Here is a list of 4 free websites to view star chart. These websites offer interactive star maps which makes it possible for you to explore the universe, check out each and every star, check info about all the known stars and their characteristics. Some of the websites also provide detailed information about stars and other important bodies in the universe. You can also adjust settings like location, time zone, timestamp etc.
These websites are equally beneficial for all, no matter you are an astronomy student, part-time astronomy explorer, or a hobbyist. The cool thing is that you don’t have to register for any kind of account for viewing the star chart. So let’s check out each of the websites one by one.
1. Sky View Cafe:
Sky View Cafe is the first website to view star chart online. This website displays the universe as a ball inside which all the stars exist. You can rotate the ball using the mouse and you can also zoom-in and zoom-out to explore the universe in a better way. It lets you adjust various settings for better use and experience. You can adjust location and time settings. You can choose to enable celestial grid, elliptic grid, path of sun, path of the moon, brighten stars, constellations, enlarge Sun/Moon, Milky Way, etc. Apart from default Sky view, it also supports Ecliptic, Orbit, Moon/GRS, Insolation, Map, Calendar, Time, and Tables.
2. Planetarium:
Planetarium is the second resource to view star chart and it is the product of Neave Interactive. It is the most interactive website in the list and you will definitely love using it. On launching it, you will see the sky full of stars and constellations. You can explore the whole universe by moving your mouse in any direction. You can then hover on any celestial body’s name to know about it. It shows name of the body, magnitude, distance, RA, and dec values. As for the settings, you can adjust the time and date, enable/disable constellations, and change the location.
Planetarium also has a free Google Chrome app for Chrome users. Read full review of Planetarium Chrome App here.
3. 100,000 Stars:
100,000 Stars is the next website in the line and as the name suggests, it lets you explore 100,000 stars of the universe. It provides one of the most realistic experience of exploring the universe and stars. You can zoom in and zoom out by either using your mouse wheel or using the bar at the right side. As you will explore the stars, you will see that the website has labeled each star with its name. You can then click on the star to focus on it to see its enlarged image along with related info.
Apart from this, the website also has an interactive tour for you which you can take by clicking on the Play button at top left corner. This tour explains the basic concepts of the universe.
4. Sky-Map:
The last website in the list is Sky-Map. It consists of photos of all the important parts of universe and stars. You can rotate and zoom in/out of these photos easily. On the right side, it has a list of attractive spots of the universe. You can hover on the name to know the details and click on the name to see photos related to it. You can also search for anybody by entering the name in search bar manually. It also has an option using which you can enter the name of your location. Then the website shows all the stars above you.
These are the 4 websites to see star maps, explore the universe, and know about stars. Try them to know some new, interesting things about the universe.
You may also like: 5 Free Astronomy Apps for iPhone.
