CosmoNest: Solar System 3D

CosmoNest is a space education app for observing the Sun, the planets and the Moon up close in 3D, and for seeing the real night sky above you. Rotate and zoom into a solar system built from real space-mission and telescope data.

HOW IT WORKS
Pick a world on the solar system map, where the Moon circles the Earth, to see key facts such as diameter, distance and orbital period, plus a quick science fact. Start an observation to spin it with one finger and zoom with two; sharper surface detail loads as you get closer.

TONIGHT’S SKY
Tap "Tonight’s sky" on the map to see the real sky above you: 8,875 stars, the 88 constellations with lines and 85 illustrated figures, the Milky Way, the planets and the Moon. Turn Lines, Art and Names on or off, pick a Dark, Suburb or City sky, let time flow, or jump to the previous or next night. Tap a star, constellation, planet or the Moon to see where it is now and when it rises and sets; tap the Moon to see that night’s phase in 3D. Your approximate location is used only on your phone; without it, the sky is shown for your time zone’s city.

NIGHT SKY CARD
Keep a night you love, like a birthday or the day you met: choose the date and time, add a line, and share the sky as an image with constellation, planet and Moon names, the place and the Moon’s phase.

LEARN AS YOU LOOK
Every observation includes a science Q&A. Tap questions like "Why is Mars red?" or "Does Jupiter have a surface?" to read the answer right away, then follow the tips to see it for yourself on screen. Questions you have read are saved on your device, and the map card shows your progress.

WORLDS TO OBSERVE
• Sun: chromosphere and photosphere views made from solar-observatory extreme-ultraviolet data
• Mercury: MESSENGER mosaic with lighting from measured elevation, in "Terrain light" and "Crater atlas" views
• Venus: Mariner 10 cloud patterns in "Clouds" and "UV composite", plus a "Radar map" of the surface beneath the clouds
• Earth: day and night, clouds and city lights drawn in separate layers
• Moon: NASA LRO colour map and LOLA elevation, with "Real phase", "Terrain light" and "Lunar atlas" views
• Mars: Viking mosaic and elevation data, plus real 360° panoramas from the Curiosity and Perseverance landing sites
• Jupiter: bands and the Great Red Spot from a Hubble telescope map, and an educational descent below the cloud tops
• Saturn: Hubble-observed atmosphere and ring structure, and an educational descent into its clouds
• Uranus: the blue giant tilted on its side with its ten main rings, plus a "Ring contrast" view
Neptune appears on the map with its key facts.

RELAX AND WATCH
• Viewing mode hides the controls and can end on a timer
• Original CosmoNest space ambience (starts muted)
• Available in English, Korean, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Spanish

HOW ACCESS WORKS
The Sun and Tonight’s sky are free. Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus each unlock permanently with a one-time purchase, or all at once with the All-worlds pass. On a world’s purchase screen you can also choose to watch a rewarded ad to try it for 60 minutes. Ads play only when you choose them; the Sun, the map and Tonight’s sky show no ads. Purchases can be restored with the same store account.

GREAT FOR
Students and parents curious about astronomy and space science, stargazers who want to find constellations tonight, and anyone who wants a calm view of space before sleep.

DATA AND NOTICES
Imagery and data come from public sources such as NASA, USGS, the Hubble Space Telescope OPAL program and the Hipparcos star catalogue; see Data & Credits and Sources in the app. Some scenes are educational visualizations, not live footage or a scientific measurement tool. CosmoNest is not an official app of NASA or any mission partner.

Start your trip through the solar system and the night sky at your fingertips.

Recent changes:
• The solar system map now feels like floating in space: a lower view, a slow weightless drift and a blinding Sun.
• Pick a world and fly there; a finder locks on before the observation opens. Coming back, you pull away from that world into the map.
• The Moon now orbits the Earth on the map, ready to observe right from there.