How to… pick astronomy apps

Amateur astronomy has been revolutionised by the use of apps on smartphones and tablets. How do you pick the right ones for you?

There are plenty out there, but which is right for you?

Before the advent of apps, amateur astronomers used to rely on books and monthly magazines for our astronomy news, information about space missions and details of what would be visible in the night sky. Then home computers entered our lives, and suddenly we were able to use amazing planetarium programs to simulate the night sky and help us plan observing evenings in advance. They were very crude and simple compared to what we have today, but they genuinely revolutionised the hobby.

A second revolution followed when the internet exploded in popularity. Now we were drowning in information about space missions; able to access the actual images taken by space probes and landers exploring distant planets, comets and asteroids and even talk to the people involved in the missions.

Soon online communities of amateur astronomers had formed, places where people could give advice, share photographs and learn from others with the same passion.

In recent years there has been a third, even more dramatic revolution in amateur astronomy as smartphones and tablets have taken over our everyday lives. There are now hundreds, and perhaps even thousands of astronomy apps available – far too many, to be honest. Some apps turn your mobile device into a ‘pocket planetarium’, generating detailed sky charts for where you live. Others predict when you will be able to see the International Space Station crossing the sky, or a display of the northern lights or eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

With so many apps available it’s important to decide exactly what you want apps for before downloading any. Some basic apps are free, and still very useful, while others cost a fortune and are bloated and hard to use because they try to do absolutely everything, gorging themselves on your device’s memory and power as they chug away. Do your research in advance and only download apps you will actually use.

“Some basic apps are free, and still very useful”