TOP PICKS | 22 TOOLS
Best Astronomy Apps and Websites for Students
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Ready Jet Go! Space Explorer
Super cool to see real sky, yet astronomy info only scratches surface
Bottom line: Despite the downsides, there's enough appeal to make this a nice first step to explore the sky -- even more so because it's free.
Grades: K–4
Price: Free
Star Walk Kids: Astronomy Game
Virtually step into the night sky with this stellar space resource
Bottom line: Interactive tool is an excellent resource for kids who are curious about space.
Grades: K–6
Price: 2.99
Arloon Solar System
Interactive 3-D tool lets kids discover and explore the solar system
Bottom line: A detailed, thought-provoking tool for taking an interactive journey through the solar system.
Grades: 1–8
Price: 2.99
Britannica Kids: Solar System
Blast off to learning with articles, puzzles, games, and more
Bottom line: Britannica Kids: Solar System is a good reference tool for supplementing a solar system unit.
Grades: 1–8
Price: $4.99 One of the tabs in the table of contents advertises other Britannica apps for purchase with a "Buy" link.
Space by Tinybop
Zoom into our solar system, solve mysteries with open-ended play
Bottom line: Learn about the sun, moon, and planets through interactive open-ended play.
Grades: 1–8
Price: $2.99
NASA
Visually super NASA-backed treasure trove may overwhelm
Bottom line: A visually stunning way to get kids interested in science and space exploration.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free
Solar System Explorer
Visit and explore this beautiful, vast handheld planetarium
Bottom line: Because it's so well-produced, it should fascinate any kid even remotely interested in space.
Grades: 2–12
Price: Free, Paid
DIY Sun Science
Exciting astronomy resource brightens learning in the classroom
Bottom line: Excellent, free reference tool inspires and teaches kids about the sun.
Grades: 3–8
Price: Free
NASA Visualization Explorer
Updated stories help kids stay up to speed with space exploration
Bottom line: Weekly updates and striking visuals make it easy for kids to stay informed about NASA's most recent discoveries.
Grades: 3–12
Price: Free
Star Chart
Powerful pocket-sized map of the universe delights
Bottom line: A great way to supplement or stimulate kids' love of stargazing.
Grades: 3–12
Price: $3.30
NASA: Solar System Exploration
Highly visual, interactive site could overwhelm with so many resources
Bottom line: This NASA product provides extensive resources about astronomy, space technology, and space history, but navigating the site to find specific resources takes patience.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Sky Map
Encourage planetary appreciation with fab free app
Bottom line: A sharp pocket-planetarium tool that can help foster students’ curiosity about the universe.
Grades: 5–12
Price: Free
Galaxy Zoo
Citizen science site involves, inspires budding astronomers
Bottom line: Classifying, comparing, and analyzing galactic data with this great, free tool can be influential to kids' involvement with science.
Grades: 6–12
Mobile Observatory
Impressive tool for stargazing and identifying objects in the sky
Bottom line: It's an excellent hands-on astronomy reference tool.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $3.99-$4.49
NOVA Labs
Online science, mastered: exceptional content within meaningful tasks
Bottom line: Serious, sophisticated science engagement -- but be prepared to take some prep time to connect these labs with your classroom.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Planet Mechanic
Mini-solar system sandbox lets kids play with planets
Bottom line: Provides students with an interactive conceptual primer on some key planetary science concepts.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Paid Also available on the Amplify tablet.
SkySafari
Cool features enhance this powerful mobile planetarium
Bottom line: This professional-grade tool with beautiful, instructive images is an excellent resource for classrooms.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Stellarium Mobile Sky Map
Beautiful mobile planetarium, extensive learning opportunities
Bottom line: It truly brings the night sky up close, beautifully and with accessible, informative details.
Grades: 6–12
Price: $2.99
Universe Sandbox
Superb sandbox for astrophysics experimentation
Bottom line: An impressive -- and complex -- tool that encourages a playful, systems thinking-oriented exploration of the universe and astrophysics.
Grades: 6–12
Price: Free
Mars Student Imaging Project
Take science research out of this world with NASA's Mars project
Bottom line: One of the best authentic inquiry space experiences out there: Use this tool to grow the next generation of researchers in your classroom.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
WorldWide Telescope
Treasure trove of astronomical imagery and facts
Bottom line: A bit like a jazzed-up textbook, the game curates an incredible amount of top-notch content great for learning about the universe.
Grades: 7–12
Price: Free
Kerbal Space Program
Design and launch a rocket into space in realistic astrophysics sim
Bottom line: This accurate rocket sim encourages trial-and-error learning and makes for great (and often explosive) physics and engineering experiments.
Grades: 9–12
Price: Free to try, Paid $39.99, free demo