The Night Sky 30°-40° Star Finder Map Author: David S. Chandler | Language: English | ISBN:
1891938029 | Format: PDF
The Night Sky 30°-40° Star Finder Map Description
Review
Chandler's planisphere is the finest available. -- Terence Dickinson, astronomy textbook author, in SkyNews Magazine --Terence Dickinson
I think The Night Sky is the finest and easiest to use star finding aid in existence. -- Jack Horkheimer, TV's Star Hustler --Jack Horkheimer
Chandler's planisphere is the finest available. -- Terence Dickinson, astronomy textbook author, in SkyNews Magazine --Westways Magazine
From the Publisher
The Night Sky comes in two sizes: Large (8 inch diameter) and Small (5 inch diameter). The large size is best for learning the constellations. The small size is best as a pocket reference to tell you what constellations are up if you are already reasonably familiar with the constellations. In each size the charts are available for different latitude zones.
To find the correct size and latitude zone, use the following ISBN numbers in your Amazon.com search:
The Night Sky 50°-60° (Large), 1891938088 (Small), 1891938096
The Night Sky 40°-50° (Large), 0961320745 (Small), 1891938010
The Night Sky 30°-40° (Large), 0961320753 (Small), 1891938029
The Night Sky 20°-30° (Large), 0961320761 (Small), 1891938037
The Night Sky Southern Hemisphere (Large), 0961320737 (Small), 1891938002
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- Map: 24 pages
- Publisher: David Chandler Co.; Small Plastic 30-40 degrees N Edition edition (January 1, 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1891938029
- ISBN-13: 978-1891938023
- Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 5.1 x 0.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
A rotating starfinder like this one (often referred to as a "Planisphere") effectively shows how the night sky looks at any given time on any night of the year. For instance, if it's 10 p.m. on April 30th, just line up April 30th on the outer wheel with 10 p.m. on the inner wheel. The starfinder will thus display the position and orientation of the constellations that are visible to you at that time. As time passes, celestial objects "drift" from east to west due to the Earth's rotation. Occasional adjustment (rotating the planisphere's inner wheel to keep up with passing time) will sustain an accurate representation. As with any night-time observing aid, it should be viewed with red light.
Planispheres are generally manufactured in incremental versions to accommodate various bandwidths of latitudes from which to use them. For northern latitudes they are most commonly offered in 20/30; 30/40; and 40/50-degree versions. The Night Sky "30-40" matches latitudes from 30 to 40 degrees North, i.e.: - the mid-southern United States. You should select the one that brackets your particular latitude.
Classic boundaries of the constellations are highlighted with lines connecting principal stars down to 5th magnitude. A few of the more significant celestial objects are represent as well, i.e.: - M31. Right Ascension and Declination scales are provided. The front side shows the sky as you face north. Turning the planisphere over (from front to back) shows the sky as it looks facing south - and without distortion.
A good starfinder is a useful tool, and Chandler's Night Sky planisphere has become my personal favorite. It makes for a good learning device as well, and is the planisphere of choice for Terrence Dickinson ("The Backyard Astronomer's Guide").
The Night Sky 30°-40° Star Finder Map Preview
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