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Recommend me a sky atlas!

MjrTom

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MjrTom

MjrTom

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Hello all :rolleyes:

Just a quick question as the title suggests.

I have become over reliant on my IPhone star apps like sky safari but in light of a forthcoming star party I want something printed on paper so I don't kill mine or anyone else's dark adaption

Thanks!

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umadog

umadog

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I like the Sky and Telescope Pocket Atlas. I find it has just the right level of detail to enable me to point the scope at any object I choose using my Telrad. I also have Uranometria, but that's too detailed for naked eye star-hopping and not detailed enough for star-hopping short distances using a low-power eyepiece. Sky Atlas 2000 also looks good and I'm tempted by it. I also have the Cambridge Star Atlas, but I must say that I prefer the Sky and Telescope to that one.

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Jiggy 67

Jiggy 67

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I've got the Sky Atlas 2000 Deluxe Unlaminated (spiral bound). Its a fantastic atlas with an acetone overlay for navigation grids, and a telrad target. Its so nice my wife doesn't like me using it cos its so pretty!!...Difficult to get your hands on in UK but try Sky Atlases - Sky Atlas 2000.0 Deluxe Unlaminated This is far cheaper than some second hand copies in the UK

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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I have not seen Sky Atlas 2000 but I'd suspect that for your apertures (now and what you have said you fancy in the future) you'll find more then enough targets in the small but might S&T Pocket Atlas. It's so cheap that you won't be worried about it getting thumbed, bent and dew soaked either.

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rory

rory

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having read this thread ive ordered a copy of the sky pocket atlas spiral bound for £8.00 on amazon !

have a star atlas 2000.0 which i bought second hand a while back,but i struggle with it a little.

anyone know how do i get hold of telrad overlays ?

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MjrTom

MjrTom

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Thanks Daz

I shall order one from Amazon tomorrow :rolleyes:

With regards to Telrad overlays some books I have seen have the Telrad circles in the books symbol key. Obviously not sure about this book in particular but what I had in mind was to just photocopy that onto some OHP acetate and cut to size.

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rory

rory

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Thanks Daz

I shall order one from Amazon tomorrow :rolleyes:

With regards to Telrad overlays some books I have seen have the Telrad circles in the books symbol key. Obviously not sure about this book in particular but what I had in mind was to just photocopy that onto some OHP acetate and cut to size.

yeah, found on another forum that only the top spec atlas comes with overlays. so im gonna make my own somehow to.

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M4lcs67

M4lcs67

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You all have stolen my thunder a little as I was going to ask the same question. While I do have a couple of astronomy apps on my phone, sometimes it can be helpful to have a quick reference guide to hand. I have just been notified from Amazon that the Philips 2012 Stargazing guide is out. I also have the Stargazers Handbook by Giles Sparrow which is very good but is also quite big and not really suitable as a quick guide.

Well looks like it is going to be a trip to Amazon for me as well for the Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas.

Thanks yet again to you all:)

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MjrTom

MjrTom

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Thanks Damo.

Well took your advice and ordered the pocket sky atlas from Amazon.

It arrived in the post this morning.

It is perfect for what I need and no more being blinded by my smart phone. :rolleyes:

Thanks again for all the help!

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MjrTom

MjrTom

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Thanks Gareth :rolleyes:

I had seen a website which had them listed as printable maps before but decided by the time I have printed them and put them in a binder and such it would be easier and in a more compact package just to buy the sky atlas for eight quid ;)

If I get a much bigger scope I will use a more detailed atlas, for now this pocket atlas meets my needs :o

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M4lcs67

M4lcs67

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MjrTom. You mentioned about the phone apps ruining your dark adaptation SkEye does have a certain amount of red text to counter any unwanted light whereas Google Sky is another matter entirely. In any case I suppose it is always better to err on the side of caution. I ordered my copy of the Pocket Sky Atlas as well. Should be here in a day or so along with the 2012 Philips Stargazing guide.

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MjrTom

MjrTom

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Thanks Malc ;)

It's not so much the apps themselves as a lot of them have a night vision mode which converts the app into red text.

Its more the fact that the iPhone its self cannot have custom colour schemes and even when the brightness is turned down its still too bright.

Take the phone out my pocket turn it on to unlock it and BAM there goes the hard earned dark adaption.... :rolleyes:

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M4lcs67

M4lcs67

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My copy of the Pocket Sky Atlas arrived the other day. Very impressed and the recommendations of it seem well founded. I do however have a question (and forgive me for it appearing to be another of my legendary daft questions, but). I am a little confused by the fact that each chart is split up into Ra 0h to 3h etc. Then it says that this section is best observed evening: Nov to Dec etc. I take it that they are split into 8 x 3 sections to make up a full 24 hour revolution of the earth and also due to the earth being on it's axis it takes into account the various seasons????? Obviously you cannot see Orion fron the UK in the summer months, so you would have to go to the corresponding page in the book to get Orion or any other circumpolar object that you want to see. Also on each page there is a very faint dotted line that separates the various sections. What is that for??????

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umadog

umadog

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The dotted lines are the constellation boundaries. See the inside front cover in case there are other things on the charts you are unsure of.

I don't understand your other question. Google "Right Ascension" and "Declination." An object's declination is fixed for a given latitude. The RA depends on the time of day. I think you have the general idea correct. The charts aren't taking into account the seasons and the Earth being on it's axis, though. The point is that everything in RA 0 to 3 hours will be visible on November evenings, but you'll have to go to the southern hemisphere to see some of those objects. Obviously in the southern hemisphere they'll be having a different season.

Orion is not circumpolar (Circumpolar star - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

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