Orbits: Voyage Through the Solar System is an edutainment title that was both published and produced by Wintertech. It was released for play in the early nineties, and was often used as companion software in the middle grade science classroom. Voyage Through the Solar System features an easy-to-learn interface that is appropriate for children and an absolute wealth of information that is still relevant in today’s scientific world.
The game is geared roughly for learners of the fifth grade level, but aspiring astronomers of most any age will enjoy it.
Users can learn a variety of things in this program, ranging from the position of the known heavenly bodies to the alleged history of the sun. The game will project futures of many aspects of the solar system, such as changes in the sun over the next five billion years, and also the difference cycles of the comets and other orbiting bodies. Along with the information on the sun, kids will be able to learn the basics of the nuclear process and how it provides heat an energy.
One of the more interesting items that a child can study are the phases of the moon, and the game can provide accurate moon charts, both past and present. Kids can also print out
star charts as companion material for studying the night sky, and the game will identify most major constellations and often provide trivia as to their history and names.
Orbits: Voyage Through the Solar System, aside from having a very easy interface to help navigate the plethora of information, also offers very nice and colorful illustrations that are sure to draw a child’s eye. It is far more in depth than most titles that deal with a similar content and offers timeless information. And, just to make certain that the children (or adults) taking advantage of this nice application are absorbing what it has to offer, the game comes with a variety of quizzes to check your knowledge, making it even more suited for use in the classroom or as a learning tool.
With so much interesting detail and fun socked away in this edutainment game, the art of learning will surely sneak up on you. This application is a great way to introduce kids to the wonders of the universe to which they have every day access. It is also great for classroom use or for adults who want a simplistic refresher.
