The Netbook Review

The Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium, the so called “personal planetarium” made its debut just about a year ago with glamour entrance. Is this cool handheld device really something that will educate, thrill and entertain or is it just an overpriced toy? What creates it so different from others for sky research lover?

Have you ever attempted to show your child just how knowledgeable you are when it comes to the constellations? Ever stood in the backyard in the dark with your star charts and flashlight in hand making every attempt to accurately identify stars, planets and galaxies but failed? Maybe there will be too much moonlight or light from the neighborhood. As you may not be able to make out those tiny dots on that piece of paper standing there in the dark. Believe me, I’ve been there. Whether you are someone who loves to enjoy a good night with stars, or are someone who prides themselves on their knowledge of astronomy, you might want to read on.

One reason I considered using the SkyScout was the fact that I would no longer need complex paper charts for stargazing. With this skyscout you will be able to recognize what you are looking at. Basically, this simple tool should tell you what you’re looking at as you point it into the night sky (works in daylight too) and it purposedly also guides you to any other objects that you want to see. It generates electronic display to accomplish this. It also has audio output and you can listen to detailed information on 200 different types of heavenly bodies, though it can identify more than 6000 planets, constellations and stars.
I liked the various menu functions. They look to be simply clear and easy to understand and navigate.

The Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium also comes with USB (serial bus) port so that you can hook it up to your computer for updates such as a shuttle flyover. It doesn’t work for Mac users, It only works on PCs.
The Skyscout knows exactly where it is in relation to the rest of the cosmos. using a GPS (global positioning satellite) receiver It defines your exact position now. An electronic compass tells it what direction it’s pointing. You can also use special software to help you to find out the position of the heavenly objects at that moment.

One of the most interesting feature is the Sky Tour Audio Presentation to give you best objects tour. It enable you to view for your particular time and location. I think it was a nice touch, very clever and entertaining.

The SkyScout from Celestron is taken as a Personal Planetarium. I think this explains it quite accurately. This skyscout can easily be operated even a child, though you will wish he or she will be in bed at night so you can have it all to yourself.

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Celestron Skyscout Personal Planetarium is a handheld device which is capable of pinpointing various sky objects and providing education on the universe. Now with this state-of-the-art device, you do not need to be an astronaut or to spend time in a planetarium in order to understand the universe. All you need to do is take your Celestron Planetarium outside, turn it on and point it to the sky, and you can have the whole outer space revealed to you.

The Celestron Skyscout Planetarium is built with advanced GPS technology. Together with pre-installed positioning software and built-in directional and gravity sensors, this GPS feature is capable of identifying and locating more than 6000 stars, 1500 double and variable stars, all 88 constellations and more than 100 deep space objects. Once you are outside, you only need to point the device to an object in the sky and press a button, and all the technology inside it will go to work, and in an instant it will tell you what sky object you are pointing to. Furthermore, the Celestron Skyscout is able to lead you to a star or a planet of your choice. Simply select an object’s name from the menu and follow the arrows shown in the viewfinder. When you are already aligned with the object, the unit will tell you.

Furthermore, the Celestron Personal Planetarium is also equipped with a database of information related to the outer space. There are facts, trivia, mythology and history about the popular celestial objects. Also included is an audio lesson series on the origin and history of astronomy. Popular astronomy terms are defined and explained in a glossary of terms. The device also display biography on famous astronomers such as Galileo, Copernicus and Einstein. The device also tells about many space objects that man has sent into space and many famous comets. Some of the information is available in text and displayed through the very readable LCD display, som of them is presented audibly through a headphone.

So now, whenever you wonder about the great outer space, don’t let your mind wonder of aimlessly. Simply take out your Celestron Skyscout Personal Planetarium, and you can start exploring the universe without leaving the earth.

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