Satellite Watcher

This app tracks the 150 brightest man-made objects in space, which can be seen by the human eye. Use it to see the time and location such objects can be seen. It also lets you record when you saw each satellite.

You can also use this app to explore all 9000 stars visible to the human eye, as well as major constellations. Educational notes are displayed for satellites, constellations and well-known stars.

Some of the app's features:

* Preview mode lets you browse through future satellite passes, displaying the magnitude, path and time the satellite will appear

* Real-Time mode shows you what is in the sky now, with the current location, magnitude and path for each satellite. If multiple satellites are in the sky, it shows them all simultaneously

* Tap on a satellite's name to view detailed information including country of origin, launch date, magnitude (brightness), and more

* Tap on a constellation's name to view its educational notes

* The app lets you keep track of which satellites you've seen and when. You can tell it you see a satellite now, or enter a past sighting

* The device detects your location automatically, but you can also enter the latitude and longitude yourself, or your U.S. zip code

* Choose which satellite you want to scan for, or all satellites

* Choose how many days into the future to scan for satellites, up to 30 days

* Choose the minimum elevation for a satellites to be shown

* Choose the minimum magnitude (brightness) for a satellites to be shown

* Works offline (you should go online to download satellite data once every couple of days)

* Displays weather warnings if clouds will be present (in the U.S. only)

* Works on iPhone and iPad


If you like science and astronomy, you will have great fun spotting satellites! All you need is a clear night with no moon. For best results, choose a location away from city lights. In the beginning, focus on the brighter satellites passing directly overhead. Satellites are visible after sunset (for about an hour) and before sunrise (also for about an hour) when the sky is dark and satellites reflect the sun's light.

This is a great educational activity for kids.