Voyage Through the Solar System-

This multimedia space adventure has been available for several years. In 1995 I did a review of this program which at that point contained some pretty bizarre astrology references. Any objectionable material has now been removed from this upgrade and a spectacular video collection has emerged.

"Voyage Through the Solar System" opens with a full screen shot of the solar system. Click on any object you see and you will be transported to a video lecture dealing with that particular item. The video footage is wonderful and well worth the time. The lectures are rather scientific and may go over the head of many elementary aged students. All nine planets, the asteroid belt, the sun and a clip dealing with satellites are included. There is no mention about the recent "demotion" of Pluto from planet status, so make sure your children are aware of the continuing controversy surrounding this planet. Recent photos from the Hubbell space telescope are particularly interesting to view. There are several photos of the Shoemaker-Levy encounter on Jupiter.

The videos and photos included on the CD are breathtaking. The lectures are interesting and extremely educational. There are well written text documents for each item. The video and lecture clips have an almost Hollywood feel to them. There is a general lack of interactivity however. You feel as if you are watching a lecture and reading a text book. The program is well done, but do not expect your children to be drawn in to "participate" in this program. This is a great introduction for an child ten and older, but most serious astronomers will want to move on to something more once they have perused this program. It will remain a wonderful reference with probably the best quality pictures available, but it won't go much beyond that.

Voyage Through the Solar System:

Educational value- 4
Entertainment value- 3
Age- ten and older in my opinion

System requirements- Windows- 386/33 MHz+, Window 3.1+, 8 MB RAM, 256-color monitor with 640x480 resolution, MPC-compatible sound card. MAC- MAC 68030+, System 7+, 8 MB RAM, 256-color monitor or better and 640x480 resolution. $49.95 or $69.95 with teacher's manual from Palo/Haklar Multimedia at (213)461-0982.