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The 5 best star projectors that are accurate in 2024

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The Sega Homestar Flux star projector against a starry background.
Sega Toys

Tech doesn’t have to be all about smartphones, tablets, and other devices that connect us to one another. There’s a whole other world out there, in fact, and a great piece of tech to connect one to the rest of the universe is a star projector. A star projector uses lasers or other forms of light to project a map of the night sky onto a wall, ceiling, or entire room. They may not be the same experience as getting lost in the best space photos of all time, but the best star projectors can be educational, fun, or create a great atmosphere for sleeping. We’ve scoured the market and have tracked down what we feel are the best star projectors. You’ll find selections for the best star projector for kids and the best star projector if you have a lot of money to spend, among others. Read onward for our selections, and to learn a little bit about which star projector is best for you.

The best star projectors in 2024

  • Buy the if you want the best star projector overall.
  • Buy the if you want the best premium star projector.
  • Buy the if you want the best star projector for kids.
  • Buy if you want the best star projector for learning.
  • Buy if you want the best portable star projector.

Sega Homestar Flux

Best star projector overall

The Sega Homestar Flux star projector against a starry background.
Sega Toys
Pros Cons
Projects more than 60,000 stars Additional star discs are pricey
Detailed sky map
Strong projection power
Expandable with additional star discs
Recommended Videos

We feel the Sega Homestar Flux is the best star projector on the market because of its great value. There are more expensive star projectors out there and they’ll offer quite a bit when it comes to projecting the sky, but the Sega Homestar Flux offers nearly as much and manages a reasonable price point. It utilizes LED technology for projection and includes and adjustable timer, angle, and focus. It comes with two realistic discs and a poster, with more than 30 optional discs available for purchases separately.

Related
Specifications
Dimensions 6.26 x 5.94 x 6.57 in.
Power AC adapter

Dark Skys DS-1

Best premium star projector

The Dark Skys DS-1 projects the night sky onto a ceiling.
Dark Skys
Pros Cons
Detailed mapping Heavy build
Impressive build quality
Super bright LED
Projects more than 4 million stars

The Dark Skys DS-1 is the star projector for you if you’re looking to get serious with your at-home astronomy. In fact, the DS-1 is more than a star projector. It’s an entire home planetarium. It projects more than four million high definition stars onto your rooms, ceiling, or wall. It even has a random shooting star feature for a realistic viewing experience.

Specifications
Dimensions 7 x 11 in.
Power AC adapter

Burnnove Astronaut Galaxy

Best star projector for kids

The Burnnove Astronaut Galaxy and included remote against a colorful background.
Burnnove
Pros Cons
Great value Small projection surface
Cool and fun design

Kids can get in on the night sky fun with the Burnnove Astronaut Galaxy star projector. It’s designed like a little astronaut that can sit or stand on a bookshelf, desk, or bedside table. It has two control methods — by buttons on the back of the astronaut or with an included remote control. Two starry sky modes and five different nebula colors come alongside 17 different light modes. The Astronaut Galaxy star projector even has five different levels of brightness, which can turn it into the perfect night light as well.

Specifications
Dimensions 4.7 x 4.4 x 8.9 in.
Power USB-A to DC

National Geographic Astro Planetarium

Best star projector for learning

Kids gather around the National Geographic Astro Planetarium.
National Geographic
Pros Cons
Super accurate star projections Odd design
Built-in speaker
Battery-powered for mobility

National Geographic is a big name when it comes to the natural world, and it brings some of that world indoors with the National Geographic Astro Planetarium. In fact, it actually will allow you to take it anywhere, as it’s powered by AA batteries. This is the most accurate star projector we could find when it comes to time and day accuracy, and it makes a great option for learning and self-teaching. It has an integrated motor that can show falling stars, and projects the stars onto the ceiling with true time and day accuracy.

Specifications
Dimensions 6.3 x 6.3 x 7.48 in.
Power AA batteries

BlissLights Starport USB

Best portable star projector

The BlissLights Starport USB star projector projects lights onto a wall from a laptop USB port.
BlissLights
Pros Cons
Super compact Not particularly accurate
Bright and expansive

With the BlissLights Starport USB you can take a representation of the night sky anywhere with you. It’s simply a thumb drive with a projector on the end of it, and it allows you to light up your car, office, or other distant destination. It comes with a flexible extender so you can position it perfectly every time you use it. It doesn’t need a power outlet, and can shine from laptops, phone chargers, and anything else with a powered USB port.

Specifications
Dimensions 0.7 x 1.4 x 2.5 in.
Power USB

How we chose these star projectors

We love a starry night as much as the next explorer, and we even have experience with several different star projectors. Additionally, a lot of the technology found in star projectors is similar to the tech we cover regularly. Being in the know about smart home devices and products like the best projectors for home theaters gives us some good insights when it comes to nailing down the best star projectors. We’ve made our selections for the best star projectors with the use cases mentioned above at the forefront, with a some weight leaning toward star projectors we know to be accurate and to hold up over time.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Andrew Morrisey
Andrew Morrisey
Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew has been writing professionally for more than 20 years and has been writing about tech for three of them. His focus at Digital Trends is on deals writing and covering the year’s major sales events. His work in the tech realm also includes contributions to Sporting News, Pocket-lint, and Android Police. In his spare time Andrew enjoys skateboarding, road tripping, and moonlighting as a fiction writer and independent filmmaker.

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