The Pococo Galaxy Star Projector is a worthy addition to this guide, and it is a good rival to the National Geographic Astro Planetarium and the much more expensive Sega Homestar Flux. During our full Pococo Galaxy star projector review, we found it a good value star projector with decent build and projection quality. The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that ' The FDA recognizes four major hazard classes (I to IV) of lasers, including three subclasses (IIa, IIIa, and IIIb). The higher the class, the more powerful the laser is and the greater the potential to pose serious injury if used improperly. ' Once again, we're not sure what we love most about this feature-rich Aurora Borealis Northern Lights Star Projector. You can easily choose between a whopping 16.7 million Aurora colors by using the buttons on the device, the remote control that comes with it or your smartphone.

Unlike some other models, we found it to be near silent in its operation, which is great if you're using it to get to sleep or whilst watching a film. You'll need to set up your phone's Bluetooth before you start using the projector, but it's easy enough to do so, and the device will be up and running within moments. The image can be rotated in its stand and has 360-degree mobility with built-in motors. It performs best when projected from a distance of around two meters. The lens, made by Bresser, features a focusing wheel for simple image adjustment. Like many star projectors, it offers automatic shutdown options after 30, 60 or 120 minutes, making it great for kids who want to fall asleep under a starry sky in their bedroom. Additionally, it includes a 'shooting star' mode, projecting a 'meteor' every 40 seconds.

A star projector ideal for any space fan, the Astronaut Starry Sky Star Projector offers great value-for-money as a space gift with plenty of fun thrown in.

The downside of the Pococo design is that you only have 30 degrees of movement to shine the lights, although as you'll typically be shining this at the ceiling, this isn't a deal breaker. Having completed a recent Brainstorm Toys Deep Space Home Planetarium and Star Projector review, we feel that it deserves a spot in this guide as a great STEM toy that will captivate kids ages six and up, and, in our opinion, spark their interest in all things space-related.

The National Geographic Astro Planetarium is an affordable and high-quality indoor planetarium that accurately depicts the night sky, offering excellent value. It comes with two projection discs – one displaying 8,000 stars and the other featuring guidelines for major constellations. Crucially, what you see is true to the time and day you set, as we confirmed during our National Geographic Astro Planetarium review. While the terms are often used interchangeably, star projectors can also be used to refer to unrealistic night and ambient or mood-enhancing lights that aren't scientifically accurate. Planetariums on the other hand are strictly realistic and accurate depictions of the night sky, which are sometimes even time and location-sensitive to show you the night sky as it appears at a given time. How do I choose a star projector? With three adjustable ridges on the bottom, you can easily position this projector at three different angles, including upward onto a ceiling. It utilizes both LED and direct laser diode technologies to produce dynamic RGB projections with moving patterns. It's portable and convenient, powered by a USB cable, enabling you to connect it to a computer or a portable battery. 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. The Astronaut Starry Sky Projector is a cost-effective way to add immediate ambiance to a room. Thanks to its novelty space-walking astronaut design, it would be the perfect gift for a young space fan. It's very easy to use, the lights are bright and customizable, the lasers will fill a small room, and the operation is quiet, all features that make for a good star projector.Depending on the model you choose, star projectors can recreate the night sky accurately from the comfort of your own home, surrounding you with stars and constellations and many even double as galaxy projectors. Whether you’re hosting a space-themed party, learning about the cosmos or simply looking for a way to help you fall asleep, star projectors can do it all. 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. Pococo Galaxy Star ProjectorIt does what it is supposed to — it projects high-quality imagery onto any surface to immerse you in the wonders of what the universe has to offer, maintaining a static picture or slowly rotating image.★★★★

This particular projector is aimed at children, and the stars it projects aren't scientific like you'd find on the more 'adult' Sega Homestar Flux. But it still features a slide projector and three easy-to-handle discs containing 24 color images taken by the Hubble Telescope. Each disc has a different theme; Nebulas, Spacecraft & Astronauts and Planets & the Moon. In this buying guide, we've tested and reviewed a range of star projectors and ranked them according to performance, quality and budget. We've included a variety of options at different price points with a range of features, so you're sure to find one that suits your needs and budget. We continue to monitor the market for different models, and we'll share our favorites with you. Can I leave a star projector on all night? Comparable with the BlissLights Sky Lite 2.0, the motor which rotates the lights is exceptionally quiet, you can only really hear it if you press your ear right up against it. This makes it perfect to use as a night light to drift off to sleep. One difference between this model and the Bliss Lights Sky Lite 2.0 is there is no option to rotate the lasers which shine from the top right of the astronaut's helmet, only the nebulae rotates. We don't think that's a deal breaker though. Astronaut Starry Sky Projector: FunctionalityControlling it is simple, using three buttons — power, rotation and sleep timer — and it is powered by a battery which you can charge with a USB-C cable. You're not tied to a power source like with the Homestar Flux, and you don't have to keep changing the batteries as you do with the National Geographic model—again — another happy medium. These are the components that make up the Astronaut Starry Sky Projector, straight out of the box. (Image credit: Tantse Walter) The only downside with the Atmosphere Smart Galaxy Projector is that the nebulas and stars aren't scientifically accurate. Still, we enjoyed the experience so much that we didn't feel short-changed. We were especially happy with the option to adjust both the brightness and the projection speed, which makes it great for setting a calm environment to relax in, or an energetic party scene. The answer to this question depends on the type of star projector you're considering. Some FDA-approved laser star projectors are safe for brief and accidental exposure to eyes, but they are not recommended for children, and you should never look directly into a laser beam.

Blisslights Sky Lite 2.0 A fun way to see and create lights that are comparable to deep space imagery and stars, albeit not scientific. Ideal for creating a relaxing mood in the home.★★★½ National Geographic Astro Planetarium would make a nice space gift for a budding astronomer. It has great functionality, with a time and date selector and a built-in speaker.★★★★½The best star projectors can either be used as home planetariums, projecting realistic night skies and galaxies indoors, or they can serve as soft, glowing night lights for adults or children. As discussed in our Create a Night Sky Projection Kit review, this is a great learning device when assembled with a guardian. The goal is to create a globe-like night sky that shines and projects the constellations. Before moving on to the stars, children learn about the northern and southern hemispheres. Then, they make holes with a sharp tool where the major stars should be, which introduces them to the important stars and constellations in the night sky. The spherical design means you have near 360-degree angling, and it comes with a 1.5 m cable, giving maximum positioning flexibility. This gives it a slight edge over the Encalife Atmosphere Smart Galaxy Smart Projector, which has similar specs but can only be used in four fixed positions.