Stellector: a laser aided night sky explorer for teaching astronomy

Abstract

We present a device, created by us and named Stellector, composed by a laser pointer which is precisely guided by two step motors with the purpose to explore and teach astronomy concepts having the real night sky in the background. The electronic part is made of low cost items and the mechanical part is 3D printed. The controller software was written in HTML/Javascript language in order to run in any portable communication device, such as smartphones and tablets. Communication with the Stellector hardware is via Bluetooth standard. These characteristics ensure the necessary portability and autonomy for outdoor astronomy teaching activities. In this work, we sketch the Stellector design and its mode of operation. We also illustrate some teaching activities involving basic night sky observations and astronomy concepts. Finally, we discuss the device limitations, its accuracy and further improvements.