# Star Hoppers

> Interactive astronomy app with Chinese and Western star charts and AR. (iPhone/iPad app by HKSPM.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-hoppers/id865064592 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [HKSPM](https://appshunter.io/developer/865064595)
- Category: Education, Navigation
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.50/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 101 MB
- Languages: American English, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
- Released: 2014-09-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-hoppers/id865064592/reviews.md

## What is Star Hoppers?

Star Hoppers won the “Smart Mobility (Smart Tourism) Certificate of Merit” in the “Hong Kong ICT Awards 2019”. 

Star Hoppers integrates the Chinese and Western star charts with information of astronomical events and related activities while telling the stories of constellations to you with its audio recordings.

With its digital star chart, you will find that people from the ancient Chinese and Western cultures created different constellation and asterism system due to their different associations with the stars. The star chart has three different operation modes: the Virtual Reality (VR) mode simulates the star field according to the location and orientation data obtained from the device to help you identify celestial objects and constellations; the Augmented Reality (AR) mode marks the celestial objects, constellations and asterisms on your camera image in real-time by employing the augmented reality technology; the Manual (M) mode allows you to navigate the star chart at will. Tapping on any constellations, planets, the Sun, Moon or Three Enclosures and Twenty-eight Mansions, you can listen to the recorded stories of the constellations or celestial objects.

Star Hoppers also introduces the basics of stargazing to promote the proper manner of stargazing as well as to help the novice to identify the constellations.

You may also select the Calendar function to receive the latest information of various astronomical events and activities provided by the Hong Kong Space Museum. You may use the Share function with third party apps to invite your friends to join the activities and share the fun of stargazing with you!

Features of the app:
* Help users to learn and identify celestial objects and constellations with the realtime generated digital star chart at any locations in the world.
* Display unique ancient Chinese star chart with the complete ancient Chinese asterism system including the Three Enclosures, twenty-eight lunar mansions and more.
* Playback more than 200 bilingual audio recordings of basic information of celestial objects and asterisms in the Western and ancient Chinese cultures.
* Employ augmented reality technology to label celestial objects and constellations on your screen instantaneously when you point the camera of your mobile device to the sky.
* Provide the latest news on the coming Hong Kong Space Museum events such as astronomical films, lectures, stargazing activities etc.
* Share astronomical events and activities information to your friends easily and invite them to join with you.

## Key features

- Interactive digital star chart
- Ancient Chinese and Western star charts
- Augmented Reality (AR) mode
- Bilingual audio recordings of constellation stories
- Astronomical event calendar
- Stargazing basics

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/star-hoppers/id865064592/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Useful Chinese Constellation Chart

*2017-05-26*

Able to toggle between Chinese and English as well as Chinese Constellations and Western Constellations. However the lack of features like a search function makes it not competitive with other better star guide apps.

### 5/5 — Best free sky map

*2015-10-02*

You can use the cam to match the sky with your map

## Frequently asked questions about Star Hoppers

### What is Star Hoppers?

Star Hoppers is an educational app that integrates Chinese and Western star charts with astronomical event information and constellation stories. It uses audio recordings and interactive modes to help users learn about the night sky.

### How does Star Hoppers use Augmented Reality (AR)?

The AR mode in Star Hoppers labels celestial objects and constellations on your device's camera image in real-time. This allows you to point your phone at the sky and instantly identify what you are seeing.

### Can I learn about ancient Chinese astronomy with Star Hoppers?

Yes, Star Hoppers displays a unique ancient Chinese star chart featuring the complete ancient Chinese asterism system, including the Three Enclosures and twenty-eight lunar mansions. You can also listen to bilingual audio recordings of these asterisms.

### What kind of astronomical events does Star Hoppers provide information on?

The Calendar function in Star Hoppers provides the latest information on various astronomical events and activities, often sourced from institutions like the Hong Kong Space Museum. This includes details on astronomical films, lectures, and stargazing activities.

### Does Star Hoppers have ads?

No, Star Hoppers does not contain advertisements. It is a free application that offers its features without interruption from ads.

### What devices is Star Hoppers available on?

Star Hoppers is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. It is designed to be compatible with Apple's mobile operating systems.

### How often is Star Hoppers updated?

The latest version of Star Hoppers is 2.7, and it was last updated on July 7, 2023. This indicates a relatively consistent update schedule from the developer.

### What is the user sentiment for Star Hoppers?

Star Hoppers has a high rating of 4.5 stars from 4 ratings, suggesting positive user sentiment. Users appreciate its educational content and interactive features.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.8 — 2026-08-04

1.Fixed an issue with calendar display errors.
2.Fixed crash issues under certain circumstances.

### 2.7 — 2023-07-07

- Fixed the voice-over part of the accessibility feature.
- Improved some user interface.

### 2.2 — 2021-05-28

- Bug fixes

### 2.1 — 2021-04-22

- Accessibility features added
- User experience improved
- Bugs fixed
- Terms & Conditions updated

### 2.0 — 2019-04-24

Change of sky colour effect
Manual input of geographic coordinates
Bug fixes

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-09.*