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Star Wares: 7 Stellar Apps to Chart the Night Sky

Chart a course to infinity and beyond with these far out apps for kids.

By Kipp Jarecke-Cheng July 7, 2016

Few experiences inspire a greater sense of child-like curiosity than looking up at the night sky and gazing at twinkling constellations of planets and stars. Little wonder, then, that there are so many songs and lullabies devoted to celebrating the distant lights that shine above us. Flip through our heavenly album to discover a starry array of edutaining and easy-to-navigate apps that’ll help junior Galileos deepen their love and appreciation of the cosmos.

The Night Sky

The newly remastered version of this popular stargazing app features gorgeous 3D graphics and vivid, full-color animations. Optimized for both iOS and Windows devices, The Night Sky helps mini-astronomers catalog hundreds of objects in the darkened sky, including stars, planets, constellations, and even satellites. Using the World Traveler mode, star watchers can easily switch their views of the sky from anywhere in the world, while Stargazing Conditions Graphs illustrate the optimal times and locations for looking overhead. A fully searchable Beautiful New Sky Information Pack is jam-packed with starry facts and data, and the lovely soundtrack serves as the perfect complement to this immersive experience.

Bonus tip: sync the app with Apple Watch for even more portability and tap into the Night Sky Community to connect with like-minded sky watchers around the world.

For ages 10 & up.

Available on iTunes, $0.99, and Windows, $1.49.

What’s your favorite stargazing app? Tell us in the comments below!

—Kipp Jarecke-Cheng