The explosion in mobile apps in the last few years has meant that many new astronomy applications have become available.
Thanks to Andrew Fraknoi of Foothill College in California, a first catalog has been assembled that lists a variety of apps for displaying and explaining the sky above you (some using the GPS function in your device).
Also included in this catalog is citizens science tools and image displays; a series of astronomical clocks, calculators, and calendars; sky catalogs and observing planners; planet atlases and globes; a directory of astronomy clubs in the U.S.; and even a graphic simulator for making galaxies collide.
A number of the apps are free, and others cost just a dollar or two. A brief list of articles featuring astronomy app reviews is also included.
This annotated overview of 98 astronomy applications for smart phones and tablets has been published in the on-line journal Astronomy Education Review.
You can access the article free of charge at:
http://aer.aas.org/resource/1/aerscz/v10/i1/p010302_s1
By Leonard David