This particular projector is aimed at children, and the stars it projects aren't scientific like you'd find on the more 'adult' Sega Homestar Flux. But it still features a slide projector and three easy-to-handle discs containing 24 color images taken by the Hubble Telescope. Each disc has a different theme; Nebulas, Spacecraft & Astronauts and Planets & the Moon. Star projectors vary in shapes, features and sizes, catering to different needs. Some models, like those designed as night lights for children, focus on creating a soothing atmosphere rather than realistic star patterns. Meanwhile, there are highly accurate star projectors that aim to provide a scientific representation of the night sky, offering an experience that will feel like being inside a planetarium. Controlling it is simple, using three buttons — power, rotation and sleep timer — and it is powered by a battery which you can charge with a USB-C cable. You're not tied to a power source like with the Homestar Flux, and you don't have to keep changing the batteries as you do with the National Geographic model—again — another happy medium.

The image can be rotated in its stand and has 360-degree mobility with built-in motors. It performs best when projected from a distance of around two meters. The lens, made by Bresser, features a focusing wheel for simple image adjustment. Like many star projectors, it offers automatic shutdown options after 30, 60 or 120 minutes, making it great for kids who want to fall asleep under a starry sky in their bedroom. Additionally, it includes a 'shooting star' mode, projecting a 'meteor' every 40 seconds. The spherical design means you have near 360-degree angling, and it comes with a 1.5 m cable, giving maximum positioning flexibility. This gives it a slight edge over the Encalife Atmosphere Smart Galaxy Smart Projector, which has similar specs but can only be used in four fixed positions.That corresponds to six by two full moon diameters! In a dark sky, M31 can be seen with your unaided eyes as a sizeable faint smudge located 1.4 fist diameters to the lower left (or 14 degrees to the celestial northeast) of Alpheratz, the star that occupies the lower left (northeastern) corner of the Great Square of Pegasus. The three higher (westernmost) stars of Cassiopeia, named Caph, Shedar, and Gamma Cas, also conveniently form an arrow that points toward M31. Encalife Ambience Galaxy & Star Projector:A neat combination of a star projector and Bluetooth speaker built into one. It isn't scientifically accurate but it displays vivid nebula-inspired patterns to enhance the ambience in any room. ★★★½ Planets, named for the Greek word for "wanderer," process through the starfield a little each day, executing loops with time scales dependent on the length of the planet's year or orbital period around the Sun. Planets, to the naked eye, appear as points of light in the sky with variable brightness. Planets shine due to sunlight reflecting or scattering from the planets' surface or atmosphere. Thus, the relative Sun-planet-Earth positions determine the planet's brightness. With a telescope or good binoculars, the planets appear as discs demonstrating finite size, and it is possible to observe orbiting moons which cast shadows onto the host planet's surface. Venus is the most prominent planet, often called the "morning star" or "evening star" because it is brighter than the stars and often the only "star" visible near sunrise or sunset, depending on its location in its orbit. Because of its brightness, Venus can sometimes be seen after sunrise. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are also visible to the naked eye in the night sky. The downside of the Pococo design is that you only have 30 degrees of movement to shine the lights, although as you'll typically be shining this at the ceiling, this isn't a deal breaker.

Scientists believe that the Moon formed early in the solar system’s history after Earth and an object about the size of Mars smashed into each other. The impact sent chunks of Earth and the impactor into space that were pulled together by gravity, creating the Moon.Designed for home offices, home cinemas, gaming rooms, spas, bedrooms and house parties, this laser-powered 'galaxy projector' takes viewers on a journey through multicolored clouds. When we reviewed the BlissLights Sky Lite 2.0 review, we found it very easy to set up and liked its easy operation. BlissLights Sky Lite EvolveThe nebulas are bright and endearing, complimented perfectly by the hue of the blue/green lasers.This is a great option for anyone shopping for a mood-enhancing star projector (rather than a scientific one). ★★★½ On Monday, Nov. 13 Uranus will reach opposition — the night of the year when it is closest to Earth at a distance of 1.74 billion miles, 2.78 billion km, or 155 light-minutes. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) Ever wondered how to make a star projector? Sold as the 4M Night Sky Projection Kit, (or in the U.K. as the Science Museum Create A Night Sky) this cardboard cut-out might not seem at first to be a worthy addition to our list of the best star projectors. After all, what's on offer here is merely some tiny holes in cardboard positioned over a lamp. The resulting image is pretty basic, of course, but how you get there is the clever part.

Bresser Junior Astro-Planetarium DeluxeThis Bresser planetarium star projector, designed for kids, has true-to-life projections, a five-year warranty and is simple to operate. It has a time and date selector, a shooting star function and a sleep timer, and it ships with two disks.★★★½ The fact that the sky is not completely dark at night, even in the absence of moonlight and city lights, can be easily observed, since if the sky were absolutely dark, one would not be able to see the silhouette of an object against the sky.Over a week starting on Sunday evening, Nov. 19, the waxing moon will visit four planets in succession — Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter, and Uranus. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night) Most star projectors come with a 'sleep timer' that will switch the device off after a specified amount of minutes. The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. The planet will be setting in the west before 11 p.m. local time at month's end, but the earlier sunsets of autumn will deliver several hours of excellent evening viewing all month long. On Nov. 4, Saturn's westward retrograde motion through the stars of central Aquarius will slow to a stop as it completes a retrograde loop that began in June. It will spend the rest of November ramping up its eastward trek and slightly decreasing its 24-degree separation from Neptune to its east. Another source of light that can interfere with star gazing is light from the urban environment, called light pollution. Try a similar experiment using your star counter to see if the number of visible stars changes at different locations with different amounts of light pollution. Is there a difference between a busy street corner and a large open space? How can urban areas diminish the effects of light pollution?