Geosafari® Star Gazer Planetarium by Kidology

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• ASIN: B00000ISOV
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,527 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Very, very cool. This home version of a planetarium looks as if it belongs in Captain Picard's quarters on the Enterprise. Looking a bit like a futuristic, oversized camping flashlight, this device allows one to place one of several "star domes" atop a lighted well. A separate half-dome made of white cardboard acts as a curved projection screen. The light shines up from the well through the star dome, casting replicas of different sectors of the night sky onto the screen. The base of the Star Gazer has a cassette player on which one can listen to an enclosed tape that discusses various constellations and other points of interest. A nice bonus is a red filter, which allows one to invert the star domes for outdoor night sky exploration. Otherwise, this is an indoor hobby. An activity guide gives all the details on how to get the most enjoyment and learning from this kit. --Tom Keogh

Amazon.com Teacher Review

The key to this toy as an educational tool is an adult willing to help a child make the big move from indoor to outdoor viewing. Indoors, the Star Gazer projects images of the major constellations onto walls and ceilings. Amid a dreamy starscape, with the audiocassette as a guide, an ordinary room takes on the aspect of a field trip, and star clusters grow familiar. Then, on a clear outdoor evening, the inverted dome becomes a map to locate actual glittering constellations. Once a child learns to locate the North Star and the key constellations of Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper, and Orion, then he or she can chart the movements of the visible planets. Planetary locator charts are included, but the patience to spend several evenings orienting to zodiac patterns is a likely prerequisite to successfully locating and following a planet. --Jeannine Prince has a Master's in Education. She has worked as both a teacher and a curriculum coordinator in a constructivist learning and problem solving program for ages birth to 5 years.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Map to the skies for the whole family, April 8, 2002

By A Customer

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Geosafari® Star Gazer Planetarium by Kidology (Toy)

This is more than a toy, its a way to have a family experience. It is MUCH better than I anticipated, and the kids think its way cool. The stars are easy to identify when lit up all over the walls and ceiling, (and it looks really neat) so when you go outside to compare and identify the constellations at night, you find that you can! Easier to use than flat star maps, the 360 degree view of the StarGazer lets you get a feel for where the stars are really positioned with a good sense of the compass points. If you like astronomy and want to try and get the kids interested in it too, this is a terrific tool. Only, if you do want to use it seriously, don't just let the kids throw it in the toy box, make a special place for it. Its durable, but not abuse-proof. Good for younger kids if Mom or Dad are the owners.