equipment review

No telescope? No problem. Just pull out this handheld device, and youll be identifying stars in no time. BY glenn chaple

Celestrons SkyScout

its SkyScout Personal Planetarium at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The instrument was a hit with judges, winning an innovation award. This portable, camcorder-sized device wowed show-goers with its ability
to locate and identify thousands of nightsky objects. Will the SkyScout join the ranks of milestone advances in backyard astronomy, like the go-to drive and CCD camera? I was eager to find out. Priced at $399, the SkyScout is a singlepower, battery-operated sighting device with embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) and magnetic-field sensors. The instrument allows users to locate and identify more than 6,000 objects. Celestron programmed the Moon and planets, all 88 constellations, thousands of stars (including hundreds of double and variable stars), and more than 100 deep-sky objects into the SkyScouts database. Graphic information appears on a 3" by 1" liquid-crystal display (LCD) backlit by an adjustable red light-emitting diode (LED). The device also has a stereo jack and earplugs to provide audio descriptions for more than 200 of the most popular objects. The audio mode also offers a builtin guide that contains a six-part astronomy lesson, a glossary of astronomical terms, biographies of celebrated astronomers, and more. The SkyScout is truly a planetarium at your fingertips. Setup is simple: Press the power button and wait a minute as the SkyScout gets its GPS bearings. When you see the Select prompt on the display, youre ready for your night-sky adventure. To identify an object,
Glenn Chaple is a contributing editor of Astronomy. Read his Observing basics column on page 16.
In January 2006, Celestron unveiled
s p e c i f i c at i o n s
Dimensions: 2.5" by 4" by 7.4" (64mm by 102mm by 188mm) Weight: 15.2 ounces (431 grams) without batteries Display: Liquid crystal with LED backlighting; 3" by 1" (240x80 pixels) Inputs and outputs: SD card slot, USB computer connection, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack Power: Two 1.5-volt AA batteries Database: 6,000 stars, 1,500 double and variable stars, all 88 constellations, more than 100 deep-sky objects, and more than 200 audio descriptions of popular objects Price: $399
center it in a pair of concentric circles in the viewfinder, then press the Target button. The objects identity, along with pertinent facts, appears on the display. The Locate mode is just as easy. After choosing a target, peer into the viewfinder and move the SkyScout in the direction of the blinking red arrow. As you get closer, the arrow blinks faster. Run astray, and another arrow brings you back on course. A ring of flashing arrows announces when you have centered your target. As with Target, the LCD provides informative facts about your selection. Here in the northeastern United States, cold winter nights can wreak havoc on sensitive electronics. Because I tested the SkyScout in August, I simulated winter conditions by placing it (safely contained in an airtight bag) in the refrigerator for an hour before taking it outside. The chilled device worked without a hitch. The SkyScout isnt just for nighttime use. On a sunlit morning in early September, I used it to locate Sirius, Rigel, and Betelgeuse. I even used it with a 6th-grade science class during an outdoor exercise to locate north. Sure, a simple compass would have sufficed, but the SkyScout mesmerized students as they watched it direct me to the North Star, Polaris. The SkyScout even will pinpoint objects below the horizon. I programmed in the Moon on a day when it was Full. The circle of arrows began flashing when I aimed at the ground near my shadow opposite the Sun, where the Full Moon should be.
During the time I tested the SkyScout, the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto from the ranks of planets. Could this and other discoveries in the fastpaced discipline of astronomy make the SkyScout obsolete? Not at all! The instrument has a USB port and cable that attaches to a Windows-based computer. Celestrons web site (www.celestron.com) announces SkyScout updates. One recent adjustment changed Plutos status. Other updates already have corrected small errors in the SkyScouts database. Is the device user-friendly? After only an hour of reading directions and trial-anderror practice, I was proficient with it. A non-astronomer friend I invited to try the instrument also was cruising the heavens within an hour. The SkyScout was on the money when it came to locating and identifying bright stars and constellations, and it was flawless at picking up cosmic wanderers like the Moon and planets.
CELESTRONS SKYSCOUT is a handheld, portable viewing device that turns the night sky into a personal planetarium. The SkyScouts point-and-click technology enables stargazers to identify more than 6,000 objects placed in the viewfinder or locate objects.

CELESTRON; star chart: Astronomy: Richard talcott and Roen Kelly
Because the SkyScouts accuracy is limited to roughly 3, it may not correctly identify stars in tightly packed constellations like Cassiopeia. On one night, the SkyScout had problems differentiating between Alpha, Gamma, and Delta Cas. If you use the SkyScout a lot, like I did, invest in rechargeable batteries. Its powered by two AA batteries, and an icon in the displays lower-left corner indicates their status. Full to Empty happens after about 4 hours use. Practice changing batteries in the daytime because I found the batterycompartment cover difficult to remove.
At times, a warning on the display said the device was receiving magnetic interference. This happens if a large metallic object or power line lies nearby. However, several warnings occurred in open areas. At first, I rebooted the SkyScout, but this takes time because it has to relocate the GPS satellites. Eventually, I discovered I could bypass the warning with no ill effects. Celestron designed the SkyScout with the novice in mind, but would it have applications for an experienced amateur astronomer? Absolutely especially if he or she is conducting a public star party. Just as the
green laser has added a new dimension to star parties by allowing the presenter to point out sky objects to a large group, the SkyScout adds pizzazz to a gathering by providing useful information in an entertaining manner. Despite my aversion to electronic gadgetry, Celestrons SkyScout won me over. Its fun to use (and especially fun to let others use) and accurate enough to help beginners find the planets, major stars, and constellations for themselves. And experienced skygazers arent left out because the SkyScout makes a great teaching tool.

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82 astronomy

february 07