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On clear dark nights in unpolluted areas, when the Moon appears thin or below the horizon, the Milky Way, a band of what looks like white dust, can be seen. Encalife Ambience Galaxy & Star Projector:A neat combination of a star projector and Bluetooth speaker built into one. It isn't scientifically accurate but it displays vivid nebula-inspired patterns to enhance the ambience in any room. ★★★½

Another source of light that can interfere with star gazing is light from the urban environment, called light pollution. Try a similar experiment using your star counter to see if the number of visible stars changes at different locations with different amounts of light pollution. Is there a difference between a busy street corner and a large open space? How can urban areas diminish the effects of light pollution? Ever wondered how to make a star projector? Sold as the 4M Night Sky Projection Kit, (or in the U.K. as the Science Museum Create A Night Sky) this cardboard cut-out might not seem at first to be a worthy addition to our list of the best star projectors. After all, what's on offer here is merely some tiny holes in cardboard positioned over a lamp. The resulting image is pretty basic, of course, but how you get there is the clever part. Like many other star projectors, there's a 'shooting star' function, although, in our Sega Homestar Flux review, we explained how we'd like this to be at random intervals, or in a different place each time so it isn't as predictable. It has an automatic switch-off after 15, 30 or 60 minutes function. Planets, named for the Greek word for "wanderer," process through the starfield a little each day, executing loops with time scales dependent on the length of the planet's year or orbital period around the Sun. Planets, to the naked eye, appear as points of light in the sky with variable brightness. Planets shine due to sunlight reflecting or scattering from the planets' surface or atmosphere. Thus, the relative Sun-planet-Earth positions determine the planet's brightness. With a telescope or good binoculars, the planets appear as discs demonstrating finite size, and it is possible to observe orbiting moons which cast shadows onto the host planet's surface. Venus is the most prominent planet, often called the "morning star" or "evening star" because it is brighter than the stars and often the only "star" visible near sunrise or sunset, depending on its location in its orbit. Because of its brightness, Venus can sometimes be seen after sunrise. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are also visible to the naked eye in the night sky.Meteors (commonly known as shooting stars) streak across the sky very infrequently. During a meteor shower, they may average one a minute at irregular intervals, but otherwise their appearance is a random surprise. The occasional meteor will make a bright, fleeting streak across the sky, and they can be very bright in comparison to the night sky. Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1, similar to the nearby star Almach (aka Gamma Andromedae). But while fully dimmed, Algol's brightness of magnitude 3.4 is almost identical to Rho Persei (or Gorgonea Tertia or ρ Per), the star sitting just two finger widths to Algol's lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south). The faceted dome shape means the lights can be projected and dispersed over 180-degrees, meaning the entire ceiling is covered with lights.

Considering its reasonable price tag and the many educational benefits it offers, we think this projector is a worthwhile investment for homeschooling or simply learning about space with your child.

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The visibility of celestial objects in the night sky is affected by light pollution. The presence of the Moon in the night sky has historically hindered astronomical observation by increasing the amount of ambient brightness. With the advent of artificial light sources, however, light pollution has been a growing problem for viewing the night sky. Optical filters and modifications to light fixtures can help to alleviate this problem, but for optimal views, both professional and amateur astronomers seek locations far from urban skyglow.