stardroid
Sky Map is the open-source astronomy Android app built for the community. You can download the official builds from the Google Play Store or from F-Droid.
FAQ
Is this Google Sky Map?
It was originally!
Sky Map has a long history, launching as Google Sky Map on the very first Android phone at Searchology 2009. In 2011 Google ceased active support and the original developers open-sourced it with Google's permission. Google's Open Source Programs Office kindly allowed us to continue to work on it as a personal project, provided we removed Google's branding from it and did not use Google's resources. Today it is still maintained by the same folks. While we no longer work for Google we continue to develop Sky Map using our own resources.
Then what is stardroid?
"Stardroid" was the internal name - you can see it's still used as an identifier in the code. Back in the day Google's lawyercats were concerned that 'stardroid' might attract the wrath of, let's say, followers of the Dark Side of the Force so we were strongly encouraged not to call it that. Plus, Google likes to name products after what they are (Photos, Calendar, Docs...). So, Sky Map it is.
Why does it lack feature X or look so dated?
Android has evolved significantly since 2009. While most of the code has been rewritten since its Google days, the architecture reflects its origins. We are currently working on a complete modernization of the app. In the meantime, we are continually inspired by the community of users who still find joy in its simplicity and quirks.
How can we help?
I'm glad you asked! We have a section on that below.
Support the Project
Sky Map is a labor of love maintained in our spare time by a couple of ex-Googlers here in Pittsburgh. It is free, open-source, ad-free and we don't track you or sell your data.
If you enjoy using Sky Map, there are several ways to help keep the project alive:
- Donations: Buy Me a Coffee — Every coffee helps keep the servers running and the code flowing!
- Join the beta and give us feedback! Visit the Play Store on your phone.
- Star the Repo: It costs nothing and helps others find the project.
- Contribute: See the Contributing guide or report an issue.
Find us elsewhere
Contributing
Bug fixes, dependency upgrades, and translations are always welcome. For major changes or new features, please email us first — we may have a different vision and it would be a shame for your work to go to waste.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for full details on build instructions, coding style, and how to submit a PR.
Fun
Sky Map Prototype (2009)
Star Chart
Appropriately, for a star chart app, here's a star chart:
