Just in time for the holidays, an annotated overview of 98 astronomy applications for smart phones and tablets has been published in the on-line journal “Astronomy Education Review.”  Compiled by Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College), the list features a brief description and a direct URL for each app.

You can access the article free of charge at:
http://aer.aas.org/resource/1/aerscz/v10/i1/p010302_s1

The listing includes a variety of apps for displaying and explaining the sky above you (some using the GPS function in your device); a series of astronomical clocks, calculators, and calendars; sky catalogs and observing planners; planet atlases and globes; citizens science tools and image displays; 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.

Astronomy Education Review is on-line journal about astronomy education and outreach — published by the American Astronomical Society — which celebrated its 10th anniversary this fall.  You can find it at http://aer.aas.org