Celestron Sky Scout Personal Planetarium
Credit for this entry has to go to the indefatigable Gadgetizer, [Paul Short], who brought my attention to the Scobleizer's report on the Sky Scout. This deivce I have to admit will have to be viewed to be believed. It will be available sometime in April for $400 from amazon. 'Recipient of a 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show "Best of Innovations" award, the Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium is a handheld digital planetarium that automatically identifies and locates thousands of stars, planets, constellations and more. About the size of a camcorder, this innovative "point and shoot" device can quickly transform the night sky into your own personal planetarium.'
Description:
SkyScout utilizes patented technology that combines measurements of both the magnetic and gravitational fields of the Earth, along with data from an internal GPS and a substantial celestial database. A "locate" feature allows you to select any object you wish to view--Mars, for instance--and with the help of illuminated arrows in the viewfinder, the SkyScout will actually point to the object. And when you point to an object and click the "Target" button, SkyScout instantly displays the name of the object along with a treasure trove of fascinating scientific and historical information about the object. Another feature includes SkyScout's unique "Tonight's Must-See List." When the SkyScout is turned on, it will tell you the 10 coolest things to look at in the sky and will even use it's internal GPS to tell you where each object is located. But that's not all. Once you identify or locate an object, you can add an optional SkyTour SD card (sold separately), plug the included earbuds into SkyScout, and listen to an interactive audio presentation that describes the history and mythology of what you're observing.
At less than 16 ounces in weight, SkyScout is portable enough to take anywhere. Its durable construction makes it safe to take along with you on rugged backpacking adventures. Best of all, its easy-to-use interface makes it ideal of family members of all ages. Just turn it on, and you're ready to go. Once you're connected, you'll have instant access to the SkyScout database of over 6000 stars, all 88 constellations, 200 galaxies, 100 nebula, 40 star clusters, 20 comets, 10 asteroids and much more. You won't find a more convenient astronomical learning tool anywhere.
A USB connection allows you to connect to your PC and quickly download new firmware and updates to the database, keeping you up to date with the latest astronomical discoveries.The unit's three-inch wide red backlit LCD display makes the information easy to read under any conditions. The SkyScout operates on two 1.5-volt AA batteries (not included) and has an operating time of 10 continuous hours.
Sources: Gadgetizer: Scobleizer: Celestron: Amazon