Customer Reviews: Read 79 more reviews...
  Good for eduation; better with improvements September 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
We are new to astronomy and have used this for over a month. To date,we are pretty much satisfied with this product. The upgrade went smoothly and battery use not bad (though we are using rechargeable). My only dislikes are:
1. Screen is difficult to read (for older, over 40 eyes that is; younger folks might not have issue). It could be the color and I wish there were a way to change it.
2. You need to use a headphone or external speaker. Minor nit, but when you have a group of younger folks enjoying this product, it is nice to point and all listen at the same time so that everyone can find a unique object.
3. Sighting is a little awkward and many choices sometimes come up (big circle and shaky hands, though a tripod might help the latter), so you need a little more background information to correctly identify what you saw.
Other than that, we have been quite pleased.
 Celestron SkyScout August 31, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Product appears to work as intended; however, the display of black letters in a red field makes it impossible for me to read. My corrected vision is otherwise very adequate, but the faint letters are undecipherable to me.
Great star-finding tool! August 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is really a must for amateur sky watchers. The Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium is extremely easy to use and enables you in an instant to locate and identify any celestial object that is visible to the human eye, be it constellations, stars, nebulas, star clusters, planets or our moon, even if the object you want to locate is not visible above the horizon. So, if you would like to locate the moon (or any other celestial object) even if it should happen to be below the horizon, you just push the locate-button, then find the name of the object in the digital database of the SkyScout, highlight the name and push "Select". In an instant the bright red directional arrow (one of 12 pointers) inside the SkyScout`s window is lighted up blinking, and the closer you get to target, the faster the pointer(s) oscillate, and when the object is centered in the view finder, all 12 directional arrows encircling the window are lit indicating exactly where the object is located in the sky.
If you wonder what star or object you are looking at through the SkyScout`s window, you just push the target-button, and in an instant the SkyScout lists the name of the object or other neighbouring objects on the digital screen on its side, with accompanying scientific data and other popular information about the object(s). If you find it more convenient to listen to a pre-recorded audio text about the object than to read on the digital display, you just plug the ear phones which are included.
The SkyScout Personal Planetarium cannot be operated from inside a house, from outside near large bodies of metal (e.g. a car) or when it is cloudy, because the SkyScout uses GPS signals from 8 to 10 satellites to locate a star, and needs therefore free airial access to the satellites.
One little drawback is that the SkyScout`s nightvision LED screen on its side and the pointers inside the view finder provide a little too much light inside the view finder, so when it is real dark outside and you`re trying to focus on an object you want to identify, it can be a little difficult to target the object due to the red light inside the SkyScout.
The SkyScout can be connected to the Internet through a USB-cable for updates, and can easily be fastened to a tripod.
So all in all this is a great accompanying field tool for the amateur astronomer in that it provides a much easier access to information about any star`s location in the sky and essensial scientific data about targeted celestial objects than any sky chart or astronomy book.
Fun for the whole family August 18, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
We purchased this for my parents in their 70s but everyone enjoyed it, even our 9 year old son. It is a wonderful way to learn more about the night sky.
 Skyscout August 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It is GREAT! Have used it several times a week, off and on over several hours a night, since I got it a couple of weeks ago - batteries still good in it. Use it to help me align my telescope or know what I am looking at. Definately helping me learn my stars!
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