Best stargazing & aurora apps for Android
Stargazing and aurora apps forecast clear skies and aurora strength, track moon phases, map light pollution and turn your phone into a live star chart.
27 apps ranked · How we rank
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A free, ad-free planetarium that makes the night sky readable, with a paid upgrade for faint objects and telescope control.
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A free, capable stargazing guide with a live sky map, AR view and planning tools that suits both beginners and experienced observers.
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A free, ad-supported aurora forecasting app with wide coverage of activity data, best suited to travelers and regular skywatchers.
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A broad, approachable star map that suits curious beginners and regular observers, with ads and purchases as the price of the free download.
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A free, offline-friendly sky map that suits casual stargazers and beginners, with a low-cost pro unlock for search and extra objects.
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A deep, offline-capable lunar and solar reference with notifications and a widget, best for sky watchers and light-conscious photographers.
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A free, open-source sky identifier that turns a phone into a labeled view of the night sky, and asks nothing in return.
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A well-established, ad-free stargazing app that suits beginners, teachers and travelers who want to identify the night sky.
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A focused, well-supported planning app for photographers who calculate Sun, Moon and Milky Way shots before they travel.
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A deep, well-established planetarium app that earns its one-time price for regular observers with compatible telescope mounts.
More of the best stargazing & aurora apps
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11
Star Roam Sky Map Planet
Findout World Inc
4.3
1M+
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12
Phases of the Moon
M2Catalyst, LLC.
4.0
10M+
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13
SkyView® Lite
Terminal Eleven LLC
4.3
10M+
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14
My Aurora Forecast Pro
JRustonApps B.V.
4.8
50K+
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15
Sun Position: Sunrise/set PRO
Stonekick
4.9
50K+
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16
Deluxe Moon - Moon Calendar, P
LWS Research
4.9
50K+
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17
SkyView® Explore the Universe
Terminal Eleven LLC
4.5
500K+
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18
My Moon Phase Pro
JRustonApps B.V.
4.8
10K+
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19
Astrospheric
Daniel Fiordalis
4.5
100K+
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20
Moon Calendar Watch
AppMosaic
3.3
10K+
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21
Light pollution map
Deneb, Jurij Stare, s.p.
4.4
5K+
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22
SkySafari 7 Plus
Simulation Curriculum Corp.
4.4
10K+
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23
Phases of the Moon Pro
M2Catalyst, LLC.
3.5
50K+
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24
SkySafari 7 Pro
Simulation Curriculum Corp.
4.0
10K+
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25
Flat Earth Pro
OProjects
4.8
5K+
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26
Amazing Aurora
Sharp Rock Ventures
4.3
10K+
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27
Lumyros: Aurora App & Social
Jan Svamberg
1.7
10K+
About stargazing & aurora apps
They help plan a night outside: when the moon stays out of the way and how far you have to travel to escape city light. Casual observers want a quick answer about tonight, photographers chase aurora and hobbyists learn constellations. A planetarium-style chart you hold up to the sky is rich for identifying objects but weak on cloud cover, while an aurora-focused app tracks solar activity, sends alerts for geomagnetic activity and gives little help with the rest of the sky. Light-pollution maps are detailed but rarely updated, and all-in-one apps blend features at the cost of depth in each.
What to look for
- Check how far ahead the aurora and cloud forecasts reach and how often they refresh, since a stale prediction can send you out on a cloudy night.
- Look at how the star chart handles location and time, because a chart that does not follow your position or the hour will point at the wrong part of the sky.
- See whether dark-sky and light-pollution maps can be saved for offline use, as the places with the darkest skies often have no signal.
- Consider how the app is paid for, whether that means a subscription for live aurora alerts, a one-time charge for the full chart, or ad breaks between screens.
- Check which permissions it asks for, especially location, since a sky app needs your position to work but has little reason to keep it.
How we rank
Apps are ranked by their Google Play rating (weighted by how many people rated them), their number of installs, how recently they were updated and how closely they fit the category. Only apps we've reviewed are included.