is Sky Tonight the pole star among astronomy apps?

Sky Tonight sounds like an evening show from a television channel, but this app is definitely not. Our App of the Week is all about the sky. Tonight. You can learn everything about the stars, what they should represent, what the moon phase is like and whether you can spot a meteor shower.

Sky Tonight

Don’t be alarmed if you download Sky Tonight, because it is quite an intense experience if you are new to the world of astronomy. This way you can not only see which constellations you are looking at, but you also get a lot of information about them. You can read exactly what is happening in the sky that evening and even which planets are visible. This can all be done very specifically, in the field of stars and planets: with the naked eye, with a telescope: there are an enormous number of possibilities. In fact, you can also view it for three days or a week.

Still, it’s best to use the app for that same evening, because it contains AR capabilities. Via augmented reality you can ‘look around’ with the camera of your smartphone and already see constellations. If you take a photo, you can find all kinds of explanations for it and refer to it later. Incredibly cool. This app will definitely make you feel like a tiny, puny person again in a space that we have no idea how big it really is. And where the James Webb space telescope also does everything it can to emphasize that even more.

A lot of information

Sky Tonight is an app that comes at you quite a bit: there is a lot of information, many options and not necessarily a clear guideline of how the app works. This may make you feel a bit lost at first. Especially if you suddenly hear some kind of music in certain places in the app (which sounds somewhat like that whale music you used to listen to in De Tuinen). It’s all a bit much, but you find your way in it at some point. In addition, one person will be more interested in how the Taurus zodiac sign stands, while the other will prefer to learn everything about the moon phases or where which planet is located.

A little explanation then, to help you get started with the AR function. Within the AR mode you can switch between augmented reality and a black background with the compass button at the bottom right. You can zoom in on the map on an object that interests you and then you get information by tapping. It is especially recommended to use the AR function when you are looking at the stars, because then you can immediately see how precise the app is. You can also use it with a roof over your head, but that is just a little less magical.

Other useful things to know about this app that include the magnifying glass. That is not only a search function, but also provides information about recent astronomical phenomena, such as the most recent meteor showers and conjunctions. Tap on such an object and you will get more information. Furthermore, that eyelet, the binoculars and the telescope purely say something about the detail or distance that can be seen, so with this you can probably make chocolate a little faster from this star app.

Star in the Play Store

It’s easy to slide Sky Tonight away and think: too hard, too much, but then you’re doing the app short. It looks beautiful, is well put together and can definitely be called one of the best astronomy apps. There is one reason to put it aside, because it will cost you money if you want to make good use of it. Now 1.09 euros per month is only a piece of cake and the app is also free to use, but it is still worth paying that small amount. Then no functionalities have been wiped out and you can make full use of the many possibilities that Sky Tonight has to offer. Again, this star app is a star in the Play Store, so Sky Tonight won’t blow your mind, if you’re interested in all that’s going on above your head.

App of the Week

You will find a every Monday on Androidworld Best apps of the week and every Saturday we discuss an app in our section App of the week. If you are looking for fun apps, then you have come to the right place at Androidworld. Search our large database of apps using the links below.

Do you use a particular app to better understand what’s happening outside our atmosphere? We’d love to read your star app tip in the comments.