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Astronomy at your Fingertips

Your Complete Android Observatory

Discover. Explore. Master.
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Mobile Observatory Dashboard
200,000+ Downloads
4.6 Stars (4,800+ Ratings)
14+ Years of Development
5 Languages

All in One App

Everything you need for astronomy, in your pocket

AR Sky View

Point your phone and identify stars, planets, and constellations live

3D Solar System

Explore planets, moons, and comets in an interactive orrery

Satellite Tracking

ISS passes, Starlink trains, and 10,000+ satellites in real-time

Deep Sky Catalog

2,500+ nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters with photos and details

Event Calendar

50+ event types including eclipses, conjunctions, occultations, transits, and more

Smart Notifications

Aurora alerts, solar flares, ISS passes, and event reminders

Live Space Weather

Aurora forecast, Kp-index, solar flares, and NASA SDO images

Moon & Sun

Phases, eclipses, lunar features, sunspot data, and rise/set times

Topographic Horizon

Real terrain profiles from NASA data for precise rise/set times

Observing Planner

Auto-generated session plans based on your equipment and location

Telescope Control Beta

Connect your GoTo telescope and slew to any object with a single tap

2.5M+ Stars

Hipparcos, SAO, and extended catalogs with detailed star data

Get it on Google Play

Free download with optional Pro upgrade

Screenshots

See Mobile Observatory in action

How It Works

From first launch to expert observer

1
Discover the Sky with Real Terrain

Discover

Point your phone at the sky and see stars, planets, and the Sun's path over your real 3D terrain.

2
Explore Astronomical Events

Explore

Browse upcoming conjunctions, eclipses, ISS passes, and thousands of celestial objects with detailed data.

3
Plan Your Observing Session

Master

Generate optimized observing plans, control your telescope, and log your observations like a pro.

Get it on Google Play

Start exploring tonight

Dive Into the Details

Scroll through real app screens — tap to enlarge

Sun & Solar Activity
Sun & Solar Activity
Moon Details
Moon
Jupiter Details
Jupiter
Algol Variable Star
Algol — Variable Star
Twilight
Twilight

See More of the Sky

Whether you're observing deep sky objects, planning an astrophoto shoot, or chasing the perfect Milky Way rise — these tools help you get the shot and the view

Real Topographic Horizon

The only astronomy app that knows what your actual horizon looks like. Know exactly where and when the Moon, Sun, or Milky Way will rise behind the mountains — perfect for planning landscape astrophotography.

  • See exactly where mountains block your view
  • Plan the perfect moonrise or sunrise photo over real terrain
  • Terrain-corrected rise/set times for every object
  • Works offline after initial download

Smart Notifications

Never miss an astronomical event again. Mobile Observatory watches the sky for you and sends personalized alerts based on your location and interests.

  • Daily digest of tonight's celestial events
  • ISS pass alerts with customizable lead time and elevation filter
  • Aurora visibility alerts using your geomagnetic latitude
  • Solar flare warnings for M-class and X-class events

Observing Plan Generator

Get a personalized, guided list of the best objects to observe tonight based on your location, equipment, and sky conditions.

  • Tailored to your telescope and experience
  • Considers light pollution and weather
  • Optimized observation sequence
Telescope Control

Telescope Control Beta

Connect and control your computerized telescope directly from the app. Slew to any object with a single tap.

  • Supports popular GoTo mounts
  • One-tap slew from any object screen
  • Real-time position tracking

FOV Simulator & Optical Tools

Frame your shot before you set up. See exactly how any object will look through your telescope or camera lens — ideal for planning astrophotography compositions.

  • Preview your camera framing with accurate star fields and FOV overlay
  • Simulate long exposures to plan star trail and deep sky captures
  • Realistic eyepiece simulations for visual observers
  • Supports telescopes, Barlow lenses, reducers, cameras, and eyepieces

Core Features

Tools for astronomers, astrophotographers, and anyone who looks up

3D Solar System

Explore the solar system in an interactive 3D view

  • All planets, dwarf planets, and major moons
  • 1,000+ comets with realistic orbits
  • Time-travel to any date in history
  • Accurate positions and orbital mechanics

Satellite Tracking

Track the ISS, Starlink, and thousands more

  • 10,000+ satellites with live positions
  • ISS pass predictions for your location
  • Starlink train visibility alerts
  • Iridium flares and bright satellite passes

AR Sky View & Time-Lapse

Point your camera and explore the sky

  • Identify stars, planets, constellations live
  • Time-lapse animation with swipe control
  • Watch planets cross the sky
  • Track satellite passes in real-time

Live Space Weather

Real-time aurora and solar activity dashboard

  • Aurora oval forecast with hemisphere view
  • Planetary Kp-index for geomagnetic storms
  • GOES X-ray flux and solar flare chart
  • Hourly NASA SDO solar images

Tonight's Best

Personalized recommendations for your location

  • Best objects visible tonight
  • Based on your actual horizon
  • Filter by object type and brightness
  • Optimal viewing times included

Comprehensive Catalogs

Massive astronomical database at your fingertips

  • 2.5 million stars (optional download)
  • Complete Messier, NGC, Caldwell catalogs
  • 60,000+ asteroids & 1,000+ comets
  • Starlink satellites & ISS

Planning Tools

Plan your observing sessions in advance

  • Rise/set/transit against real horizon
  • Automatic visibility reports
  • Favorite locations with easy access
  • Twilight times and day length

Solar & Lunar

Detailed Sun and Moon information

  • Live Sun imagery and sunspot data
  • Moon phases with realistic rendering
  • Lunar librations and orbital data
  • Solar & lunar eclipse predictions

Get Started for Free

Download Mobile Observatory for free and upgrade when you're ready

🚀

Pro (One-Time Purchase)

Already sure? Get everything permanently

  • All features, no subscription:
  • 2.5M+ stars & 2,500+ deep sky objects
  • Satellite & ISS tracking
  • 60,000+ asteroids & comets
  • 3D Solar System & AR Sky View
  • Widgets, notifications, daily updates
Get Pro Version One-time purchase, lifetime access

What Users Say

Trusted by astronomy enthusiasts worldwide

★★★★★
"This app is simply fantastic and keeps getting better. It offers a huge variety of features, making it the most professional app in the Play Store."
Google Play User
December 2025
★★★★★
"A fantastic update. I have always found this app excellent, and now it is even better."
Google Play User
December 2025
★★★★★
"Version 4 is amazing: intelligently programmed, very well organized. Thank you for this excellent work!"
Google Play User
November 2025
★★★★★
"Along with Stellarium and SkySafari, this is one of the best astronomy programs!"
Google Play User
November 2025
Get it on Google Play

Join 200,000+ astronomy enthusiasts

Experience the Realistic Sky Rendering

About the Developer

The story behind Mobile Observatory

Wolfgang Zima

Wolfgang Zima

Creator of Mobile Observatory

Wolfgang Zima spent years as a professional astronomer before finding his way into software development. After completing his PhD in Astronomy at the University of Vienna, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Astronomy at KU Leuven in Belgium for five years. It was there that he discovered a passion for scientific software — writing tools for analyzing spectra of pulsating stars and building a CCD image simulator for ESA's PLATO mission, a space telescope searching for Earth-like exoplanets.

Mobile Observatory started almost by accident: when his Nokia phone broke on a mountain biking trip in late 2010, Wolfgang got his first Android phone and was surprised that no good astronomy apps existed. So he built one. First released in January 2011, Mobile Observatory has since grown into one of the most comprehensive astronomy apps for Android — with over 1 million downloads of the free version and 250,000+ of the Pro version — and has been continuously improved for well over a decade.

Wolfgang lives in Freiburg, Germany, where he works as a Senior Mobile Developer at sevdesk. He continues to develop Mobile Observatory with the same enthusiasm as on day one — now with the help of modern AI tools that let him bring new features to life faster than ever.

What's New

Latest updates and improvements

v4.3.0 - Coming Soon

Spring 2026

Thank you for your valuable feedback! Many of your reported issues and improvement suggestions are being worked on — and some are already included in this release.

  • Lunar Eclipse Detail Screen - Comprehensive eclipse view with shadow diagram, global visibility map, and local contact times for your observing site
  • Lunar Landings - Browse historic crewed and robotic Moon landing sites with mission details and selenographic coordinates
  • Asterisms Catalog - 31 well-known asterisms (informal star patterns) with descriptions, visibility reports, and sky charts
  • Constellation Myths - Discover the mythology and cultural stories behind the constellations
  • Astronomical Glossary - A built-in reference of astronomical terms and concepts, always just a tap away
  • Animated Meteors in Sky View - Watch realistic shooting stars streak across the Sky View during active meteor showers
  • Tablet & Landscape Improvements - Bug fixes and layout refinements for tablets and landscape mode

Preview screenshots:

v4.2.0 - Current Version

March 2026

  • Telescope Control Beta - Connect and control your computerized telescope directly from the app
  • Draw Your Horizon - Sketch your local horizon with your finger to calculate accurate rise/set times and object visibility
  • Saved Sky View Scenes - Save and restore your favorite sky view configurations with custom names
  • Observing Lists - Create and manage lists of objects you want to observe
  • My Observations - Log your observations with notes, ratings, and conditions
  • My Equipment - Catalog your telescopes, eyepieces, cameras, and accessories
  • Optical Tools - Field of View simulator to visualize how objects appear through your equipment
  • In-App Language Selection - Change the app language directly from Settings, independent of device language
  • Backup & Restore - Back up your favorites, observing lists, observations, equipment, and locations to restore them anytime
  • Equipment Frame Overlay - Display your camera, telescope, or binoculars field of view directly in the Sky View
  • Jupiter & Saturn Moons - See the positions of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons in the Sky View
  • Observing Plan Generator - Get a guided, personalized list of the best objects to observe tonight based on your location, equipment, and sky conditions
  • 3D Topographic Landscape - The Sky View now renders a realistic 3D terrain mesh from elevation data, showing the actual mountain and hill profiles for any location worldwide
  • Double Star Maps - Interactive maps of double and multiple star systems show the positions of close components from the Washington Double Star Catalog
  • Variable Star Light Curves - Light curves of variable stars are displayed alongside an animated illustration of the star system
  • Eclipsing Binary Predictions - Predicted times of minima for eclipsing binaries like Algol, with an animated visualization of the orbital system
  • Comet Brightness Curves - Observed comet light curves from Minor Planet Center (MPC) data show how a comet's brightness evolves over time
  • Lunar Feature Map & Terminator Table - The Moon screen now features an interactive selenographic map with labeled craters, maria, and landing sites, detailed feature information including coordinates and solar illumination, and a terminator table listing features near the day-night boundary with solar altitude and next sunrise or sunset

Feature screenshots:

v4.1.2

January 2026

  • Horizon-Aware Rise/Set Times - All objects now show rise and set times based on your local topographic horizon
  • Improved Aurora Forecast Notifications - Enhanced alerts for aurora activity at your location
  • Favorite Events - Save astronomical events like eclipses, meteor showers, and conjunctions to your favorites for quick access
v4.1.0

January 2026

  • Custom Event Presets - Save your event filter settings as presets for quick access
  • Aurora Storm Notifications - Get alerted when Kp-index reaches significant levels
  • Solar Flare Notifications - Get alerted when strong X-ray flares are detected
  • Local Topographic Horizon - Calculate horizon profiles using NASA SRTM data
  • Favorite Locations - Save observing sites with drag-and-drop reordering
  • Manual Coordinate Entry - Decimal or DMS format
  • Sky View Zoom Buttons - Quick zoom controls and navigation menu
  • ISS Notifications Fixed - Pass alerts now trigger reliably
Show older versions
v4.0.9

December 2025

  • AR Sky - Completely reimplemented augmented reality sky view
  • ISS Pass Screen - Dedicated screen for upcoming ISS passes with detailed visibility info
  • Event Notifications - Reactivated alerts for celestial events and ISS passes
v4.0.8

December 2025

  • Redesigned Sun Screen - Modern interface for solar information
  • Enhanced Sky View Popup - Collapsible info panel with auto-mark controls
v4.0.7

November 2025

  • Interstellar Objects - Support for objects like Oumuamua and Borisov
  • Smoother Navigation - Independent drag sensitivity for Sky View and Planisphere
v4.0.6

November 2025

  • Live Sun Screen - Real-time solar activity with hourly NASA SDO images
  • Better Satellite Visibility - More accurate ISS and satellite brightness predictions
v4.0.4

November 2025

  • Time Animation - Sky View now animates time automatically with pause/resume control
  • Asteroids in Sky View - Minor planets now visible and selectable
  • Satellite Icons - Satellites displayed as distinct symbols
  • Quick Navigation - Jump to any object centered in Sky View from its details page
v4.0.3

November 2025

  • Smart Object Info - Tap any object in Sky View to see its details instantly
  • Multilingual Star Names - Star labels in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian
v4.0.0

October 2025 - Major Update

  • Completely redesigned modern user interface
  • Faster, smoother Sky View with improved graphics
  • New home screen widgets
  • Customizable event notifications
  • Tonight's Best - See the best objects to observe tonight with visibility info

Ready to Explore the Night Sky?

Start with the free Sky View or get the complete observatory experience.

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