Birth Light Astronomy

Birth Light is a simple backyard astronomy app that makes it easy for kids and adults to see back in time by looking at the stars.

The stars are so far away that it takes years for their light to reach Earth. If you look at the right star at the right time, you can see the way it looked on the day you were born! Birth Light is an app that shows you when and where to look.

Its catalog of over 5000 stars includes every naked-eye-visible star within a thousand light-years of Earth. It uses your location to determine which stars will be visible, and when they rise and set. And it has an augmented-reality mode that shows you exactly where in the sky to look for your birth star.

Start by entering your birthday (or any date you want) and you'll see a list starting with the next star to enter your light cone.

Tap a star and you'll see basic data about it, along with a scrollable diagram showing when it will rise and set each night.

Next tap "Show me in the sky" and you'll see an augmented-reality view of the sky right now, with a helpful arrow that points you toward the star you've selected. Just point your phone until you see the star you're looking for!

This app requires GPS.