Millennium Star Atlas - at last!

[acey]

When the three-volume softcover Millennium Star Atlas came out in 2006 I baulked at the £100 price tag. I already had SkyAtlas 2000.0 (desk and field editions), Uranometria, and various other atlases. But that only made all the more reason for adding MSA to my collection… By 2008 I’d decided I just had to have a copy. But it was out of print, and I searched in vain among internet book dealers for a used or remaindered copy at a reasonable price. As the years wore on, my definition of “reasonable” slowly rose, though didn't reach the £400+ being asked for.

In 2010 the Great Atlas Of The Sky appeared, and I made sure I didn’t miss out on that. Comparable depth could be had from the free JR TriAtlas (which I printed out to my horizon limit) or from any number of software packages, but none of that was going to cure my atlas fever.

I’d almost given up on MSA until last week when, just on the remote off-chance, I did a half-hearted search on eBay. And there it was, in new and mint condition for £150. It arrived today and I’m a VERY happy bunny. I doubt that I’ll ever actually use it, but that isn’t the point, is it?

I’m aware that Interstellarum currently has many fans, it looks a great competitor to Uranometria and I expect I’ll get it for the shelf some time. But for field use I’m sticking with Great Atlas of the Sky, and for cloudy-night armchair delight I shall leaf through Millennium Star Atlas. Here’s how they compare:

Great Atlas of the Sky: 2,430,768 stars to 12 mag & over 70,000 DSOs. Feel-good factor 9/10

Millennium Star Atlas: 1,058,332 stars to 11 mag & 10,725 DSOs. Feel-good factor 11/10

[rockystar]

as great as these computerised versions are, you can't beat a neat, heavy, well presented encyclopedia on the bookshelves to impress visitors. Very nice.

[Paz]

I don't even think about the millenium star atlas because of the cost - I'd not have expected to see a copy for £150. A good find - well done!

[Paul73]

That would be a lovely thing to own.

I love real books. These are two new ones on me.

Paul