In the Search for a Modern Educational Sky Simulator at the Beginning of the Digital Age

The Digital Age has brought the most significant changes in the fascinating world of planetarium. Since 1998, in the whole world, several firms and hundreds of specialists are in a competition to develop theoretical and innovative technical approaches to produce tools that facilitate Space understanding through multimedia virtual simulation. The digital multimedia sky simulator, meaning a specialized software capable to, "navigate" through the stars projected on a screen, is the main new Digital Age change in planetarium world. The multimedia content through CGIs, several projectors simultaneous image, 3D and immersive digital projection are run together by one set of software commands designed on specific methodology. Some kindergarten kids or astronauts enjoy to learn and to visualize the universe using this new educational tool. This paper is meant to help select the modern up-to-date sky simulator you need. One can find a digital multimedia sky simulator as free or expensive, as open source or as a licence based, strategic or almost classified software, able today to deliver more that natural sciences content. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.