QUALITY SKY ATLAS RECOMMENDATION

[bomberbaz]

Hello all.

As the title says i am on the hunt for a decent sky map/atlas. I have a S&T one although it has got a little shabby so on the lookout for something else.

Looking for one that is A4 or A5 (A5 being the most usable at the scope i would think) and moisture/dew resistant and that is well designed and illustrated without being overly complicated.

Also something designed with telrad in mind would be preferable.

Up to around the 50 quid or so mark.

Any ideas?

[michaelmorris]

Some people just buy the sky and telescope  pocket atlas, use it, abuse it, scribble on it then just buy another when it gets too scruffy.

[ngwillym]

Or get the electronic version, print it at whatever size is convenient and then laminate it. Then you only need to take the charts you need for the night's observing with you

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I use the Sky Atlas 2000.0 Deluxe Edition. Works nicely, but I am looking for a more detailed one

[Expat_tony]

I'm gradually building my own from an online resource:

http://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/index.htm

I think Taki should get a medal for what he's done, quite frankly.
On the left sidebar menu you'll find this...

Astronomy

1. Tools for Observation
   1. Double-sided Planisphere (updated on October 30, 2011)
   2. Taki's Star Atlas (updated on April 10, 2013)
   3. Taki's 8.5 Magnitude Star Atlas
   4. Atlas of Double Stars (updated on October 30, 2011)
   5. Index Charts for Palomar Observatory Sky Survey
   6. Figures of Apparent Orbits of Binary Stars

I started with  item 2 when all I had was a Firstscope 76mm tabletop reflector,

But now I use item 3, with stars down to 8.5 mag and DSOs down to god knows what magnitude - I think I've seen a galaxy marked 14mag when cross-checking in Stellarium. At magnifications around 25-35, star hopping is so easy with these A4 sheets. In 2 years of use I've found about 3 errors, all omitted stars of 7 mag or so.

I haven't laminated them, but punched and reinforced holes, then filed them in an A4 binder. I print what I need and when.

I'm not familiar with the S&T atlas, can someone give me a link to the online version and I'll give you my subjective comparison?

[laudropb]

I like the interstellar ism Deep Sky Atlas.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I have used the Sky and Telescope pocket atlas for many years. However, when I want to go deeper I have used the Uranometria 2000.0 detailed atlases. A few months back I obtained a second hand copy of Instellarum Deep Sky Atlas which I really like.

Sometimes the DSO is so difficult to find I need a very detailed map showing stars in the FOV of a particular eyepiece. When this happens I print a specific map from Stellarium.

[Paul73]

If it is to use at the scope, I head for a very dim tablet with Sky Safari Pro. No probs with dark adaption.

All of the information that you will ever need!

I have loads of Atlases for planing purposes. But they all have some sort of drawback. Uranometria is by far the most detailed in 3 heavy volumes. Interstellarium is very well thought of (haven't been able to track down for the right price).

An interim thought is the Cambridge Star Atlas from Astroboot (book section) for £7!!! The maps are good and the targets broadly observable with a normal scope. The paper is a bit thin for prolonged outside use. But it is only £7.

Paul 

[PeterW]

The B series of Jose Torres Tri-Atlas is quite good, print and store in plastic doc wallets to keep them dry. I print off sheets I need and then draw on them, for instance comets, unmarked nebulae. The interstellarum atlas is good, but a bit more costly and larger than you'd specified.

 

cheers

 

peterW

[Paz]

I think the S&T Pocket Atlas fits what you are after the best, being small-ish and simple.

It's fairly dew proof but I use plastic wallets to keep maps dry when observing so I can even take Uranometria out for hours and it comes back in as clean and dry as new!

[John]

I was bought the S & T Pocket Sky Atlas this time last year as a birthday present. With it's help I've had the best year in my 30+ years in the hobby for spotting DSO's. I think very highly of it

 

[FenlandPaul]

+1 for Interstellarum.  You my be able to pick up the Desk Edition within your price range, just about.  CUP occasionally have discount events.  It's a tremendously powerful resource in the field and in the unlikely event of a cloudy night in, it's great to browse through and get lost in pages or plan the next observing session.

Paul

[laser_jock99]

12 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

I use the Sky Atlas 2000.0 Deluxe Edition. Works nicely, but I am looking for a more detailed one

Sky Atlas 2000 is nice, if on the large size (you'll need a table). To use outside in the UK the laminated edition is really useful.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I would add that when I use the Uranometria atlas I put it on a large music stand. I put the stand close to the telescope - it is then easy to switch from map to eyepiece because they are basically at the same height.

[osbourne one-nil]

I won £250 on the local Hundred Club last night. I've just blown half of that on the Interstellarum Field Edition. I've been pondering getting myself a Nexus DSC or Argo Navis, but I've realised over the past few weeks that actually, I like a star map and a Telrad and have been going through "Go Left At Orion" on that basis. I've been looking for something simple and clear and this seemed to tick the bill....the win pushed me towards the field edition! It looks perfect to me and according to the website, can withstand submerging in an aquarium which will make those nights I observe from within an aquarium much less fraught. 

[kerrylewis]

I am a sucker for Sky Atlases and have 'a few'. I tend to differentiate between those to use outdoors and those that I mainly just pore over. For outdoors I completely agree with the recommendations for the S&T pocket one which tends to be the only one that I use outdoors. It's getting a bit tatty now so I've just bought the new 'jumbo' edition. It's hardly jumbo but it is a bit bigger than  the Old one and has a good stiff cover. Fine if you don't actually want to put it in your pocket.

With the other atlases I tend to take disposable photocopies if I want to refer to them outdoors.

i also have various apps but don't refer to them outside (too clumsy with the IPad!) but again plan with them indoors. My favourite app is Luminos - very versatile. 

[todd8137]

if you brought your telrad new ,there would have been a add in it for the star charts with telrad overlay failing that 

http://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articles/dbArticle.aspx?artid=messier_finders

i,printed them of and covered them with fablon 

pat

[bomberbaz]

17 hours ago, laudropb said:

I like the interstellar ism Deep Sky Atlas.

this looks very nice but its expensive although found it at just over a £100, still somewhat more than i planned.. 

Also I found this in SGL 

Does anyone know if this issue still continues or has anything been done about it.

Sky Atlas 2000.0 seems ok but again the laminated field edition is more than I thought or planned for.

Read a little about Uranometria and i don't think it's for me.

Maybe just buy a fresh copy of S&T Sky Atlas though!

Decisions. I will have a re-think and look through your recommendations (Thanks everyone) before i make a decision. i still have a battered but usable sky atlas to use in the interim.