Newbie - star map

[ThunderStorm]

For a newbie, what do you suggest a sky map to make me get started easier?
Sorry I mean hard copy.

[Renato1]

A planisphere and Bright Star Atlas by Tirion will get you well on the way. Though, once you've learned the major stars and constellations, you probably won't use the planisphere much after that.

Bright Star Atlas is handy for binoculars and small telescopes.
Regards,
Renato

[OzStarGazer]

You could also download Stellarium. It's free. :)

[astro744]

For use with or without a telescope?

Bright Star Atlas ($29.00) has stars to magnitude 6.5

Sky Atlas 2000.0 (Deluxe) 2nd Ed. ($79.00) has stars to magnitude 8.5

Uranometria All Sky Edition ($99.00) has stars to magnitude 9.75

Note all have deep sky objects but there are more in the versions that show more stars.

I would highly recommend the Sky Atlas 2000.0 (Deluxe) 2nd Ed. as it is a large scale atlas (A3 and is in colour). My first atlas and one I still use is the first edition of Sky Atlas 2000.0 (Deluxe) which I bought off the shelf at Dymocks a long time ago. The colour version makes it so much easier to identify objects during the night and also for armchair study during the day.

The second edition (Deluxe) has star names added and an extra 0.5 magnitude of stars over the first edition.

The Uranometria atlas is good if you own a large telescope (10" and over) or intend on getting one. Don't be surprised if you end up with one two or all three of the above as all have uses. I started with Sky Atlas 2000 so I don't have the Bright Star Atlas but do have Uranometria (previous edition). I still use Sky Atlas and Uranometria depending on what I'm looking for.

I think you will soon out grow the Bright Star Atlas as it only has stars visible to the unaided eye and if you use it at the telescope there will be a lot of stars not shown in the atlas. Of course as telescope size increases this is also the case with the other two but the main purpose of the atlas is to get you as close as possible to an interesting object through a series of star patterns on the chart that match the real sky through a finder or low power telescope view. For this you want lots of stars on the atlas and a nice large scale.

Note not all objects that are in any atlas are going to be visible and there are companions to both Sky Atlas and Uranometria that show lots of details about each object on the charts and you can determine whether a particular object is going to be visible in your telescope.

[Amaranthus]

... and if you want to know what you are seeing at the eyepiece of your telescope (really important for IDing deep-sky fields), then software like SkySafari (app for iPad) or Stellarium (free program for your laptop) become invaluable. My SkySafari Pro goes down to 15 mag (or so - a few gaps), and therefore almost always shows all the stars visible to my eye in the 8" SCT.

[MrB]

You can print your own maps with Cartes due Ciel (CdC) which is also free.
Stellarium mentioned above may also do this, however, I was suitably impressed by the quality of the printed CdC maps that I've not tried the other software available.

There is also the free printable maps made by Toshimi Taki, download here:
To 6.5 mag: http://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/atlas/atlas.htm
To 8.5 mag: http://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/atlas_85/atlas_85.htm

If you print using a inkjet printer and want to use the maps in the field you may want to laminate them to stop dew causing the ink to run.
If you have a laser printer this isn't an issue, but the paper does get a bit damp, tho this has never really bothered me.

[Allan_L]

Also, I think Bintel (a sponsor link in the right hand side) provide monthly star maps, in their Night Sky link.

When I first started, I found most useful the star charts printed on each page of the Astronomy Calendars.

I think these are still available from the IIS Shop on this site.

But for PC based --> Stellarium (as mentioned) also gets my vote.

[mithrandir]

As well as Taki's atlases mentioned before there is José Ramón Torres and Casey Skelton's TriAtlas (http://www.uv.es/jrtorres/triatlas.html) project. Deep sky atlases to mag 9, 11 or 13 depending on which version you download.

If you look down the page there is a reference to the iDevice app which includes the complete "C" set of maps to mag 13.

[ThunderStorm]

Looks a bit too much to me. :(
I might need a more entry level than that.

[MrB]

The charts to mag 6.5 are probably as basic as you will find short of a planisphere (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planisphere) or the monthly centerfold maps in the usual astro mags.
You only need to print the 6 sheets labeled with an 'S'.
They're for A3 paper, but you can print half of each onto 12 off A4 paper.

[Renato1]

Interesting how our usages vary.

I own Pocket Sky Atlas, Sky Atlas 2000, Uranometria, Herald Bobroff, Millennium and have printed out all of TriAtlas on A3. But I still use Bright Star Atlas a lot, both here and in Italy.

At the end of the day, it plots in the maps, and describes in the adjacent lists, the biggest and best objects in the sky for each category of DSO.
Cheers,
Renato

[noeyedeer]

I think the free maps from www.skymaps.com are just as good for month to month features.

just print them out .. if you have an Epson they have waterproof ink anyways

matt

[Robh]

For the beginner I would recommend COLLINS STARS & PLANETS.
See here ...

http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Books--Charts-and-Software/Collins-Stars---Planets/478/productview.aspx

It's relatively cheap ($40). Has full sky maps for each month of the year. Has maps of individual constellations (the whole 88) and descriptions of interesting objects within each constellation and located on the maps. Also has some nice pictures. When I got back into astronomy, I literally wore my copy out.

Regards, Rob

[Ravenit]

I'm a beginner and I use Google sky map on my phone it sets your location and updates the sky image. Image moves as you hold the phone or tablet to the sky.
Shows planets and messier objects if that's how you spell it.
Very easy to use no more paper enjoy.....

[raymo]

I like paper.
raymo

[jamespierce]

Beginner, first atlas ... Easy - Pocket Sky Atlas ... great place to start, and one I still take with me every session despite owning pretty much every other atlas published.

[ThunderStorm]

Is this the one?
http://www.bookdepository.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Sky-Atlas-Roger-Sinnott/9781931559317

[jamespierce]

That's the one.

Alex wrote a review of it a while ago - http://upsidedownastronomy.com/2011/01/31/pocket-sky-atlas/

[Renato1]

It's a great little atlas - a convenient step down from Sky Atlas 2000 - but a rank beginner would get lost trying to use it as his or her first one, in my opinion. It does become extremely useful when one knows one's way around the sky.

Regards,
Renato

[Robh]

I agree with Renato. I own a copy of the Pocket Sky Atlas and it is not a good beginner's atlas. It is quite detailed and useful for the intermediate to advanced observer.

I wouldn't recommend it as a beginner's atlas for the following reasons ...

The charts are too detailed for beginners.
Constellations are often cut in two (or even three) and one has to flick between several pages (often non-consecutive) to see the whole constellation. If you are not familiar with the overall constellation you will find navigation difficult.
There are no magnitudes given for deep sky objects. You could go looking for objects that are relatively faint and quite difficult to find.
There are no recommendations or descriptions of any of the objects.

If you use the Pocket Sky Atlas, you will need to do a lot of homework before you take it out into the field.

Regards, Rob

[JJDOBBER79]

Google eyes on the skies. There is a tab at the top that says charts. This has a set of about 30 charts for the whole sky up to mag 7. A beginner doesn't need anything beyond mag7. I printed and laminated them so I can write on it with a sharpie and then wipe it for next time. Oh, and its free. :D

[ncorreia]

+1 for Bright Star Atlas :)