For those who are not familiar with the term astrophotography. We will try to explain it, so before starting the discussion on the astrophotography apps, we request you read this article properly.
Astrophotography, the practice of photographing the night sky and its stars and other celestial objects, is a slow procedure that the untrained eye could miss.
It’s a lot more complicated than regular photography. Knowing the current location of stars and celestial objects matters much in astrophotography. But the weather also plays a significant influence.
We’d like to advise you that you may get up-to-date information and learn more about the stars through various websites and apps. Here we have listed the best free astrophotography apps for Android and iOS users below.
Best Astrophotography Apps For Android and iOS
The Astrophotography apps market is growing rapidly, and mobile app development is advancing daily. To that end, let’s check out some of the best astrophotography apps for android and ios for free download online.
1. SkyPortal
Learn more about astronomy if you want to see the night sky in a new light. The SkyPortal application is a one-of-a-kind feature of the Celestron planetarium that will alter your perspective and allow you to discover the cosmos in greater depth.
The solar system can be explored, and photo and observation sessions can be planned in advance. Time zone and location information are both considered by the app.
SkyPortal’s unique selling point is its compatibility with Celestron telescopes through mobile devices. You can pilot them remotely and take them on an adventure through the sky.
Legends, photographs, spaceship pictures, and more are all included in the app. Computerized control of telescopes is the primary tool for producing professional-grade astrophotos.
The app lets you study the night sky whenever you want. Don’t let the low light levels fool you into sacrificing your night vision.
2. Light Pollution Map
You can tell this app is about more than just astrophotography by looking at its name; it’s more generic. A high-resolution light pollution map is available here, and it may be customized so that a user can choose an area of interest.
Light Pollution Map is so much more than just a photo app because of its capacity to show the phases of the Moon, photos of the Sun, and the night events schedule.
There is also a feature in this app where you may browse a curated collection of images taken that day. While the app’s interface is rather basic, it does provide access to global illumination data from any location.
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You may use the app to take screenshots and astrophotos, which the app will analyze based on the ambient light in the photograph. As impressive as the size of the app is, the graphical quality is adequate.
Dark Sky doesn’t offer any filters or anything else that would be useful for astrophotography, which involves taking a picture and researching intriguing stars.
3. Stellarium Mobile
Stellarium is the first app that comes to mind when considering the finest Astrophotography apps for viewing the night sky and taking pictures of stars.
In addition to Mobile, Linux, Windows, and macOS, this free and open-source app planetarium is compatible with all major operating systems.
This app is unique in that it can be used to name the night sky at any time in history. As a result, you can learn more about the fascinating universe outside Earth’s atmosphere.
Constellations, stars, comets, planets, satellites, and many more objects can be identified in real time. To use Stellarium, you just only point your device at the sky, and the app will do the rest.
Stellarium, while lacking augmented reality (AR), does have the capability of locating things in deep space. You can tap on it to learn more about a certain star or constellation.
4. SkySafari 6 Pro
SkuSafari 6 Pro is like having a miniature cosmos in the palm of your hand. Developed by Simulation Curriculum Corp. As we’ve established, this software can be used as a means by which to learn about the cosmos.
To use SkySafari, you need to hold your phone vertically, and it will immediately inform you of exactly what you are looking at. Its intended function is as a fully functional, portable planetarium.
According to the developers, SkySafari 6 Pro would completely change how its customers interact with the night sky.
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It consists of every comet and asteroid ever discovered by humanity, with 100 million stars, 3 million galaxies, and over 770,000 solar objects.
Stars, planets, and constellations can all be identified with a sky chart. The sky map will update as you move across the night sky to reflect your location for a more precise stargazing experience.
5. Snapseed
You’ve probably heard of this photo editor before, which can be useful for taking Astro pictures. With the right combination of filters, you may capture the night sky or other astronomical events in a way that feels ambient and genuine.
You may transform any photograph into a realistic star map using the program’s user-friendly interface, many editing options, and flexible settings.
You can do all sorts of neat things, like accentuating stars in the sky, altering the color of the constellation, sharpening images, and so on.
Snapseed is an excellent photo editing app for individuals who already have some experience adjusting the lighting in their photos.
However, your photos will have maximum saturation and contrast if you can work around this.
6. SkyView® Lite
No degree in astronomy is required to appreciate the night sky. It’s okay to play it safe and take in the night sky as an amateur.
SkyView® Lite can point out other constellations visible from your location and help you identify the ones you’re looking at now.
When you point your SkyView® Lite camera into the night sky, the app will immediately begin identifying objects like stars, galaxies, constellations, and even passing satellites.
You can observe the precise location of every celestial object at any given time by following its trajectory.
7. Star Walk 2
Use Star Walk, a real-time astronomy guide, to locate and learn about any object in the sky, be it a star, a planet, a satellite, an asteroid, or something else.
This app is useful for everybody, from the complete space newbie to the most seasoned stargazer, because of its wealth of information.
The stars and planets finder displays a dynamic sky map on your device, updating the information as you move it in different directions.
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Furthermore, a clock-like button in the top right corner lets you select any date in the past or future, displaying the night sky map of stars and planets as they appeared at that moment.
8. SkySafari – Astronomy App
Like many preceding cases, you can get a night sky map marked with constellations. The fact is that Sky Safari is among the most downloaded astronomy apps because of its comprehensive database of celestial objects.
You can try scanning the night sky with your camera and hopefully pick up data about the stars. We have to qualify that it will only function if your device’s camera is particularly sophisticated.
Sky Safari has a search option, an interface dimming function that is helpful at night because it reduces eye strain, and a “Compass” mode that allows you to point your phone’s camera at the stars and constellations by spinning it.
While impressive, the app’s ability to shoot photos in the dark has drawn criticism from some users. You may test it out on your phone by downloading it.
9. Star Tracker
When you and your pals are outside and looking up at the sky, tar Tracker makes it easy to find interesting objects to look at. People can use the app to learn more about space and check out the night sky.
At this moment, you can view deeper celestial objects than would normally be seen in the clear sky above you.
If you have Star Tracker installed on your smartphone, it will use the device’s sensors to calculate your location in the universe.
Either manually input the coordinates or use the information provided by the app to establish your GPS. Using Star Tracker, you can count on a high-quality graphical depiction of the night sky and a quick response to your clicks and taps.
10. Photopills
Photopills could be the best option if you want to take pictures that will live in infamy forever. No matter what subgenre of photography you’re most interested in or passionate about, you can do it.
You can get the perfect shots you want with the help of photo pills. Providing the necessary resources allows you to reach your greatest potential.
It helps you organize your shots in advance, so you may be in the best possible location at the best possible time to get the most impressive shots.
In that case, you can take pictures of anything you want with Photopills, including landscapes, the moon, sunrise, sunset, the stars, the Milky Way, eclipses, and buildings. The outcomes could be anything.