Celestial map or something like it for a gift

[jair101]

Hello stargazers

Here is the story. My girlfriend is shortsighted (i guess the scientific term is myopia?) and she always complains that she can't see the stars focused, even with glasses. Don't know if it is a fault of her glasses, but that's irrelevant. Anyway, since her birthday is coming up I decided to solve the problem drastically and I've  been silently reading many, many threads in the last few days. First I thought I could get some telescope with my pathetic budget (100 gbp tops), I quickly realized I can't buy anything more then a toy. So I switched to binoculars and selected Helios Fieldmaster 10x50. Should be a good beginner device serving some extra purpose becides stargazing as we love to travel a lot. If we get hooked up, we can save for a proper telescope later. 

So with the most important part of the gift selected I am looking for something to add a cherry on the top. I am thinking about some good quality celestial map that we can hang on the wall and put pins in the observed objects. Any recommendations? I thought about some pocket sky atlas, but we will most probably use some of the decent mobile apps (sky safari, google star chart, stellarium, etc) for that purpose. 

Anyway, I am basically looking for some quality add-on to the binocular. Doesn't need to serve some important purpose, just needs to inspire you to go out and look! I guess this will be the flashy part of the gift. Maybe some celestial map jigsaw puzzle? Don't know, hopefully you catch my drift and can help

Thanks in advance. 

[Steve Ward]

Something like this ... ? ... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ravensburger-Celestial-Piece-Jigsaw-Puzzle/dp/B000E93J00

Or maybe a celestial or Moon globe ... https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=moon+globe&tbm=shop... https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#tbm=shop&q=celestial+globe

[mrthingyx]

Had a thought about doing something like this for my dad and - through a combination of research and a colleague who used to work at CUP - came up with this as a very detailed map...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/interstellarum-Deep-Sky-Atlas-Edition/dp/1107503388

Hope it helps.

[ghostdance]

In terms of a *chart* to put on the wall, search Amazon or Google for 'Orion Deep Map 600', it's about £17- £18 UK + shipping. I guess you'd use Amazon Europe from Sofia? Pretty extensive 'road map' of the Northern hemisphere. You have to flip it for the polar constellations tho....

Found the link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orion-DeepMap-Folding-Star-Chart/dp/B0000XMUE6

[almcl]

Another thought, which you may be able to do for free, is to download the Periodic Table of Messier objects by Mike Keith http://cosmicneighbors.net/Periodic/3200.jpg and print it out as large as you can (I used several sheets of A4 to produce a chart about a metre wide) and work through these with the binoculars.

[jair101]

Thanks for the ideas. 

I've looked in to Orion Deep Map 600 and it comes highly recommended. However, it is folded and I am not sure if it will look good on a wall. The Interstellarium atlas also looks nice, but if I had the money I'd rather spend the extra 50gbp on better binocular

I found this, not sure if it will be good, but at least its cheap enough: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Map-of-the-Sky-Posters_i1214549_.htm

Thanks again. 

[ahernep]

Hey,

This was a good Messier one somebody posted here a while back - http://www.amazon.com/American-Educational-Elements-Universe-Poster/dp/B005QEHU4Y/ref=sr_1_1/178-3964795-3944152?ie=UTF8&qid=1434279871&sr=8-1&keywords=messier+objects+poster

Thanks,
Peter.

[ghostdance]

Thanks for the ideas. 

I've looked in to Orion Deep Map 600 and it comes highly recommended. However, it is folded and I am not sure if it will look good on a wall.

I found this, not sure if it will be good, but at least its cheap enough: http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Map-of-the-Sky-Posters_i1214549_.htm

Thanks again. 

Good point - I hadn't thought about the aesthetics!

The poster you linked to looks OK and importantly, from what you say, looks good to boot