TOP PICKS | 22 TOOLS
Best Astronomy Apps and Websites for Students
Top Picks
RELATED
Print list
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 for Children
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: $2.58
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