The health benefits of being in nature are indisputable. But have you ever considered the potential benefits of regular stargazing sessions? Gazing at the night skies is gaining popularity as a great form of mindfulness meditation, helping you adjust your perspective and enjoy the peaceful scenes.
Stargazing will slow you down, remind you of your place in this amazing universe, and may even stimulate your creative spirit. You can take advantage of these apps to help you get out and explore the wonders of the astral world.
1. Walk of the stars
One of the most established stargazing apps, Star Walk has helped more than 10 million users explore the night sky. It is an interactive guide in which you simply point at the night sky to access a complete map, identifying the objects you are looking at. It updates as you move your device, so you’ll always see the correct information.
The app is easy to use: just tap the information (Yo) next to each object for more details. There’s even an Augmented Reality feature to add your camera image to your view of the sky. Thousands of stars, constellations, and other objects in the sky are identified and explained, with stunning images accompanying the text.
Use this app to explore your neighborhood’s night sky, the parts you can see from your home, and consider it along with your own neighborhood. Mindfulness can help you find your place within the diverse communities that exist around you and feel more important in your daily activities.
You can also take advantage of the Sky Live section, which provides information on the phases of the moon, the amount of daylight available, and the visibility of the planet. Upgrade to Star Walk Plus for a small subscription fee to remove ads and access more details, including an astronomical calendar, deep space objects, and satellite positions.
Discharge: star walk for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)
2. Night sky
Apple users will love this awesome stargazing app that lets your device become a planetarium. Night Sky uses AR technology to erase the ceiling of your room and reveal the night sky behind it, giving you the sense of awe and awe that stargazing inspires, even if you can’t or don’t want to go outside to actually experience it.
You can personalize your stargazing experience by adding personal Sky Tags to the map to save and share the objects you find for future reference. He Night sky The experience is designed to work seamlessly across all your devices, so you can use the Apple TV or macOS version to watch your Sky Tours on a big screen.
That’s an especially immersive way to practice mindfulness, and you can even use these apps to set background scenes for your daily guided meditation sessions.
If you subscribe to Night Sky+, you can enjoy the social benefits of stargazing through the Connected Stargazing feature that uses SharePlay to let you stargaze with friends in real time.
Discharge: night sky for iOS (Free, subscription available)
3. Safari in the sky
Sky Safari is another option if you are looking for a powerful planetarium to get the most out of your stargazing session. This paid app has a powerful new search engine called Sky Tonight, which allows you to search for what’s visible in your sky tonight and plan your viewing accordingly. With guided tours and even a pronunciation guide, Sky Safari remains a great introduction to the amazing world of stargazing.
Like Night Sky, Sky Safari has built in social elements so you can share your experiences with others. But if you just want to see what other stargazers are looking at, the OneSky feature will reveal how many other users are simultaneously viewing the same items as you. During your mindfulness activities, try to feel your connection to the rest of the world as you share a moment of stargazing.
Discharge: sky safari for iOS ($4.99, in-app purchases available)
4. Sky view
Both Android and iOS users can access SkyView to enjoy the meditative practice of stargazing. Available as a free Lite app or a fully featured paid version, this AR app is beautifully designed making it easy to spot and identify objects in the night sky and even time travel and experience the views during different dates and times. .
SkyView does not require a Wi-Fi network to use, making it ideal for those camping trips and remote locations where you can really enjoy experiencing those stunning dark skies.
Android users can also consider these other astronomy apps for Android.
Discharge: SkyView Lite for iOS | Android (Free)
Discharge: SkyView for iOS ($2.99) | SkyView Explores the Universe to Android ($1.99)
5. Pocket Universe
Pocket Universe has the planetarium features of many other apps on this list, but it’s also an easy way to learn about astronomy when you can’t get outside to stargaze. This app is packed with extra features like news, quizzes, and live satellite tracking.
For example, if you’ve ever wondered where the International Space Station is right now, the answer lies in a dedicated section within Pocket Universe.
One of the many mental health benefits of stargazing is the realization that we are a small part of something much bigger than ourselves. Pocket Universe makes it easy to spend a few moments contemplating our unique place in the universe, even if you can’t get outside to look at the stars.
Discharge: pocket universe for iOS ($2.99)
6. Star Mobile
Stellarium Mobile–Star Map is another planetarium app that shows you what you see when you look at the stars. Available for iOS and Android devices, it has been developed by stellariumthe team behind one of the leading open source desktop planetariums.
One of the unique features of this app is Sky Cultures, which allows you to change settings and choose from a long list of cultures from around the world. It is a never-ending journey of discovery not only of the universe, but also of how humans have interpreted it throughout cultures and ages.
This provides an excellent opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, see the universe through different eyes, and meditate on new perspectives. With this app, you will get an amazing set of features for free. However, you can still upgrade for 3D views, telescope control, and advanced settings.
Discharge: Stellarium Mobile: star map for iOS | Android (Free in-app purchases available)
7. NASA App
No stargazing app list would be complete without the official NASA app, available for free so you can watch NASA TV, see the latest news and photos, and explore a simulated view of the solar system.
Instead of looking at the sky, the NASA app lets you see a live view of Earth from the International Space Station. And there’s nothing that puts your problems in perspective like seeing how tiny we look from up there!
He POT is a must-have add-on to any planetarium app you choose to help you explore the stars and planets. You might even be inspired to take on one of these DIY space projects.
If you are enjoying your conscious astronomy sessions and want to expand your views, google heaven is another tool you won’t want to miss to help you explore the solar system. Alternatively, try one of these amazing astronomy websites.
Discharge: NASA app for iOS | Android (Free)
Try stargazing to benefit your mental health
Although going outside to immerse yourself in any form of nature is one of the most beneficial activities for mental health, many of us do not think to look up, even at night. Taking yourself to a quiet, dark place, away from the light pollution of the cities, and contemplating the incredible display of nature is one of the most mindful and relaxing activities you can do.
With these apps, you can learn to interpret what you see so you can get the most out of your stargazing sessions. No two experiences will be the same, and you’ll get a lot of fascinating information every time. Best of all, you don’t even need expensive equipment, as most of these apps are free.