If you’re as clueless as I am about the night sky and barely know your planets from your stars (much less their names), this gadget will help shoot us both to the top of the class. Called the Meade MySky star and planet identifier, it looks like some kind of futuristic ray gun, but instead of firing an energy pulse, shoots you a wealth of knowledge. Just pull the trigger to learn about your target star, planet, nebula or galaxy (though not satellites, starships or aliens, I’m afraid) from a database of over 30,000 celestial wonders.

Utilizing a 12 channel GPS receiver, magnetic North sensors and accelerometers, the MySky helps you to identify and learn about the stars and planets in the night sky and can even take you on a guided audio and visual tour – highlighting the best bits based on the current time and your location.

Featuring a full-color LCD that won’t obstruct your view of the night sky and illuminated sights to easily point at objects, the MySky can also be used in conjunction with a telescope – using its GPS receiver as an orientation aid.

Requiring 4 x AA batteries which will keep you star-gazing for up to 7 hours, the Meade MySky star and planet identifier is available now from Barnes and Noble for $399.95 or IWOOT in the UK for £299.00.

Sources:
Barnes and Noble and I Want One Of Those