This is why more and more astrophotographers are turning to star planetarium projectors, as they allow you to learn the locations of the stars and the setup of the night sky before you’ve even taken your camera out of its bag.

The user has the choice between having a stationary projection or slow rotation. The slow rotate is certainly recommended, as it does add a certain something to the experience and atmosphere. The mechanism, while not ‘silent’ as advertised, is very quiet. Taking over from Japanese inventor & entrepreneur Takayuki Ohira’s 2006 award-winning Sega Toys Homestar Original planetarium, the Flux is an improved and brilliantly designed model which is simple to operate. The Flux’s body is a matte sphere connected to metal stand which allows the unit to be angled around 360-degrees. The projected space images are provided on small, compact slides which are inserted via the disk tray. The LED light is activated by an on/off switch, and after a brief adjustment to the focus dial (the lined ring that circles the projection lens) everything is up and running. There are three additional and self-explanatory functions: shooting star, move (rotation) and timer. Power is provided by either mains plug or USB connection. The Homestar Flux is Segas most recent home planetarium projector. Boasting a 5-watt LED projector and 60,000 HD star display, the Flux recreates the night sky just like those deep in the countryside are used to seeing.

Technology that lets you dream

In reference to Class IIIa lasers (like laser pointers or some used in star projectors), the FDA says: ' Depending on power and beam area, can be momentarily hazardous when directly viewed or when staring directly at the beam with an unaided eye. Risk of injury increases when viewed with optical aids.' While the terms are often used interchangeably, star projectors can also be used to refer to unrealistic night and ambient or mood-enhancing lights that aren't scientifically accurate. Planetariums on the other hand are strictly realistic and accurate depictions of the night sky, which are sometimes even time and location-sensitive to show you the night sky as it appears at a given time. How do I choose a star projector?

National Geographic Astro Planetarium would make a nice space gift for a budding astronomer. It has great functionality, with a time and date selector and a built-in speaker.★★★★½ The best star projectors can either be used as home planetariums, projecting realistic night skies and galaxies indoors, or they can serve as soft, glowing night lights for adults or children.Operation is manual rather than digital, but you can access additional informative descriptions of the pictures on the slides online using a provided 'secret code.' This allows children to learn more about the objects in space and adds a bit of fun and mystery to learning. Clearer images that can be provided if the projector has adjustable features such as angle rotation. Most interesting of all, it projects the stars based on your programmed time and date function. That means on any given time and date, it’ll accurately display the night sky and constellations of the Northern Hemisphere. (That unfortunately means those in the Southern Hemisphere may not get the accurate reading they’d hope.) The colors of the lights and lasers are vivid, and the dedicated app still affords you many customization options in terms of color mix, speed, timing modes, brightness and so on. Be mindful that the app is connected over Bluetooth and not Wi-Fi, so you have to be pretty near it to make any changes to the settings — if you're looking to control it remotely from a different room (e.g if it's in a child's bedroom and you don't want to disturb them), you'd probably want to consider something that is connected by Wi-Fi.

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 plan on using it long-term.The BlissLights Sky Light is an interesting little laser projector that can project a field of drifting blue stars against a transforming blue nebula cloud. Their designed projection is patent protected, so you will only get it with this projector. And then, there is the possibility to just employ these magnificent projections as a relaxation tool. Imagine coming home from a stressful day away. Eat a light dinner, have a fresh and crawl between the sheets while listening to brain wave music as you drift off into the universe. This is not a dream. This is a dream made real. Not only real, but accessible! If you want to get the closest thing to the real night sky, you should read what most customers say about the given product. Accuracy and clarity are, of course, the most pivotal points. The rating of the product should also be a good reference to its quality.