Product Description

The Night Sky is a rotating star finder- or planisphere that allows the user to recognize the constellations for any time of night, any day of the year. The sky appears to rotate (due to the rotation and orbital motion of the earth), so to be successful recognizing the constellations a beginner needs to know which stars are above the horizon at any time.

This is the full-sized version of The Night Sky suitable for the 40°-50° latitude zone (northern United States and parts of Europe). We have versions for the following latitude zones: 50°-60°, 40°-50°, 30°-40°, 20°-30°, and the Southern Hemisphere. We also have pocket-sized versions available for the same latitude zones.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12740 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01-01
• Binding: Map

Review
Chandler's planisphere is the finest available. -- Terence Dickinson, astronomy textbook author, in SkyNews Magazine --Terence Dickinson

I think The Night Sky is the finest and easiest to use star finding aid in existence. -- Jack Horkheimer, TV's Star Hustler --Jack Horkheimer

Most aficionados now prefer David Chandler's The Night Sky wheel. -- J.T. Westways Magazine --Westways Magazine

I think The Night Sky is the finest and easiest to use star finding aid in existence. -- Jack Horkheimer, TV's Star Hustler --Jack Horkheimer

Most aficionados now prefer David Chandler's The Night Sky wheel. -- J.T. Westways Magazine --Westways Magazine

From the Publisher
The Night Sky comes in two sizes: Large (8 inch diameter) and Small (5 inch diameter). The large size is best for learning the constellations. The small size is best as a pocket reference to tell you what constellations are up if you are already reasonably familiar with the constellations. In each size the charts are available for different latitude zones.

To find the correct size and latitude zone, use the following ISBN numbers in your Amazon.com search:

The Night Sky 50°-60° (Large), 1891938088 (Small), 1891938096

The Night Sky 40°-50° (Large), 0961320745 (Small), 1891938010

The Night Sky 30°-40° (Large), 0961320753 (Small), 1891938029

The Night Sky 20°-30° (Large), 0961320761 (Small), 1891938037

The Night Sky Southern Hemisphere (Large), 0961320737 (Small), 1891938002

From the Author
Most planispheres attempt to represent the whole dome of the sky on one flat map, creating severe distortion near the outer edges of the map (the southern part of the sky). The Night Sky was specially designed to overcome this problem: two maps divide the sky into north-facing and south-facing views, which are shown on the front and back sides of the chart. When you turn around, simply turn the chart over. This design feature eliminates over 90% of the distortion found in conventional one-sided planispheres.

Other features of The Night Sky were designed with observers in mind:

--Dark stars on a white background make the map easier to read at night with a dim (or preferably red filtered) flashlight. (Under red light the dark blue of the chart becomes a velvety black.)

--The maps are computer-plotted for accuracy and show stars down to a consistent brightness cut-off. What you see on the chart is what is really there.

--The constellation figures emphasize simple patterns connecting the brightest stars, making the constellations easy to recognize and remember.

--The pocket version has fewer stars and omits some of the less conspicuous constellations to minimize clutter and maintain readability.

--The Night Sky comes in a protective vinyl pouch and the chart has plastic outer surfaces for dew resistance.

Customer Reviews

The Best Planisphere
Although a planisphere is usually meant for beginners, it is a quick and easy way for even experienced observers to see "what's up" at a given day and time without firing up the computer.

The difference with this one, which I quite like, is the "low distortion" idea - it better represents what the eye sees, which is particularly useful when learning the constellations.

My only complaint - I wish the South facing view was the larger, as there are more interesting things to see in that direction.

Good, functional star chart
Chandler's star chart is a classic that is functional, easy-to-use, and valuable for people just learning the night sky. Its main features are its large size and lamination -- important as summer evening dew inevitably turns most paper products saggy. This is recommended for people desiring to learn their way around the night sky and build an understanding of the universe.

Wonderful map
This is a truly helpful map of the skies for anyone interested in backyard astronomy. It is very legible, easy to see at night. I am a beginner and was able to find most of the constellations shown. Very durable as well.