The Night Sky 30°-40° (Large)

Rating:
Summary: A useful tool- convenient; practical; durable.
Review: 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"). It is plastic coated, weatherproof, and very durable. Mine has suffered some clumsy mishaps on a concrete observing pad and endured countless hundreds of dew-polluted evenings, but still looks and functions quite well.

Whatever the venue - binocular, telescope, or just plain naked-eye stargazing, I highly recommend Chandler's Night Sky planisphere. I believe it to be the best choice available.

Rating:
Summary: A useful tool- convenient; practical; durable.
Review: 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"). It is plastic coated, weatherproof, and very durable. Mine has suffered some clumsy mishaps on a concrete observing pad and endured countless hundreds of dew-polluted evenings, but still looks and functions quite well.

Whatever the venue - binocular, telescope, or just plain naked-eye stargazing, I highly recommend Chandler's Night Sky planisphere. I believe it to be the best choice available.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent tool for learning and using the night sky!
Review: Dave Chandler's Night Sky has been a useful toll for me for many years of comet hunting. I began using it 20 years ago to determine what stars I should be seeing near the horizon at the evening and morning twilights. It is very simple to use, both during the day and at night.