[Chaos-l] Homestar Pro Planetarium

[Richard McColman]

My understanding is that HomeStar and HomeStar Pro are for a flat ceiling, not a dome.

The reviews I've read were very favorable on the HomeStar.  The only in-depth review on the HomeStar Pro model indicated that some of its projection is actually not quite as good as the standard HomeStar. 

I haven't actually seen the HomeStar, but have considered getting one.  BTW, this is put out by the same Japanese company that's created the new MegaStar (one million stars!) projector for planetariums.  Mickey and I saw the MegaStar demonstrated at the International Planetarium Society conference in Chicago this past summer, and I was astounded by it!  The star field on the MegaStar completely blows away our Zeiss star field in my estimation -- the Milky Way for instance, is composed of individual stars, not an overall cloudy haze like from our Zeiss.  (You can look at the Milky Way with binoculars -- which we did -- and see the individual stars, just like in the real Milky Way.)  The Milky Way, therefore, has incredible depth, visually.  Aside from the MW, the individual stars are very point-like, including the 1st-mag stars, which on our Zeiss look like small disks.  Good news on Megastar is that it's only about the size of a single beachball, and it costs only about 1/10 or less that of a new replacement Zeiss.  The bad news is that planets aren't included -- at least in that price.  I think there's an assumption that the planets would be projected digitally.  My assumption is that, for opto-mechanical planetarium lovers, the star quality coupled with price will make this the one to go for.  I can see the other planetarium manufacturers quaking in their boots. 

If you get a HomeStar or HomeStar Pro, I'd be very interested in seeing it -- that is if I don't get one of my own first.

Richard McColman
Morehead Planetarium & Science Center




-----Original Message-----
>From: Robert Nielsen <robertnielsen at nc.rr.com>
>Sent: Nov 27, 2008 10:53 AM
>To: Chapel Hill Astronomical Observation Society <chaos-l at rtpnet.org>
>Subject: Re: [Chaos-l] Homestar Pro Planetarium
>
>I wonder how accurate this thing is ... does it assume a flat ceiling 
>(which I guess makes sense) ... or do you need like a dome?
>
>Robert
>
>Mark South wrote:
>> There's a home planetarium that is a Japanese import only called the 
>> Homestar Pro.  Pretty cool.  The Homestar standard is now in the 
>> states.  Has anyone every seen this?  It projects over 10,000 stars on 
>> your ceiling.   
>>
>> Don't worry, Mickey, this could never replace the grand Zeiss!!!!
>>
>> Click here for the Homestar Pro! 
>> <http://www.japantrendshop.com/homestar-pro-home-planetarium-sega-toys-p-28.html>
>>
>> -- Happy Thanksgiving!
>> Mark South
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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