We'd love to fly off to outer space. But...no rocket! We're
doing the next best thing and using Earth-bound technology to
explore space. Here are our top space apps for the iPhone and
Android. Grab a phone and look up to the sky!
Google Sky
Map - free - Android
Loads of you recommended this one! Google
Sky Map turns your Android phone into a window on the night
sky. Point your phone skywards to visualise stars, planets and
constellations in real time as you scroll across the sky.
NASA
apps- mostly free - iPhone and
Android
From driving a moon rover to finding out the weather in space,
NASA has an app for everyone. With amazing images and facts, you
won't get bored of these. My favourite is the general NASA app,
which can be integrated with Facebook and Twitter.
Distant Suns - £6.99 -
iPhone
Fly amongst the stars and glide amongst the plants with Distant Suns. Like Google Sky Map, you can
point your phone skywards to find the constellation you're looking
for and information about loads of space features you didn't even
know existed. It even has a red interface so you can maintain your
night vision whilst looking at the screen! It's an expensive app,
but it is very comprehensive.
The
Invisible Universe - free - Android
See the hidden colours of the night sky. You can look through
your phone and view the astonishingly beautiful visions of x-rays,
UV rays and infrared wavelengths. Not just nice to look at, these
invisible rays built our universe and feed black holes. You'll be
amazed at what's out there.
Planets -
free - iPhone
Planets can tell you what objects in the night sky are visible
from where you're standing. Handy when you've spotted something
bright that you need to identify!
F-Sim Space
Shuttle - £2.49 - iPhone
Fly the Space Shuttle! F-Sim is a
realistic flight simulator and your job is to land the Space
Shuttle safely back on Earth. Are you up to it?
Sun and
Moon - free - Android
A simple app that turns your phone into a telescope and watch
the lunar phases and solar activity. Sun and Moon uses images from
NASA satellites to show you what's happening.
Weather apps - various prices
- iPhone and Android
Don't forget to check the weather so you know when the best time
is to stargaze! Clear skies and little light pollution will help
you see the stars clearly. Some great apps include the Met Office app for
iPhone, UK
Weather for Android and Tywydd for iPhone.