Getting familiar with the Stars

[igorigs]

Hello there fellow astronomers! 

I've been using Stellarium (PC) and Sky Map (Android) for learning the Sky, but in few days I am going on a vacation where there is no electricity. So if no electricity how will I know where to look and at what the hell am I looking at? Forgot to mention that I am a complete amateur. 

So I've stumbled upon a really cool Star Atlas that is completely free to download and can be printed as you can see in pictures that is exactly what I did.

I am sure that many of you already have a lot of different software and your own resources where to download a Sky Map, but I really think this one is pretty easy to navigate with. 

Here is the link to Deep Sky Hunter Star Atlas : Deep Sky Hunter Atlas (click)  Direct download link to PDF file:  Star Atlas PDF (click)

At the bottom of the page there is a link for Detailed list of most deep sky objects plotted in this atlas and Images of ~700 deep sky objects, including all indicated as "best DSO" in this atlas.

Hope that you will find this useful as same as I did!

Cheers and may the skies be clear!

 

[PEMS]

Being honest I have never found the "Star Atlas" as shown in the second from last image useful. A page of small dots just never works with my mind.  I doubt there is an "easy" way other then to just get out side and work around teh sky and jsut see what you can make out.

Even knowing a fair number of stars and constellations I have to orientate myself first, then I have just a 50% chance whatever I want next. Some are related: Cassiopeia to say Perseus. However the only way I can find say Lyra is to find 3 bright stars and work out which is or should be Lyra. Hercules is worse for me, that one is a case of "That must be Hercules".

If wherever you are going to is dark then be aware that nothing looks the same. Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila,  Cassiopeia, Perseus all "disappear". They sit in the band of the milky way and it swamps them. For Cassiopeia you are trying to identify 5 stars in band of say 200,000,000 stars. Not easy. The one you try to find is The Plough/Dipper/Ursa Major. Then use that for navigation. Pointers for Polaris and Ursa Minor, Handle for  Arcturus and so Bootes, pointers the opposite way for Leo and the top 2 stars of the pan bit over to Capella and Auriga. Just be aware a dark site is initially utterly confusing.

For constellations I have heard people say find a childs guide to constellations, guess 6-8 year old stuff.

[Gfamily]

I can second that feeling of the familiar constellations disappearing under too many  extra stars.

I think a physical 2-disc planisphere is the best tool for finding your way around the night sky. It's an all in one view that puts the constellations in relation to each other, but also gives a graphic view of how the night sky changes from hour to hour and from month to month. 

With regard to the 'too many stars' problem - sometimes it's the initial alignment that's the problem - where's North etc.

For the present, Jupiter is the brightest thing in the evening sky and will show you roughly South at about 10:30 pm. 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Gfamily

[Pixies]

26 minutes ago, Gfamily said:

I can second that feeling of the familiar constellations disappearing under too many  extra stars.

I think a physical 2-disc planisphere is the best tool for finding your way around the night sky. It's an all in one view that puts the constellations in relation to each other, but also gives a graphic view of how the night sky changes from hour to hour and from month to month. 

With regard to the 'too many stars' problem - sometimes it's the initial alignment that's the problem - where's North etc.

For the present, Jupiter is the brightest thing in the evening sky and will show you roughly South at about 10:30 pm. 

Second the planisphere. 

I remember the first time I saw the stars under a dark sky. Total bafflement! Took a while to even find Orion!

[igorigs]

@PEMS  Agree that it is little difficult when you are at the dark site.. But as my current budget is literally 100$ till the end of the month, and this was printed for free I can't say anything bad for it. I've driven to a darker site out of my town and still could manage to navigate with the Atlas. Usually I find summer triangle or Polaris and then when I find interesting constellation search it in Atlas.

[AstroMuni]

On 15/08/2020 at 11:27, igorigs said:

I've driven to a darker site out of my town and still could manage to navigate with the Atlas.

You mentioned there is no electricity at this site, so guessing you meant you cant carry a phone either. And I am imagining you reading this Atlas with a torchlight?

[igorigs]

Use red light or sit in car and use it's inside light to check myself, although that means you have to take another 20min after that to get your eyes used to dark again..