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Awards & Reviews

See what the experts are saying about Starry Night astronomy software and DVDs!




Starry Night®
Software and DVDs

Starry Night Pro Plus

Starry Night Pro


Starry Night Enthusiast

Starry Night Complete Space & Astronomy Pack

Starry Night Constellation Adventure

Starry Night High School

Starry Night Middle School


Starry Night 4-DVD Gift Set

Starry Night Pro Plus



Craig Nelson, Pro Plus 6.0.4 user
I just wanted to congratulate you. You have successfully mapped the night sky and I wanted to thank you for that. It is a BEAUTIFUL piece of software and I love it every night from the comfort of my armchair. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I hope you're really sellin 'em because it's such a worthy product. Something of this caliber does not come along very often this day and age. So in a word: thank you for bringing me happiness every night and congratulations. I hope you conquer the sky with Starry Night!

David Levy, Jarnac Observatory 4/2006
...Starry Night has been invaluable in my dissertation research about the night sky in Shakespeare's time. Thanks to Starry Night I relived the total solar eclipse in Barcelona in October 1605, and am trying to get a better understanding of Shakespeare's references to eclipses by studying which eclipses were visible in Stratford during his early life and which were visible in London during his later life. Starry Night has been invaluable for this research, thank you.

David Ratledge, Sky & Telescope Magazine 4/2006
It's first and foremost planetarium software, and if you wish to recreate the majesty of the night sky indoors then it's hard to imagine how it could be improved. I had many happy hours just admiring the view. When that view is projected onto a large screen, it's awesome... So will I be changing from my favorite software? ... for planetarium shows the answer is a resounding yes.

MacAddict 1/2006
For hardcore astronomers, Starry Night [Pro Plus] is the ultimate observation aid.
MacAddict Rated: 5 of 5 stars= Awesome

MacCompanion December 2005
Starry Night Pro Plus is a wonderful tool for any astronomer. It is rich with information and features. It is a must have for anyone truly interested in astronomy. I give this program top ratings!

SkyNews May/June 2005
Visually, the software is stunning in its realism, and it is seemingly endless in its capabilities…For aficionados of high-end software that does it all (just listing the features would take more space than available here), this is one impressive package.


Starry Night Pro
2003- Apple Design Award (WWDC)- Most Innovative Product Runner Up
Fall 2001- Parents' Choice Gold Award
2000 Codie Award- Best School Based Education Product
MacWorld Magazine 3/2005
Both Starry Night versions, Enthusiast and Pro, offer a wealth of astronomical information… this appealing program will be the perfect ticket to a voyage into any night sky.

FCPS Technology Assessment 11/2004
The Starry Night Pro 5.0 Software program is an excellent way to learn more about the heavens above. … the program is rock solid, and it did not crash one time in over four hours of constant use controlling a telescope…. For the retail price of $149.99, this software can't be beat by any of its major competitors for value and functionality…


Starry Night Enthusiast

2004- Codie Award- Best Lifelong Learning Product
Summer 2004- Parents' Choice Gold Award
Reader's Digest 8/2004
Perhaps the most impressive instructional software we've seen on stargazing is produced by space.com. One of their programs is the new Starry Night Enthusiast.

SkyNews Product Review 7/2004
For Mac and PC users, the $60 Starry Night Enthusiast will serve beginners well, but the $150 Starry Night Pro is worth the extra cost, both for the added objects displayed and for "Go To" telescope control. … Generalists, space-exploration fans and planetary observers (because of its close-up views) would do well with Starry Night.

MyMac.com 5/21/2004
All in all, this is one amazing piece of software… I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in watching the night sky.

Twincities.com 4/22/2004
The best on the market, in my opinion, is called Starry Night. It is absolutely wonderful for the beginner. - Mike Lynch

Computer Active Magazine 4/2/2004
Starry Night Enthusiast is an interactive guide to the universe that allows stargazers to watch the skies and beyond from the comfort of their own homes.

Guymon Daily Herald 1/26/2004
Whether you are a novice astronomy enthusiast or someone with a lot of experience identifying those distant wonders, this software is a must-have. Anyone with a love of astronomy will find this both beneficial and fun. -Michael Wright

PC World 1/7/2004
If all the news about Mars exploration has you eyeing the night sky, wondering what the heck you're looking at, you may want to pick up a copy of the astronomy programs from Starry Night. The software is the premier stargazing helper for both the Mac and PC.
Astronomy 2004
If you've ever been interested in the stars and planets but have found other star-gazing software far too boring, this little gem is sure to recapture that childlike feeling of awe and wonder that you get when staring at the heavens. Highly recommended.

Starry Night Complete Space and Astronomy Pack Deluxe
2005- ALSC Notable Computer Software for Children
2004- Children's Software Revue All Star Award
Fall 2004- Parents' Choice Silver Award Winner
PC Magazine 12/14/2004
Experienced astronomy buffs and novice stargazers alike will flip for this marvelous package. … The truly intuitive interface lets everyone in on the fun.

Philadelphia Inquirer 12/9/2004
The program [CSAP], useful for both home and school, makes it easy to set your clock, latitude and longitude, and see a dynamic view of your sky.

Boston Herald 11/29/2004
Starry Night, a software program for PCs or Macs running OS X, is for the masses who have been blessed with curiosity but not a great deal of astronomical knowledge. Loading the nifty program onto a computer… is a lot like hiring an astronomer to accompany you into the backyard.

Smart Computing 11/2004
4.7 of 5 stars. [Highest rated] It manages to balance a staggering array of options with an easy, intuitive interface… Perhaps the most outstanding of this program's many fine features is its emphasis on realistic visual depiction through its well-implemented use of OpenGL graphics technology.

Popular Science 10/19/2004
5 of 5 stars: The night sky is a wonderful place, but it's easy enough to get lost - the Complete Space and Astronomy Pack contains everything you need to find your way around, and find out some amazing new facts. http://www.popularscience.co.uk/software/rev10.htm

Houston Chronicle 10/5/2004
Wow factor aside, Starry Night excels at practical, feet on the ground stuff. … Altogether, this planetarium in a box is, well, stellar. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/business/2830427

Science Activities Fall 2004
The innovative Sky Guide browser helps students identify stars, planets, and constellations from different angles… The Starry Night Complete Space & Astronomy Pack, Deluxe Edition offers a complete package to first-time users that gets them up and viewing in minutes.

Children's Software & New Media Revue Fall 2004
All things considered, this is an ideal package [CSAP] for either novice or expert astronomers who want to know a bit more about their backyard view of the universe. Recommended for both home and school settings.

Starry Night Constellation Adventure
Spring 2006- Parents' Choice Silver Award Winner
Arkansas Democrat Gazette 4/2006
This software is ideal for that young, future astronaut who finds the greatest fascination with the stars, or even that adult who can’t help but gaze up at the night sky.

Education
2006-Starry Night Middle School- CODIE Award Finalist "Best Instructional Solution: Science"
2006-Starry Night High School- CODIE Award Finalist "Best Instructional Solution: Science"
2006-Starry Night Middle School- BESSIE Award "Best Software in Middle School:Science"
2006-Starry Night High School- BESSIE Award "Best Software in High School:Science"
2006- Starry Night Middle School has passed the Legal and Social Compliance Review in California for classroom use!
2006- Starry Night Middle School Adopted by Arkansas State Board of Education
2005- Starry Night Middle School and High School recommended as Basal Textbook in New Mexico (Excel file)
2005- Starry Night High School recommended as a Basal Textbook for both Astronomy and Earth Systems in Utah (Under Publisher "Imaginova")



BESSIE Awards
... such unique and compelling experiences that it is destined to change lives.

NSTA Recommends 4/2006
Starry Night High School is a great choice for a department in which there is a science course with at least a semester dedicated to astronomy. The high school edition includes units on the Earth, Moon, Sun, solar system, stars and constellations, Sun as a star, stars and galaxies, and exploration of space.

KLIATT 3/2006
Starry Night is a dynamic multimedia program that would complement and enhance classroom teaching and library research on the subject of astronomy.

The Washington Times 6/2005
The wonders of the universe open up to younger students through a program as visually exciting as it is intellectually stimulating… Starry Night Middle School excels at all teaching levels for the self-directed student, home-schooler or amateur stargazer. -Joseph Szadkowski

Learning Magazine 4/2004
A planetarium in your classroom! With this CD-ROM students can see how the sky looks from anywhere on Earth or from any body in the solar system and identify each constellation. Includes a teacher's manual, reproducible activities, tests, and more.

DVDs
Starry Night® 4-DVD Gift Set 2005 Parents' Choice Recommended Award Winner
Eyes on Mars 2004 Parents' Choice Recommended Award Winner
Comet Hunters/Asteroid Seekers 2005 Telly Winner for Education Video
Eyes on Mars 2005 Telly Winner for Multimedia Video
Searching for SuperStars 2005 Telly Finalist for Education Video
Danger! Solar Storm 2005 Telly Finalist for Multimedia Video

NSTA Recommends 4/2006
The Starry Night series includes multimedia astronomy programs that have all been highly recommended in this system. There are separate editions designed for middle school and high school classes, a "Pro" edition for real enthusiasts, and accompanying curriculum materials. Considering the wealth of material included in each package, the appropriate edition from the Starry Night series would be a worthwhile purchase for a school.

Larry Combs, NOAA Space Weather Center 3/2006
The whole set [Starry Night Classroom Edition DVDs] gave an overall presentation that was put together very well. The sequence was good, choice of images and animation presented well, easy to follow, and not too technical for teachers and students to understand. We liked it a lot.

Lunar & Planetary Laboratory 4/2005
I want to congratulate you and also thank you for such a fine piece of work, there, in/on "Comet Hunters / Asteroid Seekers". It's great!! - Joe Montani

Lunar & Planetary Information Bulletin 2004
With more than two-and-a-half hours of content, it [Eyes on Mars] presents a documentary about the ongoing quest to fully understand the mysteries of Mars; a 3-D computer-generated simulation of a Mars mission, detailing the launch, flight, and landing of the Mars Exploration Rovers; and a look at Mars missions of the past- the successes and the failures- and the robotics we set there.

Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of the Mars Society 9/2003
Eyes on Mars' is a fresh, brilliant, cinematic telling of the need and the ways to get Humanity to Mars. Scientifically accurate and culturally rich, it's a great DVD for anyone who cares about Mars - or about Earth's future.

Bruce Von Stiers 3/8/2004
Features of this DVD product [Eyes on Mars] include 3-D simulations, history of the fascination about Mars and interviews with experts on all things dealing with the Red Planet. … Eyes on Mars is a great way to start learning about Mars exploration.