Using Uranometria for Large Dobsonian Observing

[astrolunartick]

Hi Scopers

I wanted to find out more about the Uranosmetria all sky Atlas I am making a 20 inch Dobsonian and would like a more detailed sky map than my Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky atlas.

Does any one out there use it? can you tell me your thoughts on it and can you suggest any other detailed Sky atlases out there?

[jetstream]

I have, like and use Uranometria 2000, it is quite a book. I also like the Tri Atlas, possibly even better- both are great, one is free..... The Tri Atlas has a few versions, each one deeper, I use A and B. http://www.uv.es/jrtorres/triatlas.html

[jetstream]

I also use these sites to help with things. Many thanks to those members who shared them with me, I'll pass it along.

http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/ , http://www.ngcicproject.org/pubdb.htm , http://www.deepskylog.org/index.php?indexAction=quickpick&titleobjectaction=Search&source=quickpick&myLanguages=true&object=NGC+3626

When I wondered about DSO (galaxies in particular) these sites were given to me to help understand how they are listed at the magnitudes they are.

[wavydavy]

Yeah I use uranometria, I even have the southern hemisphere.............both great atlases.

[astrolunartick]

I have, like and use Uranometria 2000, it is quite a book. I also like the Tri Atlas, possibly even better- both are great, one is free..... The Tri Atlas has a few versions, each one deeper, I use A and B. http://www.uv.es/jrtorres/triatlas.html

Thank you Gerry those are some very handy sites.

[acey]

i enjoyed using Uranometria with my 8 inch but for dark-site viewing with my 12-inch I generally prefer something deeper. TriAtlas is good but my favourite is Great Atlas Of The Sky, sadly out of print. For viewing at a less-than-dark site with any amount of aperture (i.e. viewing only the brightest NGCs) then Uranometria would probably go deep enough. If going off-NGC at a dark site then TriAtlas or similar is to be preferred. If buying Uraometria it's essential to get both volumes (or the single-volume all-sky set). The books are well bound, printed on thick paper, and stand up well to dewing. Only downside is that you have to pay for all the work that's gone into them, something that people seem reluctant to do nowadays.

[mjpfc]

I got my Uranometria through S and T in the states and it was delivered to the Uk in around two weeks.

I have the three Volume set:   1= northern sky       2= Southern sky       

Volume three is a list of all the   NCG / IC / UGC / MGC DSOs also including many Abell objects with their 

positions, Sizes, Specific type data (especially for Galaxies) and Visual / Photographic Magnitudes.

As good as it is it cannot have all the stars you will see through an 8" scope, but will get you to the nearest

Mag 9.7 star close to your quarry.

Volume 3 gives you the option of using your setting circles to point the scope at Targets too, and is fully cross-refered

to the map pages (Vols 1 and 2) for each object.

I sound like an advert, but it's a pretty fine set of books I would say

Mick

[StarSapling]

I've been using Wil Tirion's SkyAtlas 2000.0 for over 25 years now and am quite happy with it.  It show stars down to a magnitude of 8.1, which pretty much matches what I see through my 6x30 finder scopes, which really helps with star hopping to object locations.