So, you’ve managed to escape from the city lights for the night. You’re sitting outside, finally able to appreciate the wide-open space above you. Just then – your 4-year-old son asks you to name the stars and constellations. This is the moment that memories are made from – don’t blow it!
In addition to a telescope (a camping must-have) get your smartphone in on the action to make your stargazing experience better than ever. Fly through space and wake-up your inner astronomer by checking out two of our picks for stargazing on your iPhone or Android:
The Night Sky (iPhone)
By simply pointing your iPhone at the sky, Night Sky 2 will enhance your star gazing efforts by identifying stars, planets and constellations. To make things a bit easier, the app even allows you to type in the name of the star, constellation or planet that you’re looking for – and it’ll point you in the right direction! To top things off, it incorporates a weather feature. This feature will help you decide whether it’s worth keeping the kids up to look at the stars, or if things are going to be a bust due to cloud cover or weather. At just .99 cents – this is a no brainer.
Star Tracker – Mobile Sky Map (Android)
It’s the mobile planetarium in your pocket, designed for astronomy fans to explore the universe. Just hold up and point your device at the sky and Star Tracker will tell you exactly what stars, constellations and deep sky objects you are looking at in real-time. Full utilization of the build-in gyroscope, digital compass and accelerometer drive the best user experience.
