If you can’t tell Ursa Major from Lee Majors, then maybe the Celestron SkyScout is for you. This helpful, handheld device makes identifying stars, constellations and planets a breeze.
According to the SkyScout’s literature, identifying the great beyond is as easy as pointing at the sky and clicking. The SkyScout does the rest, including providing you with an audio account (along with a written description on its display screen) of the planet or star you’ve targeted. Celestron claims the SkyScout is easy for any age to use, just turn it on and go.
The unit compiles time and date information, along with your location, via its built-in GPS functionality, and provides you with a list of the 20 best objects to view for that time & place. It even comes with a USB port so you can update the database with newly discovered objects.
The SkyScout includes more than 200 audio descriptions and its database catalogs 6,000 stars, all 88 constellations and more than 100 deep space objects like galaxies and star clusters. It even has a built-in Field Guide that includes an introduction to astronomy, a glossary of terms, bios of famous astronomers, all about man-made objects in space and a comet guide.
The SkyScout has been out for about a year and has been getting great reviews. I wish I had one so I could provide you with some hands-on information, but with a $400 price tag, I guess I’ll be sticking to a sky map and some binoculars for the time being.
