A dream come true? New SkyScout Goto technology

Post by **VinSnr** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:45 pm

weixing wrote:Hi,
* "Locate" Capability: Allows users to quickly find over 6,000 stars, planets, and other celestial objects

* "Identify" Capability: Allows users to quickly identify over 6,000 stars, planets, and other celestial objects

* Audio & Text Content

o Provides user with vast amounts of information using multimedia content

o Includes scientific information for over 6,000 objects and entertaining stories for the 200 most spectacular celestial objects
I think I had read it quite carefully and below is what I think this gadget can do:
Allows users to locate, identify and provide scientific information of over 6,000 stars, planets, and other celestial objects and include entertaining stories for the 200 most spectacular celestial objects.

Anyway, the number of stars can be seen by naked eye is range from 4,000 to 10,000 depend on where you are and how good your eye sight is.

By the way, this is just a US$399 gadget, so I don't think it can do more than this. May be next time they'll come out with an advance version that can be mounted on telescope and act as a DSC.

Have a nice day.

But you can still mount this on a scope and use it like a DSC lor.....

Post by **weixing** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:59 pm

Hi,

But you can still mount this on a scope and use it like a DSC lor.....

Can, but I think only limited to the nake eye objects as what I mention.

Anyway, if it can work more than what I think it can do, it'll be great.

But I think we shouldn't have too much expectation on what it can do... especially after seeing the price tag.

Have a nice day.

Post by **Airconvent** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 6:30 pm

blurblock wrote: How can they include 10 planets when there are only 9 planets (including Earth) in our solar system?

that's because the latest one discovered is bigger than Pluto, hence it cannot be classified as a "Kuiper object" if Pluto is currently classified as a "planet". only the smaller ones are.

btw, looking at how gps gotos work, I am doubtful the device will be so accurate as to identify objects in your field of view 100% of the time....some sort of alignment will be needed.

blurblock · Post by **blurblock** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 12:21 am

Airconvent wrote:
blurblock wrote: How can they include 10 planets when there are only 9 planets (including Earth) in our solar system?
that's because the latest one discovered is bigger than Pluto, hence it cannot be classified as a "Kuiper object" if Pluto is currently classified as a "planet". only the smaller ones are.

btw, looking at how gps gotos work, I am doubtful the device will be so accurate as to identify objects in your field of view 100% of the time....some sort of alignment will be needed.

You mean Sedna? I think that is debatable and it has not been officially classified as a planet. Even so, how can it find 10 planets when Earth is classified as one of them?

.. unless pointing it to the ground

.

I think they are using GPS if their claims is correct.

Post by **Airconvent** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:42 am

blurblock wrote:You mean Sedna? I think that is debatable and it has not been officially classified as a planet. Even so, how can it find 10 planets when Earth is classified as one of them? .. unless pointing it to the ground .
I think they are using GPS if their claims is correct.

no sedna is smaller. the object that was bigger than Pluto does not have an official name yet. here is the link :

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 ... lanet.html

Post by **zong** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 4:54 pm

yup sedna is smaller. currently no KBO is bigger than pluto still. But anyway, why are we arguing about sedna? :offtopic: In the first, place, i doubt singapore skies allow us to see sedna even on dark night with decent scope.. right?

Post by **Airconvent** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 9:02 pm

zong wrote:yup sedna is smaller. currently no KBO is bigger than pluto still. But anyway, why are we arguing about sedna? :offtopic: In the first, place, i doubt singapore skies allow us to see sedna even on dark night with decent scope.. right?

hi zong,
no the latest KBO is actually bigger than Pluto (see link) but you're right..getting of topic! let's get back to the new goto technology!
rich

Post by **VinSnr** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:38 pm

Actually this device takes away the value of us being an amateur astronomers.

Now, any Tom, Dick, Harry, Ah Beng, Ah Seng on the street can be an astronomer. All he has to do is to shelf out $600 from his pocket and voila....he is now an astronomer and able to pinpoint objects far better than those experience astronomers.

Very soon, there is no need to fight for dark sky preservation effort because with this thing..who need dark skies?

Maybe one day, there will be a device where you point at a celestial object and it will take wonderful deep sky photos for you. No need mount because it will software compensate the drift. No worry about handshake either because it has an image stabiliser inside. Heck, it will even compensate the drift due to your handshake. No need scope either because it has a built in scope inside. All in one..all you need is to point at the object (never mind you can't see it, the skyscout technology inside will find it for u), press a button and that's it.

That would really put an end to astrophotography as well.

Post by **weixing** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 10:49 pm

Hi,

Maybe one day, there will be a device where you point at a celestial object and it will take wonderful deep sky photos for you. No need mount because it will software compensate the drift. No worry about handshake either because it has an image stabiliser inside. Heck, it will even compensate the drift due to your handshake. No need scope either because it has a built in scope inside. All in one..all you need is to point at the object (never mind you can't see it, the skyscout technology inside will find it for u), press a button and that's it.

That would really put an end to astrophotography as well.

It's already here and it's call Internet, HST and etc...

Have a nice day.

PS: Remember the Fisher Price short tube??? Ha ha ha

Post by **weixing** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:01 pm

Hi,
Got more info on this gradget:
Below is from Celestron website:
Celestial Database
6000 Stars, 1,500 Double & Variable Stars, all 88 constellations, over 100 deep space objects including Galaxies, Nebulae & Star Clusters, extra space for custom user objects, over 200 audio descriptions of the most popular celestial objects

Below is from Orion website:
The SkyScout’s extensive database contains 6,000 stars, all 88 constellations, 200 galaxies, 100 nebulas, 40 star clusters, 20 comets, 10 asteroids, and extra space for custom user objects. The USB SkyLink interface allows you to download new firmware upgrades from your computer to the SkyScout as well as updates to the object database as they become available, keeping you up to date with the latest astronomical discoveries. The device has an SD card slot that accepts SkyTour cards (sold separately), which feature audio presentations on a variety of topics.

Below from Anacortes Telescope & Wild Bird:
Point the SkyScout at any bright star and it will instantly identify the object or choose an object from the celestial database of over 6,000 objects and the SkyScout will guide you to it.

Seem like Celestron website and Anacortes Telescope & Wild Bird description is a bit conservative compare to Orion description??

Anyway, the gadget seem more and more interesting... hope it don't disappoint us.

Have a nice day.