Cannot be serious about astronomy without one. It lets you at a glance see what is up at any time and lets you map the sky so finer location is realtively easier with atlases, etc.
As for where to get one, any good astronomy shop, the online ones stock them and I would recommend the large Chandler one, its a beauty.
Another alternative is to go to this web site www.skymaps.com and download the evening sky map for the southern hemisphere. It is easy to use and has a wealth of info for beginners. Still good to purchase a planisphere at some stage though.
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and download the PDF file. Seeing that you're in Hobart at 42.52 deg S, print out the cover_40s.pdf page for your general latitude and make as described .
Yes, I highly recommend you buy one. Then you have an overview of the sky any hour of the night, any day of the year. The bought ones come mounted in a plastic cover - when the dew forms, you'll be grateful that it is!
Planisphere
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