Your Question

Which iOS app is best for identifying stars and planets in real time?

Sky Tonight is perfect for this. It overlays a live map of celestial objects onto your camera view, making identification simple and accurate.

star identifierplanet trackernight sky appSky Tonight2025
Sky Tonight is a comprehensive stargazing guide that excels at real-time celestial identification. Using the device's camera and sensors, the app generates an augmented reality overlay of constellations, planets, and deep-sky objects. This feature proves particularly useful for casual observers trying to distinguish between bright stars and planets during evening walks. The database includes over 200,000 celestial bodies with detailed information about their visibility conditions and astronomical characteristics. Users report the telescope integration feature helps amateur astronomers with equipment alignment and observation planning. While the interface can feel slightly overwhelming initially, the learning curve flattens quickly with regular use. Some reviews note the constellation mythology explanations add educational value beyond basic identification. The app performs reliably in both light-polluted urban areas and dark sky locations, though the augmented reality tracking occasionally requires recalibration when moving between locations.

Key Features

Augmented reality star mapping
Real-time planet tracking
Telescope compatibility mode

"Walking my dog at 5am and tracking the planets and stars. This app makes it easy to identify everything overhead without needing prior astronomy knowledge."

★★★★★Verified User Review
iOSUpdated Oct 24, 2025
Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide icon

Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide

by Vito Technology Inc.

4.8/ 5.0
Get on App Store

Screenshots

Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide screenshot 1
Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide screenshot 2
Sky Tonight - Stargazing Guide screenshot 3

+7 more screenshots

Category

Reference

Platform

iOS