Fall is here and the night skies are getting darker earlier in much of the United States. How Coronavirus Cases are still top nationwideMany traditional fall activities are limited due to social distancing. However, just looking at the stars can be a relaxing way to spend an evening.
My husband and I are far enough in the country to see stars, but we haven't completely escaped the city's light pollution. Every now and then, before we arrive for the night, we step out onto the back porch when the sky is clear and look up. We saw a shockingly bright Venus the ISS passes by and a few shooting stars - also thanks to some apps.
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Here are the best apps to help you spot planets, stars, and constellations.
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Skyview / Screenshot by Shelby Brown / CNET
The Skyview app costs $ 2 for iOS and Android, but both platforms have a free lite version. To use Skyview, just point your device at the sky and you can identify galaxies, stars, constellations and planets - even the International Space Station. The app has a night mode and an AR function, so you can use it conveniently at any time.
The app's Sky Path function allows you to track objects in space to show precise positions at any point in time. In addition, Skyview offers a time travel option to observe what the sky looked like in the past and what it might look like in the future.
Star Walk 2 / Screenshot by Shelby Brown / CNET
Star Walk $ 2.3 for iOS and free for Android with in-app purchases, uses your phone's sensors and GPS to show you a map of the night sky in real time and shows the location of stars, planets, constellations, and comets the ISS on and satellites.
As with SkySafari, you can tap Visible Tonight if you're not sure where to start. The function informs you about all upcoming astronomical events and celestial objects that are visible for your location. The "What's New" section will also keep you informed of upcoming events. You can also view the astronomy calendar or tap the watch face icon to choose a date and time and observe the skies of different periods.
