I grew up in the country in upstate New York. It was the kind of place where there were no street lights, you didn’t feel the need to lock your doors and kids could spend endless hours playing in the yard or in the woods without a worry.
These days I live in the suburbs of New York City. Instead of deer and cows roaming freely they were replace with municipal buses and taxi cabs. Sigh…
There are MANY things I miss about living in the country. One of those things is being able to see the night sky with no interruption. Because we didn’t have street lights where I grew up you could see all the stars in the sky. It was spectacular.
One year I received a telescope from my father as a gift. My future brother in law gave me a bunch of books about Astronomy to go along with my telescope. I loved viewing the night sky. The telescope fueled my interest in the stars, planets and distant galaxies.
Living in the suburbs of New York City, and being surrounded by street lights, getting a good look at the night sky is not that easy. I can see some stars and planets, but not as many as I’d like to.
I love going to planetariums. Have you ever been to one? There was a small one upstate where I lived at a local camp (it only seated 49 people, but it was cool). I have also been to the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History in NYC a few times. I even met Neil de Grasse Tyson once. He is the Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the museum (Rose Center).
I find planetariums fascinating. I love learning about the night sky and being able to identify the things that I see.
I do know some of the constellations including the big and little dippers, Orion, and something known as the Seven Sisters. Aside from that, I have no clue where to find Gemini (I’m a Gemini), Leo, Aquarius and all of the birth signs. Even having a map in my hands I find it difficult to find them.
What if you could have your very own personal planetarium? You can! All you need is a smart phone (to download the app) and a Universe2Go viewer.
The app is free to download.
Universe2Go looks a lot like a View Master (remember those?). To use simply open the app on your phone, choose what you want to see, put the phone in the viewer, look into it and enjoy.
The device and your smart phone know what you are looking at and adds an overlay to the night sky that points out constellations, planets and more. In addition, the app will talk to you and tell you some amazing facts and information about what you are looking at. It’s just like what you would experience if you were at a planetarium, except you are in your own yard (or any outdoor area) and you choose what you want to see and learn about.
Check out this brief video that gives you a bit more information about Universe2Go.
My family and I have been having a blast playing around with Universe2Go. I find that it has a wealth of information about the night sky – more than I thought it would. It’s something you can really learn a lot from and never get board with.
Set up was a bit tricky.
There are foam pieces you can use to help your smartphone fit snuggly in the Universe2Go viewer. If you have a protective case on your phone you might have to remove it. I know I had to remove my phone case in order to put my phone into the Universe2Go. That was a little inconvenient (my cellphone case is a pain in the neck to get on/off), but it was worth it to use the Universe2Go viewer.
Before you can fully enjoy all that Universe2Go has to offer you have to calibrate the device. That is what I had the most trouble with. For some reason the app was talking a foreign language to me (German I think?) so it was hard to understand what I needed to do to calibrate the device. Thankfully my tech savvy teenage son was finally able to figure it out.
There is a code inside the box the viewer comes in that you’ll need to enter into the app to take advantage of everything Universe2Go has to offer. You can use the device/app without it, but trust me, you’ll want to access everything.
To navigate the different controls and sections of Universe2Go, via the app, you need to tilt your head in different ways. That took a bit of getting used to. Of course my kids figured out almost right away (isn’t that always the case). I guess it takes this “old dog” a bit longer to learn “new tricks.” Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy.
I’m assuming the app knows where you are via GPS. That way it knows what is above you in the night sky based on your location. You don’t even need a perfect view of the night sky. The device will still show you want is in the night sky – that you should be able to see if your view wasn’t obstructed or interfered with.
If you linger long enough on any of the things you see in the night sky the app will narrated for you what you are looking at and provide you with interesting information about what you are looking at – just like what you would experience if you were looking at it at a planetarium. There is literally hours worth of interesting information found on Universe2Go.
The device projects an overlay on the night sky, making it easier for you to identify what you are looking at. It’s actually pretty cool. It’s easier to visualize things with the help of the overlay. It even gives you close up images of planets and galaxies. The planets and galaxies were my favorite things to explore. It’s not always easy to spot a planet in the night sky.
I can now also find thing in the night sky, even without Universe2Go, thanks to having the visual to aid me in locating things in the night sky.
Universe2Go is the type of product that makes learning fun and interesting.
This is a great device to have whether you are a novice or a more knowledgeable person when it comes to Astronomy. Children and adults can both enjoy Universe2Go. It’s great for all ages.
Universe2Go is available at Universe2Go.com. The product retails for $99. Shipping is FREE.
With your purchase you will receive;
- Universe2go star viewer
- App activation code
- Carrying strap
- Storage pouch
- Brief instructions
- Gift packaging
The carrying pouch and strap are very handy. I’m glad the manufacturer included them with the purchase.
Don’t forget about the activation code! I found mine on the inside of the box on a sparkly sticker.
Universe2Go would be great to take with you when you go camping, or even just to enjoy in your own backyard. We don’t even have a yard (just a balcony) and we can fully enjoy the device too.
Look for Universe2Go on social media too. All of their links are found at the bottom of their website.
What do you think about Universe2Go? Does it look like something you or your family would enjoy?
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Lisa Brown says
That looks so fun and interesting, love it.