Sky Map: Stargazing & Planetarium

Sky Map is a travel and maps app by Sky Map Devs that turns your Android device into a handheld planetarium for identifying stars, planets, nebulae, and constellations in real time. Originally developed as Google Sky Map, it is now open source and free to use. The app uses your device's sensors to point at the sky, showing you exactly what celestial objects are in your field of view. It works offline, so you can explore the night sky even without an internet connection, though some features like manual location entry require connectivity.

The app is designed for anyone curious about the night sky, from casual stargazers to amateur astronomers. You can point your phone at the sky to see labels for stars, planets, and constellations, or browse the sky manually. The optional location permission lets the app draw the sky for your exact position; if you prefer, you can enter a place name or coordinates by hand. The camera permission enables a through-camera mode that overlays the sky on your live view, and notification permission can alert you to meteor-shower peaks and tonight's sky, but all permissions are optional and can be refused individually.

Sky Map is free, contains no ads, and has no in-app purchases. The current version, 2.1.3 Artemis, was released on October 14, 2026, and includes home-screen widgets for moon phase, tonight's sky, and sky countdown, as well as a searchable help and an altitude/azimuth grid. The app is available for Android 9 and later, has a file size of 21 MB, and has been installed over 50 million times, with a rating of 4.14 from nearly half a million users.

Key features

• Identify stars, planets, nebulae, and constellations in real time
• Optional location permission to draw the sky for your exact position (you can also enter a place name or coordinates manually)
• Optional camera permission for through-camera mode, overlaying the sky on the live camera view
• Optional notification permission for meteor-shower peaks and tonight's sky (off until you enable them)
• Home-screen widgets: Moon phase, Tonight's sky, and Sky countdown (new in version 2.1)
• Accurate Sun and Moon, planet phases, eclipses, and a fresh look (new in version 2.0)
• Supports 28 languages
• No required permissions; each permission is optional and can be withdrawn separately
• Works offline for core sky viewing
• Open source (GPL-3.0-or-later)

How to install

1. Tap the download button on this page to get the APK file (21 MB).
2. When Android asks, allow your browser or file manager to install apps by enabling the 'Install unknown apps' setting.
3. Open the downloaded APK file from your notifications or file manager.
4. Tap 'Install' and wait for the installation to finish.
5. Open Sky Map from your app drawer. The app requires Android 9 or later.

Latest changes

Version 2.1 added home-screen widgets for Moon phase, Tonight's sky, and Sky countdown, plus searchable Help and an alt/az grid. The 2.0 rebuild brought accurate Sun and Moon, planet phases, eclipses, a refreshed look, and 28 languages.

Sky Map is for anyone who enjoys looking at the night sky, whether you're a casual stargazer, a student learning astronomy, or an amateur astronomer. It's also great for outdoor enthusiasts who want a reliable, offline sky guide without ads or cost.

For best accuracy, calibrate your device's compass by moving it in a figure-8 motion, and avoid metal objects or magnets nearby. If the map seems jittery, adjust the sensor speed and damping in settings. You can also try switching off magnetic correction if the orientation seems off.

Sky Map is a practical, free tool for exploring the night sky, offering accurate real-time identification of celestial objects with optional permissions and no ads. Its offline capability and open-source nature make it a reliable companion for stargazing, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned observer.