Projector of night sky: could anyone recommend one?

Rosanella · Post by **Rosanella** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:30 am

I'm looking for a projector that will show the night sky inside a darkened room.
Could anyone recommend one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and is quite reliable?

Thank you

nealeh · Post by **nealeh** » Wed May 20, 2009 4:49 pm

Rosanella wrote:I'm looking for a projector that will show the night sky inside a darkened room.
Could anyone recommend one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and is quite reliable?

The people that run Lincolnshire's mobile planetarium may be able to advise. I attended their IYA 2009 event and was quite impressed.

Rosanella · Post by **Rosanella** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:32 pm

nealeh wrote: The people that run Lincolnshire's mobile planetarium may be able to advise. I attended their IYA 2009 event and was quite impressed.

Thank you for the link, Nealeh, but I think they use a large planetarium that can hold quite a few people and it could cost £1000s (£10,000+).
I had thought of something smaller that I could use in a classroom.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:55 pm

How about a celestial globe with a light inside it?

nealeh · Post by **nealeh** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:20 pm

User reviews of this one (£21.49) are favourable:

National Geographic Planetarium

Or, Google Shopping

goodtime · Post by **goodtime** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:03 am

Hi Rosanella,

Back when I was a lad I remember getting a planetarium for Christmas. Obviously it was a toy but on fond reflection it was pretty good, consisting of a black plastic globe with holes punched in it for the stars and a light bulb in the center. In a darkened room the stars were projected on the ceiling and walls. I seem to remember it being better in a small room for obvious reasons, so a classroom may be too big. I believe it was called something like "Spitzer Junior". Keep a look out on eBay, I have seen similar items...

Best of luck...

chuenmanc · Post by **chuenmanc** » Fri May 22, 2009 10:43 am

I bought one that projected a shadow of stars and constellation lines - basically the sky in reverse. I wasn't very impressed. I'd imagine that one that projects stars as light would be better, like what goodtime describes.

LeoLion · Post by **LeoLion** » Fri May 22, 2009 12:06 pm

Hi Rosanella , Try both Google and Ebay in your search for Planetarium projectors .Many an orrery is in there listed as planetaria . I have the National Geographic device(via my local Argos for under £20 ) . I have just checked Ebay out and turned up the following:- There is what looks to be Sega unit at a Buy it now price of £150 from a UK seller . This link http://www.squidoo.com/sega_homestar_pro_planetarium shows you what that is like. By the way there is a nice little sterling silver 'telescope in a dome' charm for a charm bracelet on there on the 'planetarium' search . A nice addition to any lady astronomers charm bracelet ( wonder if it would charm the clouds away )?

On the DIY front one of the Japanese astronomy magazines ran a card 'cut out , pinhole and glue kit' as a flat sheet . This can , on occasions , turn up on Ebay as a 'flat pack' .
If you have access to the Journal of the BAA then there was a paper by G Y Haig ( Journal British Astron. Assoc., Vol. 84, p. 432 - 438 ) on making your own ( for under a tenner ! ) . This used holes in a copper ball cock to project the sky on to a paper dome. Worth a look.
Hope this is helpful and good look with your search.

Rosanella · Post by **Rosanella** » Fri May 22, 2009 4:52 pm

goodtime wrote:Hi Rosanella,

Back when I was a lad I remember getting a planetarium for Christmas. Obviously it was a toy but on fond reflection it was pretty good, consisting of a black plastic globe with holes punched in it for the stars and a light bulb in the center. In a darkened room the stars were projected on the ceiling and walls. I seem to remember it being better in a small room for obvious reasons, so a classroom may be too big. I believe it was called something like "Spitzer Junior". Keep a look out on eBay, I have seen similar items...

Best of luck...

I bought something like that at the Science Museum and I'm not impressed by it. After spending a couple of hours, my daughter and I, punching holes through the cardboard we still cannot distinguish constellations. I'm going to get the money back for this one

I'll try the National Geographic but the Sega Homestar seems the one to go for. As for the the ''telescope in a dome' charm for a charm bracelet ' I cannot see it but, in any case, I'm very fussy when it comes to jewellery and I'm not fond of bracelet, because they get in the way when I play the guitar. Thank you for the thought

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