Now anyone can quickly identify thousands of celestial objects in the night sky! The Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium is a camcorder-size digital planetarium that uses GPS to locate and identify over 6,000 stars, planets, constellations, and deep-sky objects.

It's easy to use; you just turn it on and you're ready for adventure. You sight through the SkyScout, aiming at any visible object in the sky, then press the "Target" button. Voila! — the name and a fascinating description of the target object are displayed instantly on the illuminated, 3"-wide LCD screen! You can also listen to an audio narrative describing the history, mythology, and other entertaining facts about more than 200 of the most popular objects, using the included earbud headphones.

The "Locate" feature allows you to select an object to view — Mars, for example — and then find it in seconds with the help of the Celestron SkyScout's pinpoint GPS system. Illuminated arrows in the viewfinder direct you right to the object, then the arrows flash when it's centered in the field of view. Another excellent feature, called "Tonight's Highlights," directs you to the 20 best objects to view from your specific location on that night.

The Celestron SkyScout's extensive database contains 6,000 stars, all 88 constellations, 200 galaxies, 100 nebulas, 40 star clusters, 20 comets, 10 asteroids, and extra space for custom user objects. The USB SkyLink interface allows you to download new firmware upgrades from your computer to the SkyScout as well as updates to the object database as they become available, keeping you up to date with the latest astronomical discoveries. The device has an SD card slot that accepts SkyTour cards (sold separately), which feature audio presentations on a variety of topics.

The Celestron SkyScout weighs less than 16 oz. and is wonderfully portable. Its rugged design makes it ideal for taking on camping trips or in carry-on luggage. It requires two 1.5-volt AA batteries (not included), which provide about 10 hours of continuous operation. Dimensions: 7.4" L x 4.0" H x 2.5" W.

Included with the Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium are a USB cable, a pair of earbud headphones, a hand strap, and a carrying case. Two-year limited warranty.

SkyScout Features

• Identifies celestial objects instantly with the click of a button Locates over 6,000 stars, planets, constellations, and deep-sky objects from built-in celestial database and provides scientific information for each object
• Provides comprehensive text and audio descriptions relating history, mythology, and other entertaining information for the most popular objects
• Tonight's Highlights: A customized list of the 20 best objects to view for your exact date, time, and location anywhere in the world
• Constellation Lessons: if the star you identify or locate is part of a constellation like the Big Dipper, you can actually take a guided tour through all the stars in that constellation and even see an onscreen map of the constellation

Built-in Field Guide Includes

• Introduction to Astronomy: a six-part audio lesson on the origin and history of astronomy
• Glossary of Terms: text defining popular astronomy terms including planets, comets, galaxies and more
• Great Astronomers: text bios on some of the world's greatest astronomers including Galileo, Einstein, and Copernicus
• Man-Made Space Objects: text description of some of the coolest objects man has sent into space including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Space Shuttle
• Comet Guide: text descriptions about history's most famous comets, including Halley's Comet and Comet Hale-Bop SD card slot: for optional Sky Tour audio presentations that provide hours of entertainment on a variety of topics
• USB port: allows database to be updated with new objects as they are discovered, comets, etc.
• Simple enough for all ages: just turn it on and it's ready to use.
• Built-in Help Menu: includes a quick start instruction guide for using the SkyScout
• Bring it anywhere: compact and light design makes it easy to carry and durable construction makes it safe for rugged environments.
• 2-year limited warranty