app.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
The Moon: Calander Moon Phases
Developer Description:
Moon Phases Calendar – universal lunar calendar for any location from 0001 to 2100 years. The lunar calendar is one of the oldest calendars in modern society. A lunar month can only be 29 or 30 days long. This is different than a solar-based calendar, where the length is arbitrarily fixed.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free to use with ads, $1.99/year for ad-free content
MeteorActive
Developer Description: The MeteorActive app uses the latest scientific findings and cutting-edge technology to calculate how many meteors you can see at a given time. It takes into account your geographical location, meteoroid stream orbits, moon interference, and light pollution to find the most spectacular events for you.
Compatibility: iPhone
Price: Free
Astronomy & Space News
Developer Description: The Astronomy app is always updated with the latest info from the web, Twitter, and more. Whether you are an amateur astronomer or a casual fan of space science, with this app you can learn plus discover from leading astronomers & space agencies around the globe such as NASA and the ESA.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free to use with ads, $3.99 one-time purchase for ad-free content
SkySafari
Developer Description:
SkySafari is a powerful planetarium that fits in your pocket, puts the universe at your fingertips, and is incredibly easy to use. Simply hold your device to the sky and quickly locate planets, constellations, satellites, and millions of stars and deep sky objects.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: $4.99-$49.99 depending on which version is bought
Star Walk 2
Developer Description: Star Walk 2 is an exquisite stargazing app enabling you to explore the night sky through the screen of your device. Make an effortless journey through thousands of stars, comets, constellations, and other celestial bodies.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Price: $2.99
Moon Globe
Developer Description:
Hold the Moon in your hands. Moon Globe turns your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into a precision instrument for viewing Earth’s Moon. Satellite imagery and topographic laser altimeter data are combined to render the Moon with realistic lighting in real-time 3D.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk
Developer Description:
Observe the International Space Station in the sky above you and find out where human-made satellites are right now with Satellite Tracker by Star Walk.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free, $0.99/3 months for real-time satellite tracking
Sky Guide
Developer Description: Bring the beauty of the stars down to Earth. Hold Sky Guide® overhead to automatically identify any star, constellation, planet or satellite. Easy to use and powerful, it’s epic stargazing for any experience level.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Price: Free, $1.99 for access to all constellations
Deluxe Moon Pro
Developer Description: Deluxe Moon Pro is the most powerful free moon application with an innovative lunar design. Whether you are an astronomy student, a photography professional, passionate about exploring the night sky, or simply admiring the Moon, you must take a look at this app.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Price: Free
Star Chart
Developer Description: Using state-of-the-art GPS technology, an accurate 3D simulation of the visible universe, and a great deal of technical wizardry, Star Chart calculates – in real time – the current location of every star, planet, and moon visible from Earth and shows you precisely where they are; even in broad daylight.
Compatibility: iPhone, iPad
Price: Free