I used to live in the city. I loved being connected to other people, to bus and train stations, and to all the amenities that cities provide. But there was one thing I didn’t like and it was that every time I looked up, all I could see was light pollution. Street lamps, office lights, and car lights all teamed together to stop me from enjoying the beautiful, majestic night sky.
I was therefore glad when the day came for us to buy a new home, this time in the countryside. We are less connected but now, when I look up, I can see a wide array of stars and constellations. If I’m honest, though, I have no idea what I’m looking at half the time. I needed a companion – someone to talk me through what I saw. I needed an expert. Unfortunately, I lacked that in a person, but I found the next best thing, an app called Star Walk 2, which is free with ads.
The app has opened my eyes and expanded my understanding of what is out there. Did you know there is a constellation called Tucana that looks like the Toucan, a South American bird? No? Neither did I. With a plethora of information and interactive features, I’ve never experienced anything like it.
This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn't live without. Read them all here.
The best thing about the Star Walk 2 app is the real-time interactive sky map that takes center stage in the app. By lifting up your phone to the sky and pointing it in any direction, it is possible to identify what you're looking at and locate constellations with ease. No more guessing which stars belong to which constellation.
This augmented reality (AR) feature is particularly useful for people who want to discover new sky objects. It’s tempting to only look at the same old things every time, but the AR feature enables you to move beyond that, finding new and exciting things you never knew about.
By enabling the app to know your location, Star Walk 2 can tell you what sky objects you can expect to see from where you are. It’ll then tell you what the best time is for observing those specific objects. Ursa Major (The Big Bear), was one of my favorite constellations growing up. This was therefore one of the first things I used the app to discover. The app helped me to understand not only when to look but also where to look. It wasn’t long before I was reliving my boyhood memories.
One of my other favorite features is the travel through-time functionality that lets users visualize the sky map at any date and time in the past or future, for any place on Earth. How incredible is that? Traveling back in time on the map lets you see how the stars have evolved and changed over time.
I loved using the app to get me off the sofa and out exploring the night sky. I was less interested in studying more about it but I know many people will delve deeper. Star Walk 2 provides an expansive encyclopedia of the sky, which allows users to get extended information and learn curious facts about sky objects. To make the process more interesting, there are also photos and elaborate 3D models, which make the exploration process much more interactive.
Users of the encyclopedia will also love the astronomical news that is a key part of the app. When life is busy, it’s easy to forget that there is a whole galaxy of activity out there. The app helped keep me abreast of this, including an asteroid collision that the Webb telescope picked up. Our universe and the technology to discover it are truly amazing.
I’ve loved what the Star Walk 2 app has made possible. It has helped me slow down, get outside, and look up. As I’ve learned more, I’ve also been able to pass on my knowledge and experience to my children, opening their eyes to the wonder of the night sky. The magic in their eyes is something wonderful to behold.