Star atlas

[hunterknox]

Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a good star atlas? I'd like something with big plates and a decent binding that I can spread out over my desk. If I can see galaxies in there too then the more the better.

Any suggestions?

[Dave]

I'd recommend Sky Atlas 2000 if you can get hold of one.

[Merlin66]

If you really want a paper edition..

then the Uranometria in 2 volumes is an excellent choice. Goes deeper than the very good Star Atlas 2000. I'd recommend it over the far more expensive ( but very detailled) three volume Millenium Atlas.

J Torres also has some very good charts which can be printed.. but the costs soon add up if you want a full A3 set done!!

(IMHO you'll also need some protection from dew if using them outside!)

[Taff]

Hi Norton's 2000.0 and The Cambridge Star Atlas, i find are good books.Mark

[albedo0.39]

The Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas has laminated pages, A5 in size and carries a lot of the Deep Sky Objects - I'd really recommend it ! Good luck

[mint_mark]

Small but perfectly formed, I have to mention Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas.

It is smaller than most, but still bigger than any of my pockets at just over A5 size. It can lie flat open with its spiral binding or be turned back on itself completely to examine just one page. It shows stars down to mag 7.6 and galaxies, clusters and nebulae even fainter. There are lists of objects by type and by catalogue designation, along with four selected areas in more detail.

This is the only star atlas I've ever owned, but I don't feel the need for more (yet). And it's ideal for the amount of space on my desk

[acey]

SkyAtlas 2000 Field Edition has individual large sheets on stiff black paper with stars etc shown in white - very convenient for using under red light. My set has been dewed all over, blown around in the wind, dropped in the mud - and is still doing fine. I mostly use Uranometria nowadays but it's bulky and only recommended if you want to go really deep. I also have the SkyAtlas Desk edition - which is nice but less convenient for outdoor use.

[fmeireso]

I use U2000. Very good ,detailed

But, it's in bookform and not laminated.

And for scopes bigger then about 14" is more difficult to use because you see too many stars in the eyepiece wich makes it harder to starhop.

Often i use CDC to draw up some charts which i can use for starhopping in my 18"

Still i use U2000 extensively at home, espescially with my 8" and binoculars.

I consider also The S&K Pocket Sky Atlas to use with my binoculars just because it so easy to use and small.

[Talitha]

Here's the ones i have, in order of purchase:

Norton's

The wedge-style pages cover a lot of sky but don't go very deep. Nice for when you want an overall view of an area, though. Standard binding, but the book is thin and lays flat nicely.

Sky Atlas 2000 (laminated spiral bound edition)

Very large charts covering a pretty big area of the sky at one glance. The size can be cumbersome at the eyepiece, but they fit nicely on a music stand. Good amount of DSOs. As with Norton's, the wide overall view is really nice when you're first learning your way around.

Millennium Star Atlas

My personal favorite. Three large, heavy volumes which are great for starhopping. Standard binding, but they lay nice and flat. I bought a heavy-duty music stand for the set in order to keep them right beside me and properly angled for ease of use.

The charts are detailed enough to match a 32mm eyepiece view while using my f/10 8" SCT. The set i have is the vintage hardcover, which has very good quality paper that stands up to the night dampness very well. The volume swells a bit with the dampness but the pages aren't damaged by it and when dry they're back to the original condition.

Pocket Sky Atlas

Since getting this great little atlas, i haven't used the Sky Atlas 2000 charts at all. Really, it's that good. It's got the same info as the SA2000 charts, actually a bit more, seeing as they've included some carbon stars and Struve doubles in this PSA. Good quality paper, spiral binding, paper stands up to dampness well.

Only one complaint. The spiral binding is great, but the book's soft cover wraps over the spirals and is easily bruised and worn. If you get this book, i'd recommend covering the outer cover with a stick-on laminate sheet to preserve the soft cover.

[hunterknox]

Thanks to all .

I'm going to opt for the S&T pocket atlas and maybe U2000 for indoors. The Millennium Star Atlas sounds like a dream but I think I'd have to be lucky to get a full set at a decent price.

[acey]

Millennium Star Atlas is out of print and very hard to find - and very expensive if you do. What you're going for sounds right, though for something comparable to Uranometria don't forget the free TriAtlas at JR's website on Deep Sky Astronomy

[Mark at Beaufort]

Over the years I have bought two star atlases - Norton and Cambridge Star atlas. Last year I bought Sky and Telescope Pocket star atlas which is wonderful and much more user friendly than the 2 previous atlases.

All my DSO observing is done by star hopping and the pocket atlas is placed on a music stand (thanks Talitha) for easy access. I also have both copies of Uranometria 2000 for detailed viewing of an area - but I always start with the pocket atlas.

Currently you can purchase this atlas from Amazon for about £8 - excellent value for beginners or more experienced observers.

Mark

[Talitha]

Wow, i didn't realize the MSA was unavailable. Last i'd heard, there was a $150 soft cover edition.. have they run out of stock? Yes, the hard cover set was expensive ($250 in Dec 2001) but it'll last me the rest of my life.. well worth the cost to this geek. :D

I forgot about the Torres charts.. they're excellent and also include DSO info pages, which is a plus. Speaking of info pages, something else which is extremely helpful no matter what charts we use is the Sky Atlas 2000 companion book. Lots of info in there.

[acey]

I tried for a while to get MSA - Sky Publishing confirmed for me that it's out of print and there are no plans for a re-issue. All the second-hand dealers quote very high prices; some online booksellers offer new ones at list price but then you order and they tell you it's out of stock. So hang on to yours Carol - it's a collector's item!

I agree that the Sky Atlas Companion is very handy - I've used mine as a checklist of objects I've observed. The format makes it easy to insert brief notes.

[Brych]

Look at web page of "The Great Atlas of the Sky, Jubilee edition 2009" - www.greatskyatlas.com - it is the biggest printed atlas - 12 mag for stars and 18 mag for galaxies. This Atlas is 2,5 times bigger than MSA.