The best star projectors can either be used as home planetariums, projecting realistic night skies and galaxies indoors, or they can serve as soft, glowy night lights for adults or children. If your space-loving child then tires of the night sky, there are five other tools to investigate: a stringed musical instrument, a geometric drawing generator, an infinite calendar, a message decoder and an amplifying speaker. The SEGA Toys Homestar Matataki home planetarium has a special disc that allows up to 10,000 stars of the northern hemisphere to twinkle across the walls of your room. The projector has a three-watt LED bulb that can project up to 106 inches in diameter from a distance of 60 to 90 inches away. Those ultra-bright lights are also easily visible on most surfaces, though some reviewers wish the projector was bright enough to see in dimly lit places. As discussed in our Bresser Junior Astro-Planetarium Deluxe review, this star projector draws many parallels to the Bresser-made National Geographic Astro Planetarium but doesn't include an integrated FM radio or the ability to attach an audio device. The Bresser Junior can only be powered by 3 x AA batteries, so buyers will likely need to grab some spares if they use it long-term.

Unlike some other models, we found it to be near silent in its operation, which is great if you're using it to get to sleep or whilst watching a film. Its body resembles a well-known sci-fi character (R2D2); we're sure this wasn't an accident. A pill-shaped device pivots vertically on a stand to expose either the planetarium end, which is ultimately a light with a plastic cover over the top allowing small 'stars' to be outwardly projected or a slide projector with a focusing ring. Using another of the supplied light covers), the star projector can also be used as a simple blue-colored night light.

While standing under a dark-sky and looking up at the constellations above is one of the joys of astronomy, it’s not always possible to get out and observe every night through a telescope. Considering its reasonable price tag and the many educational benefits it offers, we believe this projector is a worthwhile investment for homeschooling or simply learning about space with your child. A lovely star projector that any space fan will love. It's good quality, remote controlled and offers ample color combinations to transform your space. Though clearly not a scientific star projector, it would transform your gaming room, party atmosphere or sleeping environment. As the motor is very quiet — near silent, in fact, the motor noise won't be a distraction, allowing you to focus on the immersive and impressive light patterns.

The Sky Lite 2.0 is best compared to the likes of a lava lamp in terms of what it tries to achieve. This star projector delivers if a hypnotic journey through an imaginary nebula (or aurora?) is the effect you're after. Perhaps you’re no longer able to go out and observe the stars yourself or are after a space themed gift for the kids. Or maybe you want a relaxing light show to help you drift off to sleep. We've chosen to put this projector at the top of this list as it offers the same (or even better) functionality than the Sega Toys Homestar Flux but at a much lower cost. The image quality easily rivals those of the much more expensive Sega Homestar Flux even though the LED projector isn't as powerful.The lights are bright and vivid, and there is a fair amount of customization, but you'll need to use the supplied remote to access some of the functions (rather than being able to access them using the buttons on the device). Other star projectors on this list, namely the Bliss Lights models, offer more color combinations, but there's more than enough here to entertain yourself and your children.

There isn't a 'top X star projector list' you'll come across without finding the Sega Toys Homestar Flux taking a podium position. Unlike many 'star projectors,' this model's main focus (no pun intended) is to project a realistic-looking, high-quality image of extraterrestrial subjects onto your wall or ceiling, often using real photos from various observation stations around the world. It ships with two disks as standard, but with over 30 compatible disks available as additional add-ons, there's a greater level of exploration to be had than with other star projectors and home planetariums. When we see a star projector we like the look of, that has plenty of functionality and sits at a reasonable price point, we get hold of one for ourselves so we can put it through its paces and give it an honest hands-on review. A photo of a projection of Mars using the Pococo projector. You can see how vivid the colors are. (Image credit: Tantse Walter) It serves no other purpose or provides any scientific accuracy. Still, it is a discrete, affordable, high-quality device that puts out visually stunning lasers to transform your surroundings while drawing very little energy. The only downside with the Atmosphere Smart Galaxy Projector is that the nebulas and stars aren't scientifically accurate. Still, we enjoyed the experience so much that we didn't feel short-changed. We were especially happy with the option to adjust both the brightness and the projection speed, which makes the device great for setting a calm environment or an energetic party scene.Rather than turning your entire room into a planetarium, this device instead creates your own virtual VR planetarium using your smartphone.

The Pococo Galaxy is a simple, pleasant shape. The model we reviewed had a blue and pink paint job but it's also available in white. (Image credit: Tantse Walter) On top of the Bluetooth speaker, there is also in-built 'white noise' functionality, presumably to be used as a sleeping-aid first and foremost. There's a catalog of 19 different sounds from a cow moo-ing and a dog barking, to more sleep-appropriate 'watery noises,' piano tunes and 'standard' white noise. Many of these star projectors offer up views of the brightest stars in the night sky, helping you learn your way around the constellations before heading off to search for true dark skies.Star projectors come in different shapes, specifications and sizes because they serve various purposes. Some models are designed as night lights for children, so they are simpler and prioritize creating a pleasant atmosphere rather than realistic star patterns. On the other hand, there are highly accurate star projectors that provide a scientific representation of the night sky, giving you the experience of being inside a planetarium. Not all star projectors are scientifically accurate — some are designed to be pleasant ambient lights to be used as kids' night lights or just to create a relaxing atmosphere. However, some models are scientifically accurate and create a planetarium in the comfort of your own home — these include the the Sega Toys Homestar Flux, National Geographic Astro Planetarium and Bresser Junior Astro-Planetarium Deluxe. What is the difference between a star projector and a planetarium?