Overall I am pleased with this product.I work for a science center with a real planetarium and wanted an inexpensive, easy to use unit to do outreach programs for small groups.I think this is the best of what is available in the "toy" planetariums.It is accurate enough and the constellations are easy to identify.I use a colored laser pointer to help sort and identify stars for my audience.This is a good suggestion for anyone who buys this product to share with their child.My biggest disappointment is that is requires a pretty dark room to show up well.Otherwise, I would recommend it for any budding astronomers, young or old.
A few days ago I had the audacity to write a review before I ordered this planetarium, because my reading of the reviews of this and one other toy planetarium suggested that two "disappointed" dads were confused. I said I would write another review once the planetarium arrived.
Well, I just received the planetarium, and I now count myself among the disappointed.
So, I'm writing this review to correct the earlier one, written when I had only ordered the Space Theatre, but before it had arrived. Due to rules governing this site, I could not post this corrected review til I removed the first.
The "sky" offered is a very narrow part of the sky, maybe 20 degrees of arc, just what might be seen straight above, with no peripheral view. There is no attempt to reproduce stars closer to the horizon or even those as you gaze upwards 45 degrees.
And the "stars" as projected on my ceiling, just eight feet (2.44 meters) above the floor, and about 2 meters (6 or 7 ft) above the table on which the planetarium sat, are each much too big, not pinpoint stars at all. Each star is about a centimeter or two in diameter, as if every star in the upper sky were suddenly enlarged, blown up, with not enough dark sky between them. Instead of a dark night sky, with little starlights, we have instead a polka dot sky, with hundreds of flat circles of light, like so many large buttons thrown onto the ceiling.
Only when the planetarium was held up high, only a foot from the ceiling, did the stars have an appropriate small size, bright intenstity and tight resolution. But then of course, with the light source and theater so close to the ceiling, the reproduced "sky" was only about a meter across.
I did not open the CD or any of the other materials, because it is clear that I will need to return this.
It is strange, the planetarium that I had as a child, nearly fifty years ago, when plastic toys were all brand new, was a full nearly 360 degree black sphere, with very tiny poinpoint holes, which projected stars throughout the entire room, ceiling and four walls, no doubt distorted a bit by the walls, but not limited as this one, to just such a tiny midportion of the night sky. We could see the morning sky, the evening sky, and how the sky might look from other distant parts of the world, in different times and seasons. None of that is possible with this tiny section of sky.
I apologize for questioning our "disappointed dads".
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This was my third try at trying to find a star projector for my son's room...The first was the "Star Theater II"(horrible!). Then I tried the "Create a night sky projection kit"(too much work punching non-perforated holes to make the stars and constructing the paper dome and base with double sided tape, that by the way was a complete mess, to only get the thing taped together for the very cheaply made lamp not to work!).By the time I purchased this one, my expectations were not very high.When I put the batteries in the Space Theater, the connection was bad at the battery contacts...the light would not stay on unless you pressed the batteries.I took it back to the hobby store and they adjusted the contact.When I finally got the it in my son's room, I wasn't blown away...just satisfied that his ceiling finally looked like it had stars on it. Actually, when you first turn it on, it looks like white circles, but after 5 minutes, dim the light on the projector and it actually doesn't look too bad (the handbook has a section on using the dimmer switch).
Overall, I'm satisfied with my purchase.
I ordered this item with the hopes of creating a fun bedtime environment for my 2-year-old, thinking that the display of stars on her bedroom ceiling would be spectacular.Instead, I was disappointed that this toy achieved nothing more than I could have produced with black construction paper, a hole puncher, and a flashlight.
The base does not rotate, so the "stars" (which are merely small circles of light) only cover a small portion of the surface onto which they are projected.Overall, I was disappointed that this toy did not meet the expectations which motivated its purchase.Maybe it would be more purposeful in another situation for example, a school project to simply learn more about constellations and how to identify them.
Even though I was disappointed with my purchase, I would not necessarily say that the item does not meet its item description it just simply does not produce a spectacular "planetarium-like" display and is not worth the price of $29.99.
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My 2 yo daughter LOVES stars, and her first visit to a planetarium was mesmerizing for her.We wanted to create a night sky effect on her ceiling for bedtime enjoyment, and thought this would be easier than putting up hundreds of glow stickers.This toy is dimly lit, covers only a tiny area, and must be placed very close to the ceiling to have any effect.You are much better off getting lots of the plastic glow stars or star stickers.... such stickers work even better if you buy a UV flashlight to shine on them.Don't waste your money on this lame toy.
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