FEELING IN NEED OF A LITTLE SPACE?
Reach for the stars and explore new worlds with these astronomical apps and super ‘scopes
WITH things as grim as they are down here on planet Earth at the moment, we could all be forgiven for seeking an escape route. It might be a film or TV show where you find solace, or maybe a video game. But instead of looking down for a bit of escapism, why not look up? There’s a vast universe to explore.
Right now there are only three people in space – all aboard the International Space Station – but you can join them, in spirit if not in person. These apps and gadgets will have you soaring among the stars and exploring new worlds…
All the apps are available for both IOS and Android.
APPS
STAR WALK 2 – NIGHT SKY MAP
■ They say: 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. All you have to do is point your device to the sky! ■ We say: Star Walk 2 is not just a handy augmented reality guide to the stars and planets, it’s also a fabulous source of information about them and their movements. The two best features for me are the calendar that advises of upcoming celestial events so you can be best prepared to witness them, and the in-depth information about the stars and planets to help you understand not just what is where, but also why.
Cost: Free with £2.99 in-app purchase for all features.
BBC SKY AT NIGHT MAGAZINE
They say: Complementing the much-loved BBC television programme, BBC Sky at Night Magazine is your practical guide to astronomy. Each issue features columns by renowned experts as well as in-depth cosmological features, practical observing tutorials, comprehensive equipment reviews, astrophotography master classes and much, much more.
■ We say: The venerable BBC TV show is still going strong after an incredible 63 years – you’ll now find the monthly stargazing round-up on BBC4. This app is a digital version of the magazine that is produced each month to update stargazers with the latest news from the heavens. As well as star maps and in-depth features, it also includes equipment reviews so you can invest in the best.
Cost: £4.99/month; £44.99/year.
NASA
■ They say: Come explore with NASA and discover the latest images, videos, mission information, news, feature stories, tweets, NASA TV and featured content with the NASA app. ■ We say: You don’t need me to tell you what
NASA is, of course. But this app is a vast window into its world – including its past, present and future. At the moment there are more than 17,000 images accessible from lots of missions, a regularly updated news section, and a dedicated TV channel that often broadcasts live with scenes from the ISS and mission events. Launches and spacecraft returns are also covered live.
Cost: Free
TELESCOPES
CELESTRON STARSENSE EXPLORER LT 114AZ APP-ENABLED REFLECTOR TELESCOPE
They say: Unleash the power of your smartphone to take you on a guided tour of the night sky – no telescope experience required. Award-winning and patent-pending Starsense sky recognition technology uses your smartphone to analyse star patterns overhead and calculate its position in real time. Starsense Explorer app automatically generates a list of objects currently visible. View planets, brighter nebulae and galaxies, star clusters, and double stars from the city. Or take your telescope to darker skies to view faint, deep sky objects.
We say: This set-up allows you to combine the functionality of a stargazing app like Star Walk 2 with an actual telescope. You just clip your phone into the cradle and, using its GPS and gyroscopes, it’ll work out automatically where it is and what it’s looking at. The app will come up with a list of interesting things you can look at, and then guide you to align the telescope with your chosen heavenly body – all you have to do is look at it...
Cost £199.99
STELLINA
They say: Stellina is your new observation station, the perfect combination of a telescope and a camera. Smart and fully automated, Stellina is a revolution in the world of Astronomy. With a completely redesigned experience of observation, substituting the eyepiece with a mobile application, everyone can access the wonders of the universe with ease.
■ We say: At this price the Stellina telescope is probably only for the hardcore enthusiasts, but it is perhaps the most impressive smart telescope on the market today.
It is entirely controlled via a smartphone and tablet app, and doesn’t actually allow you to see the heavens with the naked eye, so to speak. You see everything through the screen of your device. That might seem like cheating to some, but the power the telescope has and the precision with which it locates objects makes exploring the universe a cinch. Best of all, you can take photos and videos of anything you track down...