Google Improves Its Free Sky Watching App for Android

Google has released a new version of Sky Map for Android, free software that shows users a labeled map of the stars that adjusts to both their locations and the movements of their smartphone.

This app takes advantage of the compass and accelerometer that are part of most Android-based devices. Using these two sensors, Sky Map can determine the exact direction that the phone is facing and display the stars that are visible. To identify a bright star, all that's necessary is point the device at it and it will appear on the screen.

A search feature lets users enter the name of an celestial object of interest, like Saturn, and the phone will display an arrow pointing in the correct direction. After the user follows the arrow, the app will circle the object when the device is pointed at it.

Sky Map is available free of charge from the on-device Android market.

Source: Google