SkyScout
Handheld zero-magnification sky-orientation device using GPS.
The Celestron SkyScout was a handheld, battery-powered device for identifying and learning about celestial objects, competing with Meade’s mySky. It belonged to a new class of zero-magnification sky-orientation tools that relied on GPS and other satellite navigation systems, which became commercially viable in the early 2000s. The SkyScout was an early adopter of this technology, though its usefulness was limited by high cost and technical shortcomings.
The unit measured roughly 7.4 by 4.0 by 2.5 inches, weighed about a pound, and included a viewing port, a side-mounted 3-by-1-inch LCD screen (prone to scratches), and control buttons. A 12-channel GPS receiver and orientation sensors determined the device’s location and pointing angle, but the sensors were sensitive to nearby metal—indicated by a horseshoe magnet icon on the display. The LCD showed the name and data of the targeted object, and earphones provided audio narration for 200 of the most popular objects. Battery life was short, around half an hour, and the batteries required included sleeves to reduce electromagnetic interference with the GPS signal.
Internally, the SkyScout held a database of about 6,000 celestial objects. To identify an object, the user centered it in the zero-power optical finder and pressed a button. The database could be expanded via plug-in SD cards, and a USB port allowed updates to the object catalog and firmware. However, as of January 1, 2016, no further updates were possible.
The device could locate objects—including Earth itself, for accessing its audio narration—and guide the user to a selected target with red arrows in the viewfinder. A “Tonight’s Highlights” mode walked users through the best objects visible that night.
Announced at the January 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, the SkyScout went on sale in July 2006 at an initial price of $675, later dropping to as low as $250. The rise of smartphone astronomy apps largely rendered the device obsolete, though the SkyScout had a low-intensity light system that helped users maintain night vision.
The SkyScout’s database of star and planet positions only covered dates up to January 1, 2016. After that, Celestron stopped supporting the device, and the GPS-based date and time decoding failed due to the 2019 GPS week number rollover.
- Announcement date
- January 2006
- Release date
- July 2006
- Initial price
- $675
- Lowest price
- $250
- Weight
- about 1 pound
- Dimensions
- 7.4" x 4.0" x 2.5"
- Battery life
- about one-half hour
Lore & Background
The SkyScout was announced at the January 2006 Consumer Electronics Show and became available in July 2006, with an initial retail cost of $675, later available at prices as low as $250. It was a handheld, battery-powered device about 7.4" x 4.0" x 2.5", weighing about 1 pound, with a viewing port, a 3" x 1" LCD on the side, and several buttons. It had a 12-channel GPS receiver and orientation sensors whose accuracy was sensitive to proximity to metal objects, indicated by a horseshoe magnet icon on the display. The LCD screen was known to scratch easily. Battery life was short at about one-half hour, and the batteries required sleeves to minimize their electromagnetic interference with GPS signal reception.
From an internal database of some 6,000 celestial objects, an object was identified simply by centering it in the device's zero-power optical finder and pressing a button. The database was expandable with extra plug-in SD data cards, and a USB connection was provided for online updates. Since 1 January 2016, the database and firmware can no longer be updated. The SkyScout located celestial objects, including the Earth for audio narration; the user selected an object from the database and red arrows in the viewfinder directed the user to point the viewfinder to the object. It also featured a "Tonight's Highlights" mode.
The advent of iPhone/Android and associated astronomy apps somewhat eliminated the need for this device. However, the SkyScout had a low-intensity light system that allowed users' eyes to adapt to darkness. The database of star and planet positions only extended up to January 1, 2016. After this date, the SkyScout is not supported by Celestron and no longer works as designed, because the current date cannot be entered. As of April 7, 2019, the SkyScout can no longer decode the GPS supplied date and time correctly due to the GPS week number rollover in 2019. It is possible to enter latitude/longitude and time/date manually to continue use, pending firmware; firmware updates are no longer available on Celestron's website but can be found at Vomitron's Website.
Reader's Guide
The SkyScout's significance lies in its early adoption of GPS and orientation sensors for consumer astronomy, representing a transitional device before smartphones and dedicated astronomy apps rendered such hardware largely obsolete. Its technical limitations included short battery life, a scratch-prone LCD, and orientation sensor accuracy affected by nearby metal. The device's planned obsolescence was notable: the database only extended to January 1, 2016, and after April 7, 2019, GPS date/time decoding failed due to the GPS week number rollover. Celestron did not indicate this obsolescence date on the product or in the manual. Despite these issues, manual entry of coordinates allowed continued use for stars and deep-sky objects, as the year is unimportant for their positions. The SkyScout's legacy is as an early, flawed but innovative attempt to bring GPS-based sky orientation to amateur astronomers, ultimately superseded by more versatile and longer-supported smartphone applications.
Did You Know?
- The SkyScout's battery life was only about one-half hour, and batteries required sleeves to reduce electromagnetic interference with GPS reception.
- The device's database of celestial objects only extended up to January 1, 2016, after which it was no longer supported by Celestron.
- As of April 7, 2019, the SkyScout could no longer decode GPS date and time correctly due to the GPS week number rollover.
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