Unlike people like Galileo who found it difficult to discover some satellites throughout his life, today there is such a broad technological development that allows us to easily control the planets and all the most striking objects in the universe with relative ease. When an amateur begins to want to know more about the universe, they wonder what are the best websites or applications to know what planets are seen and to be able to have their first sightings.
For this reason, in this article we are going to make a summary of which are the best websites or applications to know which planets are seen and what characteristics each one of them has.
Best Apps
We will start with some mobile apps that are available for both Android and iOS. Most of these are sky atlases that let you see what you see in the sky and even point your phone at the stars to get information about them.
- Google Sky Map: Although this app has been abandoned for a long time, it is still one of the most popular apps when it comes to stargazing. Just point your phone camera at the sky and you will know the names of the stars and constellations on the screen. Available for Android.
- Sky View Lite– A paid app that also has a free model called Lite. It has a more polished interface, and the augmented reality mode works smoothly, accurately, and is easy to use. Just click on it and you can get more information about any celestial object. It is an equally simple concept as the sky map, but adapted for 2018. Available for Android and iOS.
- Starwalk 2: It has one of the most elaborate designs, including a relaxing lake. This, along with the relaxing sounds and music in the background, make it a true zen experience. In addition to seeing people in the sky, you can also get information about when the planets appear and 3D representations of some stars. Available for Android and iOS. It also offers a free version with ads on Android and iOS.
- Star Map: The Star Map contains additional content, including 3D renderings of historical moments such as the Apollo 11 moon landing. As for the exploration of the sky itself, despite the lack of tracking orbits over time, in the catalog technical information is available on almost all possible stars. Available for Android and iOS.
- planet finder: Planet Finder has a lovely interface, it's not just a sky gazing app, it's a celestial compass that shows you the planets, the moon, the sun, the ten brightest stars and the ten closest stars. Available for Android.
- Star Tracker: If you're looking for something more sparkly and shiny, this app even adds shooting stars to add magic. The augmented reality mode is very smooth, so it can be used as a quick reference for observing the sky, like a sky map. Of course, it doesn't give you any additional information about the stars like other apps do. Available for Android and iOS.
- Sky Safari: An app with an augmented reality mode, with fun features like a summary of the next celestial event to consider, or something else like when a planet, sun, moon or space station will appear in the international sky. Available for Android and iOS.
- Star light: recreate the simplicity of the sky map as you can do nothing but look at the sky and see the planets, stars and constellations. At least it does what it does well, with smooth movement and good graphics. Available for Android and iOS.
- ISS Detector Satellite Tracker: This application is dedicated to observing the International Space Station (ISS). When the space station is at our location, it notifies us through a notification on our phone so that we can observe it. It also allows us (previously an in-app purchase) to track the Tiangong space station and the Hubble telescope.
Best websites to find out what planets are seen
We continue with the web and desktop applications sections, which you can access from your computer or laptop. The resources here are already more varied and you can get all kinds of information.
- Google Maps: If you turn on the satellite view in Google Maps and zoom to the end of Earth, you might one day go out and explore other planets in our solar system. You can enter its official website.
- Stellarium: It is an open source planetarium built for any computer. It shows the real sky in 3D as you see it with the naked eye, with binoculars or with a telescope. It has versions for Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS. You can enter its official website.
- NASA Image and Video Library: It is the official NASA search engine with more than 140.000 photo, audio or video files that we can easily consult. In this way we will be able to access the multimedia content obtained during its multiple missions. You can enter its official website.
- Space Dashboard: This is a page designed for all those who love space missions. It's full of really cool facts and will make you feel like you're in command of a huge space mission. You can enter its official website.
- Celestia- A desktop application, a 3D space simulator that allows you to explore our universe from any computer. It has versions for Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS. You can enter its official website.
- SkyChart: This application allows you to generate maps of the sky using data from numerous catalogs of stars and nebulae. It also shows the positions of the planets, asteroids and comets. It has versions for Windows, GNU/Linux and macOS. You can enter its official website.
- Global Telescope- An application once developed by Microsoft Research, it was created using images and information collected by telescope probes and satellites, combined to create an interactive view of the sky that can be explored from your desktop. It allows you to observe the universe at many different wavelengths, including visible light, infrared and gamma radiation, and more data is accessible through the Astrophysical Data System. You can enter its official website.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the best websites or applications to find out what planets are seen.