Andy Walker / Android Authority
I recently wrote about the unusual Android apps I always install on my phone. It seemed to spark the imagination of several readers who, in turn, suggested their favorite apps in the comments section. I always love it when you contribute to our community! Since I’m always up for trying new apps and evaluating my current loadout, I gave each some of my time. I have used some of the apps mentioned before, while some remain a firm part of my team. I decided not to include these in the list below. However, these are the less common apps I found genuinely interesting and will likely add to my growing app collection.
Stellarium
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Stellarium is a cosmic atlas that details the positions of stars and other astronomical bodies that light up the night sky. It’s an app I briefly used in the past, but I didn’t quite connect with it for one reason or another. I eventually moved over to Sky Map, which has annoying quirks but worked well for my modest skygazing needs. However, anything that Sky Map does, Stellarium seemingly does better.
This app looks and feels like a direct upgrade, with far better graphics, richer information, and easier navigation. I love the small details, like the directional arrow that points you towards an astral body you’re trying to find, graphical illustrations of constellations, and even options to remove Starlink’s annoying satellites from the sky, albeit virtually.
Stellarium is a cosmic atlas that details the positions of stars and other astronomical bodies that light up the night sky.
Tapping on any celestial destination produces a pop-up with more information on that particular body. For instance, selecting Comet Lemmon C/2025 A6 displays details of the traveler’s origin, its magnitude (how bright it is in the night sky), and where it’s positioned. But what really sells me is its Visibility feature. Using Lemmon as an example again, this feature calculates the positional changes in the sky as we, and the comet, travel around the sun. Using this, I can determine that the best time to view Lemmon in my city is early November.
Notably, the Visibility feature is only available through Stellarium Plus, a tier that’s unlocked via a premium monthly subscription or a one-time payment. I’m currently enjoying a seven-day trial, but considering how powerful and far-reaching this app is, it might become a permanent part of my repertoire.
If I had one criticism, magnitude changes aren’t included in the Visibility section. I would’ve loved to see how the comet’s brightness changes as the month progresses, which would help me make more concrete viewing plans. Nevertheless, this is a minor nitpick in an excellent app overall.
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