Atlas of the southern night sky vs. others?

[ncorreia]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to get an atlas thats both practical (I can use it to guide/plan my observing sessions) and just nice to look at (get my roommates interested in observing hehe). A few people have recommended this atlas and I'm wondering if anyone has an opinion they'd like to share? Maybe someone has a better book in mind?

Thanks!

[anthony.tony]

It Is a Great Book -Written by Australian Astronomers.You will Find once you have Bought one Star Atlas -You will be looking around for Another. http://www.myastroshop.com.au/products/details.asp?id=MAS-002C

[ncorreia]

Thanks! I'll probably pick it up soon :)

[Paddy]

I found this book a very useful atlas for getting into star hopping and finding objects in various constellations. More of my thoughts in this review (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/46-444-0-0-1-0.html)

[erick]

Yes, I found this to be a good atlas for people to start with. I have given a few as gifts. Just one point - the early edition had the problem Paddy describes in the review - hard to read the constellation names under red light. I upgraded to the Third Edition (2013 and still current) in which this problem was resolved. :)

[ncorreia]

Thanks! :)

[OICURMT]

http://shop.iceinspace.com.au/shop/star-charts-with-cd/


I use the JPG's on the CDROM as my desktop background...

[Suzy]

Oh yes, another plus one here from me :thumbsup:, I love this book. I often go to bed reading this book :D.
But to really plan my session properly, I end up using quite a few books (including Australian Sky & Telescope magazine's observing guides) and my night sky planetarium programme.

I also love Collin's Stars and Planets which is another popular choice but not as pretty as it (it's much smaller i.e. more like a handbook and less pretty pics but is packed with observing info) so the Collin's one is my most used and favourite if I had to pick. One can never have enough observing books I say :D:thumbsup:.

And if you really want to go deep you simply cannot beat the Night Sky Observers Guide series :D. Paddy has done a fantastic review of that as well in our forum, seen here (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/46-627-0-0-1-0.html). But again, it doesn't have the pretty pics of the Atlas of the Southern Night Sky and is more of a hand book- a really big, heavy hand book actually (but I love it!) :lol:.

It's been a while... I think it's coming to bed with me again tonight, thanks for the reminder! :whistle::lol:

[OzStarGazer]

Speaking of Collins... The other day I found Collins "Astronomy of the Southern Sky" in the alumni bookshop in my town for just 3 dollars, although it looks 100% new.
I haven't read it in its entirety yet, but at first sight it looks like a good choice too.

[ncorreia]

Took me a while, but it's ordered and on its way :P

[MichaelSW]

Nelson.

Great book. I borrowed the 2nd edition regularly from my local library for years then bought my own copy of the Third Edition.

Page 288 was incorrectly printed as a photo of NGC 5128 Centaurus-A instead of being the September - October section of the Deep Sky Month Planner chapter.

The publishers sent me PDF of the 'missing' page. File attached.

Cheers.

[ncorreia]

That's great thanks! :)