GUIDES
A quieter way to explore the sky on your phone
Find the essential controls, use automatic phone movement, and keep more of the sky in view.
Open the sky mapKeep the map clear
The mobile map keeps location and time within reach. Open the menu for the object list, help, display settings, and observing guides. Tap Tonight for a short selection of targets.
Point and look
Tap the camera-shaped button beside zoom to enable phone movement. It uses motion and compass sensors rather than a camera image. When a heading is available, the view aligns automatically with the direction the back of your phone points.
Switch to manual whenever you need
Tap the camera-shaped button again or drag the map to pause tracking. Use the text object list if you prefer written directions or your browser cannot provide compass data.
Make the display comfortable
Open Display settings from the menu to adjust labels, constellation lines, and night mode. You can simplify the map further by lowering the faintest-star setting. This changes the display, not the real visibility of the sky.