Projecting galaxy night lights bring the Universe into your home
 |
You may wish to sleep under the stars every night with a Galaxy night light projector. But, as you'll see from some of the popular models showcased here, they can also be educational and entertaining.
Whether you're a fan of astronomy, an old romantic or you have kids that are just crazy about space, the range of planetarium projectors for the home covers the stylish, the futuristic, the do-it-yourself and the downright cute! Some Galaxy night light projectors come with soothing and inspiring music to add to the experience of being in the great outdoors - even though you know you're tucked up in bed or enjoying a glass of wine in the living room. |
Uncle Milton Nat Geo Starry Night Lantern
The 2-in-1 lantern and star projector
  |
Incorporating a dual-mode projection system, the National Geographic Starry Night Lantern from renowned toymaker Uncle Milton, brings something unique to a star projector for kids.
Use it as a regular lantern to light your way around the bedroom, back yard or campsite. Flip the switch and it turns that bedroom or tent into a planetarium, projecting a galaxy of stars all around. The Uncle Milton Starry Night Lantern comes with an Activity Guide and requires 4 AA batteries to operate (not included). |
Nat Geo Starry Night Lantern Review
An interesting twist on the regular planetarium projector
The National Geographic Starry Night Lantern is one of the more unusual planetarium projectors I’ve seen in recent years. This is no bad thing - actually it’s quite a good thing, because this little projector serves a dual purpose. What’s more, it does both very well.
As a lantern, you get a decent amount of light from the white-light LEDs, which is projected outwards from the side. Flip the switch and that same light is then directed upwards to project the constellations out through the star patterns on the dome.
Operation is easy enough for kids to do, which you’d expect for something they might be carrying around, and because it’s LED lighting it won’t get hot. There’s no automatic shut-off with this projector though, so you’ll need to remember to turn it off.
On the downside, the Starry Night Lantern is all plastic. The finish is nice and it does look good, but don’t expect to be able to treat it like you would a ‘regular’ lantern. Clarity of star projection also loses something with distance, so you might struggle a bit with getting good star patterns on the ceiling from this lamp located on a bedside table. However, take it on a camping trip and use it in the tent and it’s perfect - just what this lamp looks like it was designed for.
Astro Star Lamp Kit
It's a star projector lamp
  |
Featuring a rotating base with compass-point alignments, the Astro Star can be set up to project the stars as you would see them from your location and the time of year.
Having a compact and lightweight construction, this planetarium projector can be positioned anywhere around the home to produce the ambience of the night sky in the bedroom, lounge, bathroom… The Astro Star comes in kit form, so you need to put it together yourself, and it also requires 2 AA batteries. |
Astro Star Projector Review
It's cheap and cheeful... and DIY!
The Astro Star Lamp Kit is one of those things I’d describe as needing to try for yourself before deciding whether you really liked it. Don’t get me wrong, any planetarium projector for the home is a good investment in my book, but ones like this fit a niche that’s more fun and gadget than serious and educational.
Having said that, there’s a lot to be learnt in putting this star projector together. You may find that the instructions are a little less than perfect, but by following the illustrations and some common sense you can get this little projector up and running pretty quickly.
With regard to how well it projects, then I’d advise you not to expect too much. Like many of the lower-end Galaxy night light projectors, the smaller and darker the room, the better. In addition, you might want to bear in mind that this thing also drains batteries quite well, so get some rechargeables in if you intend to use it a lot.
Finally, the somewhat contradictory Astro Star Lamp undeniably does what it says on the tin. It projects the stars pretty well, is a fun project for kids to get involved with making and, in my opinion, would create a really neat atmosphere at a house party when the lights are low. It’d certainly get the guests talking.
  |
There are 100 pieces in this giant 3ft x 2ft puzzle. With bright and colorful illustrations, it even glows in the dark!
|
Can You Imagine Laser Stars Lamp
Featuring holographic technology
  |
Incorporating an LED lamp with a space-themed shade, the dual projection system of the Laser Stars creates an ever changing and multi-dimensional simulation of the night sky.
Using precision optics and laser technology, thousands of stars, shooting stars and gaseous green nebulae can be seen in crystal clarity. The Laser Stars comes with an AC adapter and features a built-in sleep timer to automatically turn off the projector once you’re sound asleep. |
Laser Stars Lamp Review
A variation on the original Laser Stars
The Laser Stars Lamp is a variation on the original Laser Stars planetarium projector. I’m a big fan of these devices, partly because they do a good job as a home star projector and partly because they are star-shaped themselves, which I think is a nice feature.
The stars projected from the Laser Stars Lamp are pretty, they project over a good area and rotate around. They have a greenish tinge to them and are best seen against white, or light-colored, surfaces. The patterns of the stars don’t really form any recognizable constellations, but there’s lots of them, and swirling clouds too. All in all, watching the Laser Stars projector in action is a very pleasant experience.
From the above picture, you can see that the Laser Stars projects at an angle, rather than straight up. This may cause an issue, as there is the potential to look into the light being projected (and it is quite bright) - but, the manufacturer has included a fail-safe for just this eventuality, turning off the projection when you stand in front of it. There's also an automatic timer that will turn off the projector after one hour, should you forget or fall asleep.
The addition of the LED lamp with space-themed shade is another nice touch. The shade itself comes in two designs - one with planets and one with the moon and some stars. This Laser Stars night light projector is a very popular purchase and is usually highly rated.
Chicco Goodnight Stars Projector
Creates a magical bedtime atmosphere
  |
The Chicco Goodnight Stars Projector adds a soothing musical accompaniment to its enchanting light show of color-changing stars.
As well as the classical melodies, nature sounds and lullabies, the Goodnight Stars also features a cute, plush doll that can be detached from the night light for bedtime cuddles. The Goodnight Stars requires 3 AA batteries, comes in blue or pink colors and is suitable for babies and toddlers. |
Goodnight Stars Projector Review
Good night... sleep tight
The Chicco Goodnight Stars Projector is the first of the reviews on this site that deals with Galaxy night light projectors for the very young. Actually, Galaxy would be pushing it a little, as star projectors for babies and toddlers are not normally designed to be educational, but more as a comfort and a sleeping aid.
The stars projected from the Chicco Goodnight Stars are nice, they change color, but they don’t move. Some of the planetarium projectors intended for older kids sometimes incorporate a motor to rotate the star field around to simulate the rotation of the Earth (and consequently the stars) throughout the night. This may be a bit of a distraction if it’s time for sleep, so star projectors for younger children are almost always modelled on the simple and cute.
The Goodnight Stars Projector comes with music, which plays on a loop at an acceptable volume. There’s no volume control however, just switches to turn the light on/off and for the music. On the rear there’s also another switch to set the Goodnight Stars to ‘lamp-only mode’. In other words, the body of the projector will glow (it does anyway), but without projecting the stars. I think this is quite a neat touch if you just want to use this night light as… well, just a night light.
The Chicco Goodnight Stars Projector comes with a soft toy, which attaches to a cloth star fixed onto the light. Again, it’s another nice touch that this projector comes with something extra. In terms of your kids getting the most out of this projector, I think the age-range that it’s pitched at doesn’t really lend itself to that. This is a night light projector purely intending to provide a little comfort in the bedroom and to get your loved-ones off to sleep. Does it do that? You betcha.
  |
Choose between four different LED color settings - Orange, Blue, Green and auto color changing mode.
Easy to clean and designed with children in mind, 3 x AA batteries provide 60+ nights of sleep time (45 minutes of usage per night). |
Twilight Constellation Night Light StarBee
Cute as a bug's ear... literally!
  |
With a durable construction and ROHS compliant materials, the Twilight Constellation Galaxy StarBee is perfectly suited to transform your little-one’s bedroom into a starry sanctuary.
Like all the Beetlestars in this collection, the Galaxy StarBee can be illuminated in three different color modes, and features touch-activated on/off with a 45-minute sleep timer. The Twilight Constellation Galaxy Beetlestar is available in either Blue/White, Red/Black, Pink/White and Yellow/Black, and requires 3 AA batteries (not included). |
Twilight Constellation StarBee Review
One of range of Twilight Constellation Night Lights
Have you ever heard of Twilight Constellations? No? Then where have you been? Joking aside, these things are hot - not literally, but you know what I mean. I’ve yet to hear of a kid who doesn’t like these little star projectors and parents, well they love them even more. So, plaudits out of the way, what do you get?
The Galaxy Beetlestar StarBee is one of a range of Galaxy night light projectors in the shape of cute bugs. They’re battery-operated, touch-activated, made of high-impact plastic which is easy to clean, they contain no nasty substances, and did I mention that they were cute?
There’s a 45-minute timer on the Beetlestars to conserve battery power - in fact, the manufacturer states that you’ll get about two months’ worth of operation from this, if used every night, from one set of batteries. As with the Chicco Goodnight Stars shown above, the stars don’t move but they do change color. There are two settings for this - you can either have them fixed on orange, blue or green, or alternating between the three.
Whether they’re relatively inexpensive or cost a lot of money, star projectors are an investment for a number of reasons, and to get the most out of them they need a little care. So, like all of the Galaxy star projectors shown on this site (and especially the ones for little children), please stick to the manufacturer’s instructions when using them.