It can even help you find the Hubble Space Telescope when you point your device at the sky. The description for SkyView Free in the Google Play store reads that it uses your camera to identify celestial objects, during the day or at night. Best of all: Many are free! The apps below are free to install unless otherwise note (though in-app purchases may be available).There are both free and inexpensive versions of SkyView available to both Android and iOS users. Next time you find yourself on a nighttime walk, or looking for a way to entertain the kids in the backyard after the sunset, pull out one of these apps and prepare to be amazed. You just have to fire up the app and then look like some kind of astronomical genius.

That means you don't need a planetarium docent's knowledge of hundreds and thousands of stars to find the one you're looking for.

How does it work? Most of them have some kind of augmented-reality feature, where they can locate where you are automatically and pull up what the star map should look like above you. Many of them can even alert you to the upcoming celestial events, so you'll never miss another Super Moon again. Most of the time, all you have to do is point them at the night sky, and they'll demystify what's in front of you, be it stars, planets, constellations, or man-made objects like satellites or the International Space Station. Whether the Super Pink Moon in April kickstarted your love of astronomy, or you want to be prepared by the time the Perseids meteor shower rolls around in during warmer weather, you should start with checking these best stargazing apps.

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