Hey all,
Just when I thought I was getting somewhere, I have to come back to the Beginner's forum and ask another really dumb question. *blush*
So far, I've been having fun via use of the stellarium program - but I realise that I need to start using starcharts/planisphere if I'm going to get better established.
There are free skycharts as published in the sticky in this forum -
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~zs3t-tk/atlas/atlas.htm.
I have access to a very decent A3 printer (and probably even a laminating machine if needed). I've printed out all the sheets supplied on the website. They come out great indeed!
Only problem is that I can't figure out how they're supposed to be used. The brief instructions on the page suggest that you only need to use a N/S pair at one time (eg 6N and 6S glued back to back). However, the field of view suppied on each sheet seems smaller than what we see when we look up (or is that just an illusion?).
Also, do any starcharts out there exist from the perspective of the Southern Hemisphere? I know I could hold it upside down, but it's nice to see the labels the right way up.
Has anyone used these charts? Any tips on how they're meant to be used?
I'm also considering drawing faint lines to show the constellations on the charts, because that seems easier for me for some reason. Not sure if that's a dumb idea though...
Chris