Star Atlas

[Ken82]

What star atlas can people recommend please ?

Im looking for more of a large type atlas I could plan things on cloudy nights rather than a small pocket type atlas.

Cheers Ken

[John]

I use the Sky & Telescope Pocket Star Atlas at the scope. Despite it's name it goes quite deep and is a very useful tool.

For more detailed reference I also use the Cambridge Double Star Atlas (it's not just double stars !) and the very detailed and comprehensive Interstellarium Deep Sky Atlas or Uranometria 2000.

If you don't mind printing your own, these are free and very good:

http://www.deepskywatch.com/deepsky-atlas.html

 

[Nyctimene]

Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas. Very thought-out layout, that lets you see at a glance, which celestial targets are visible with your 4", 8" or 12" scope. Together with the matching companion "Deep Sky Guide" (photos and drawings) very good for planning. Add the app SkySafari Plus or Pro for use at the scope - that's all you need.

Stephan

Edited December 31, 2020 by Nyctimene

[AlexK]

Are you restricted to paper pocket atlas options only?  
As smartphones are pretty much pocketable, and star charts on them are light years ahead of any paper creations ever made...

[AdeKing]

7 hours ago, John said:

I use the Sky & Telescope Pocket Star Atlas at the scope. Despite it's name it goes quite deep and is a very useful tool.

For more detailed reference I also use the Cambridge Double Star Atlas (it's not just double stars !) and the very detailed and comprehensive Interstellarium Deep Sky Atlas or Uranometria 2000.

If you don't mind printing your own, these are free and very good:

http://www.deepskywatch.com/deepsky-atlas.html

 

In addition to the above, @Martin Meredith has also produced the very detailed "Pretty Deep Maps" that are hosted here.

https://zenodo.org/record/3522809#.X-2M41OnzN4

These maps are available as hyperlinked pdf files and go down to Mag 18. 

I tend to use these to print off individual charts that I can mark up and use at the scope to save my bound atlases from getting ruined.

Ade

Edited December 31, 2020 by AdeKing

[Paz]

I use The Ppocket sky atlas, Cambridge double star atlas, and Interstellarium. On that order from easy to tough planning.

If going for 1 map and not a pocket atlas I'd go for the cambridge atlas if you mostly observe in light polluted conditions as it covers enough dso's for that,  or Interstellarium if you have dark skies and the inclination to go for tougher dso's more often.

[Seelive]

Do they still produce large format paper maps these days? I still use my Norton's sky atlas (epoch 1950), Tirions Sky Atlas 2000 and Tirion et al Uranometria 2000, and although I still like flicking through the pages, I normally end up using one of the numerous free PC planetarium software packages.

[Jiggy 67]

1 hour ago, Seelive said:

Tirions Sky Atlas 2000

Lovely atlas ( and expensive) I have one, the deluxe version but it sits on the shelf looking pretty, never used it, apart from to leaf through and admire the quality.  I think phone apps and GoTo are a million times easier and more efficient, though I can see the fun in using atlas’s 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Jiggy 67

[Nyctimene]

3 hours ago, Jiggy 67 said:

 I think phone apps and GoTo are a million times easier and more efficient, though I can see the fun in using atlas’s 

Not in all aspects. Usually, you won't find the surface brightness  (square arc sec) of galaxies e.g. listed in an app; but that's a very important information, when spotting faint galaxies and nebulas. Therefore, paper resources as atlases (Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas; Uranometria) or guides, as the Night Sky Observer's Guide are still of value, when  preparing an observation. The same goes for drawings.

Stephan

[SiriusB]

Nortons goes out with me most nights, i've 3 old copys, 2 of which are suffering from dew fatigue. 🥴

My sky atlas 2000 went outside precisely once. A bit big to be practical. IMO

There used to be a laminated SA 2000, that would be the one to have if you insist on a paper atlas.

Also there was an online atlas available to download & print, went much deeper than any printed atlas, but the name & link now escape me.

Maybe someone else can chime in on that?

[fozzybear]

TriAtlas project by José Ramón Torres and Casey Skelton if you can find it as the website did A4 and A3 was https://www.uv.es/jrtorres/tools.html yet the link no longer works to the download

[John]

19 minutes ago, SiriusB said:

Also there was an online atlas available to download & print, went much deeper than any printed atlas, but the name & link now escape me.

Maybe someone else can chime in on that?

The link posted by Ade earlier in this thread goes down to magnitude 18:

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by John

[SiriusB]

Thanks John,that's even better~ though it was the Tri Atlas fozzy bear mentioned that i was trying to recall.

[Kimboman]

Hi I have SkyAtlas 2000 and my two old favourites Nortons 1950 and 1973 and lots of pocket ones

 

Celestron 6se Meade ETX90 11x70 Celestron pro binoculars 70 mm refractor and loads of eyepieces and other stuff

[Piero]

Indoor, I enjoy using Interstellarium and Bright Star Atlas 2000.0 . Outdoor, I generally use SkySafari Pro or Stellarium apps on a tablet. The only "paper" tool I use in the field are the Herschel 400 guides by Alvin Huey (see: http://www.faintfuzzies.com/DownloadableObservingGuides2.html, but a printed copy can be purchased and delivered at home) . When using these guides, I focus on one single constellation for the whole session.