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Rating: 
Summary: A Great Way to Learn the Nighttime Sky
Review: For the beginning amateur astronomer there is no better aid to learning the stars and constellations than a planisphere - and I think David Levy's new rendition of this old device is as good as they come. Basically a planisphere is starmap printed on one of two plastic disks which are joined together in the center and free to rotate. Around the edge of one disk are the days of the year while the other disk has the hours of the day. By setting the time, on one disk, opposite the date on the other, it is possible for you to see the sky, through a window in the top disk, as it would appear at that particular day and time. There are several thing about David Levy's planisphere that recommend it. To begin with it is BIG, 16 inches in diameter to be precise, and the printing is large and easy to read. Secondly, it is a good representation of the sky showing only those stars visible to the unaided eye. Finally, the reverse side contains information about the Moon, planets, meteor showers and a listing of interesting galaxies and star clusters visible in binoculars or a small telescope. If you are a beginning "Stargazer", or thinking about becoming one, this should be your first acquisition.
Rating: 
Summary: a very decent jumbo planisphere
Review: Pros: -all plastic (not paper or laminated paper)...won't get soggy if it gets wet
-kids will probably like the jumbo 16" diameter size (it is also available in 11" diameter size)
-useful information on the front and back (like meteor shower dates)
-works for latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees North
-several lesser-known stars are named; for example Zaurak, Sabik and Algorab
-a lot less crowded than smaller planispheres Cons: -For its jumbo size, I was expecting more celestial objects & detail...the dimmer, harder-to-find Messier objects are not shown. But it looks like it was designed more for beginners, in which case this makes good sense.
-Messier objects are marked by a letter, and you must flip the planisphere over to 'decipher' the letter. For example, M35 in Gemini is simply labelled as 'H'. It should just be labelled as 'M35' on the front in the first place.
-sometimes the same letter represents two or three seperate Messier objects. For example, M36, M37, and M38 in Auriga are all designated by three seperate letter 'F's. The description on the back distinguishes them seperately, but it's annoying.
-floppy due to it being relatively thin for its size A planisphere like this is essenial for beginners to learn the night sky. If you are more advanced and need more detail, get a star map (but you'll probably still use your planisphere too).
Rating:
Summary: a very decent jumbo planisphere
Review: Pros: -all plastic...won't get soggy if it gets wet
-useful information on the front and back (like meteor shower dates)
-works for latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees North
-several lesser-known stars are named; for example Zaurak, Sabik and Algorab
-a lot less crowded than smaller planispheres Cons: -only about 25-30 of the brighter Messier objects are shown. Fainter objects, like M33 are not shown. For its size, a lot more celestial objects could've been fitted in.
-Messier objects are marked by a letter, and you must flip the planisphere over to 'decipher' the letter. For example, M35 in Gemini is simply labelled as 'H'. It should just be labelled as 'M35' on the front in the first place.
-sometimes the same letter represents two or three seperate Messier objects. For example, M36, M37, and M38 in Auriga are all designated by three seperate letter 'F's. The description on the back distinguishes them seperately, but it's annoying.
-floppy due to it being relatively thin for its size I use this planisphere a lot and enjoy it.
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