SkyScout offers celestial pointers

It used to be that only book-consuming astronomy nerds could point out the spiral galaxy M61 or the Crab Nebula in the night sky. Now anyone can sound like an astro pro without having to crack a book.

Celestron, the makers of telescopes, binoculars and microscopes, offers the SkyScout, a hand-held device about the size of a camcorder. Point the lens at any bright light in the sky, push a button and a screen tells you what you are seeing.

The SkyScout uses GPS technology and Earth’s magnetic and gravitational pull to identify what you are seeing. You also can hear a description of the celestial object using earphones that plug into the device.

The SkyScout sells for $399 and is available at Brookstone, Sharper Image, REI and astronomy equipment stores.