How To Read A Star Chart
These days people are not really used to looking up for the stars and in many places, due to man-made light pollution, the night sky looks pretty empty anyway. For many, navigating the night sky can be overwhelming at first, particularly from dark locations.
Traditionally, star charts and planispheres were the tools of reference to help amateur astronomers to orient themself during their stargazing sessions. But they also were an invaluable tool for sailors, enabling them to navigate at sea by night.
Today, planispheres are a popular gadget among amateur astronomers: you can buy one for a few bucks or get one for free when subscribing to an astronomy magazine. Or, you can even print one by yourself.
But star charts, and planispheres, in particular, can be a bit off-putting if you have never used them before.
So, let’s learn how to use it.
Are Star Charts Useful?
They sure were, for astronomers as well as for sailors sailing through the night. In today’s digital world, though, many outstanding astronomy apps are just one tap away on your smartphone.
Nonetheless, a planisphere is still a nice educational instrument for learning about the sky. It gives you a quick overview of the stars and constellations in the entire night sky, horizon to horizon, as visible for your location.
What Are The Limitations Of Star Charts And Planisphere?
Planispheres and star charts do have some limitations.
While star charts and planispheres pack a lot of info, apps such as Stellarium and SkySafari provide a ton more information. With those apps, you can get detailed info on stars, planets and deep sky objects, simulate the exact field of view of your instrument, easily move back and forward in time, and even control your mount.
Astronomy apps for smartphones are also much easier to use: simply point your phone at the sky to see on screen what is in the part of the sky you are framing.
Because of the small font often used in star charts and planispheres, they could prove rather hard to read at night. Continue Reading → Click Here.