The best apps for astronomy lovers

This coming Saturday we have an appointment with the Perseids, also known as Tears of Saint Lawrence. In Europe this year the greatest activity is concentrated on the night of August 12 to 13, at which time we will be able to observe the popular meteor shower in the sky. We recommend that in order to see them as well as possible, you get away from the city and go to a point where there is no light pollution. But that happens with any similar event that you want to observe.Taking advantage of this magical night, it is a good time to talk about some applications that everyone who likes astronomy should have installed. You will be able to locate space stations, stars, planets Or even satellites. Take note and do not lose detail, neither on Saturday nor at any other time of the year. You never know what you might discover.

Star Walk

The first application that we recommend is Star Walk. It is a very complete guide that you must always carry on your mobile when you go out to observe the sky. Basically it works as an interactive map of the sky that will show you planets, comets, asteroids, satellites, stars, constellations, nebulae... All in real time. Even if there is a spaceship in the skies, Star Walk will help you locate it.

This app has an augmented reality function that will allow you to use your camera to see what is moving across the sky.You just have to point your device above your head and Star Walk will indicate that it is cooking up there. In addition, it displays a large amount of information on each element, with tabs that integrate 3D images, photos or texts. Another point in its favor is that it gives you the possibility to see what figures are in the sky on a specific day, with a past or future date, which is perfect for you to plan observations for later.

POT

If you like to keep up to date with the latest news about the world's most popular space agency, feel free to install the official NASA app. You will be continuously informed about their latest missions, tweets, satellite trackers or discoveries. This app even will allow you to watch live streaming with NASA TV. All this with images that are updated daily. For its part, it will also give you information about the launches through a countdown, with the possibility of following the sightings of the ISS.

Star map

Very similar to Star Walk, we have a Star Map. If you are a lover of astronomy we recommend that you do not stop installing it. It is in Spanish and it is completely free. To use it you will need to have GPS on your device. And it is that Star Map calculates in real time (using GPS) the current position of each star and planet that are visible from Earth. In this way, you will be able to know very precisely where they are located, even in broad daylight. That is, you will not need to wait for the night to use it. But here the thing does not stop. Star Map scans the sky to show you where your zodiac sign is located.

Also, it allows you to see the sky below the horizon (unlike other applications). You will be able to see where the sun is even at night It really is a very simple and intuitive app to use that will help you learn more about the universe that surrounds us , either alone or in company.

Moon phases

Who has not spent long hours watching the moon and contemplating its beauty from down here? It's a great show, especially when it's full. In addition, it is a great flashlight for when we go out to the field or beach at night and we do not want to be in complete darkness. Phases of the Moon depart precisely from this idea. This application will allow us to know the different phases through which the satellite is passing. With lighting percentages, sunset and sunrise times or the distance to the which is from the point where we are.

One of the strengths of this app is that we will have at our disposal a quite interesting atlas of the moon. Thanks to it we will be able to to know where some Apollo missions landed, among other issues. On the other hand, the application will also allow us to anchor a widget to our desktop to have the different phases of the moon more at hand and not miss the details.

Night Sky Lite

If you would like to be in contact with other astronomy enthusiasts like you, do not miss the Night Sky Lite application. Through it you will be able to meet and share experience with professional astronomers and amateurs, being able to stay up to date on key observation sites near where you live. But this is not all. The application has a travel mode that will allow you to explore the sky from any point on the planet. This is very useful if you are interested in seeing the sky of other countries in the world.You will be able to travel instantly to see it in the palm of your hand. Likewise, you can combine the Travel mode with the time machine to see the firmament of the past or the future anywhere in the world.

Night Sky Lite also includes a specially composed soundtrack so you can immerse yourself even more in the atmosphere of astronomical observation . It also includes new sound effects that interact with the observation. And if you don't want to miss anything that happens in the sky, you're in luck. The app also offers a news section that keeps you up to date on future eclipses, annual astronomical events, or local observing events.