In 1609, world-renowned Italian scientist, Galileo Galilei, introduced an elementary telescope to the growing astronomy community which sparked interest into the mysterious night sky for centuries to come. Four centuries later, in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, Celestron offers the portable FirstScope Telescope. The FirstScope pays tribute to Galileo Galilei and many of history’s most notable astronomers and scientists by displaying their names around the optical tube. We honor the contributions of these men and women, who brought us one step closer to understanding the universe around us.

The AntWorks (TM) out of this world story!

AntWorks is based on a 2003 NASA Space Shuttle experiment to study animal life in space and test how ants successfully tunnel in microgravity.

Our wooden-boxed brass sundial is a completely self-contained portable instrument, inspired by a design from the 18th century instrument maker Peter Dollond, founder of a great optical empire. The original is in the London Science Museum. Instruments like this were once used by explorers and navigators to tell the time anywhere in the world. For this to be possible, the gnomon, which casts the shadow, can be set for latitude on a sliding scale and the whole instrument oriented for direction by means of a magnetic compass in the base. Height adjustable legs ensure that the instrument is used upright. Box measures 4" square, 2.5" tall.

The planetarium is a globe of the night sky that projects the stars onto your walls and ceiling. The globe slowly revolves to show how the stars move across the night sky! Listen to an audio track describe the mysterious zodiac.

Read more about ancient Greek and Roman star legends in the accompanying manual.

Turn your PC into an astronomical observatory with the Cyber-Sky CD-ROM a fun, educational astronomy program packed with information about the night sky.

And then, when you have finished learning, it becomes a soothing night light. Watch the stars on your ceiling as you drift off to sleep. Requires 6 x AA batteries

From first scientific toys that used animated images to modern movies, retinal persistence has been fundamental to fooling the mind into believing that a series of static images are in motion.

In1834, the English mathematician George Horner proposed a practical apparatus based on the phenakistoscope of Plateau and Stampfer (1830). It eliminated the need for a mirror and it enabled several people at the same time to view the moving pictures- an advance over the single spectator of the earlier toy.

Includes 14 animated strips.

Earth by day - space by night - two globes in one! In the daylight the 21cm world map shows geographic features. By night the illuminated star map shows 88 constellations. A light sensor automatically turns globe to the illuminated night view when it gets dark. Elegant design. A fascinating tool for geographers and astronomers alike. New and unique globe