Star navigator tells you where to gaze

(Credit: Hammacher Schlemmer)

For some years now, we've had a digital telescope gathering dust in a closet somewhere (we're not even sure which one anymore). The reason? We still don't know how to work it.

That's why we're sorely tempted to accidentally donate it to charity and get one of these instead. The "Talking Star and Constellation Navigator" is more our speed--not only does it have a tracking system to find the best viewing angles, but it actually tells you what to do next to find and identify "56 constellations, 66 stars, and 33 deep-sky objects." (We have no idea what a "deep-sky" object is, but it sounds interesting.)

Sadly, it doesn't have frickin' laser beams, but at $70 it's a lot less than most home planetariums.