[Chaos-l] Homestar Pro Planetarium

[Mark South]

Rumor has it I may get this as a gift from someone special...
If I do, l'll give a report!
This is very popular in Japan from what I hear.
  also 1 test showed this was nice in a small dome projecting to the  
horizon, but not in large domes
Thanks for the info Richard!

Mark D. South
http://web.mac.com/md_south
Sent from my cell phone

On Nov 28, 2008, at 5:43 PM, Richard McColman  
<rmccolman at mindspring.com> wrote:

> 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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>>> Chaos-l at rtpnet.org
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>>
>>
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