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Monday December 4, 2006
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 Ever looked up at the sky and wondered what exactly you were looking at? I know, despite what I learned in school about the Big Dipper and such, that I could never actually "see" the Big Dipper, just a bunch of stars. With the SkyScout GPS device from Celestron, you simply point it at the sky, click the "target" button, and it will tell you what you're looking at.
How cool is that? The device has an SD slot for access to audio and text versions of history, trivia and mythology about the most popular celestial bodies. The SkyScout also has a USB port for updating the device with new discoveries and information.
One cool feature for aspiring astronomers is "Tonight's Highlights." Based on your location, and the exact date and time, the SkyScout will produce a customized list of the 20 best objects to view. There's also a built-in field guide with loads of information and a glossary of terms.
Pick it up for about $399 from a variety of retailers, including Amazon.
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December 4, 2006 3:25 PM
I absolutely LOVE this thing. I only wish I had one, it's definitely a bit pricey, but coming from someone who studied astronomy way too long, this is the kind of tool I could only have dreamt of during those long long cold nights at the observatory with the roof wide open, panning back and forth across the sky to get a decent shot.
It would have been wonderful to be able to point at the sky and immediately identify what I'm looking at, or better yet, the other great thing about the SkyScout, tell it what I want to see, point it at the sky, and have it guide me towards what I want to see!
I keep thinking some of my old Astro professors need a bunch of these for their classes. :)