I have a dobsonian and I live in a moderately light polluted sky area. Can anyone suggest a good star map, or some books, or other material that I can study in order to improve my ability to find my way around the sky? The only object I was able to easily spot and identify was Jupiter last month because of its brightness.
finding way around sky
Started by iruizcar, 10/24/2006 12:42AM
Posted 10/24/2006 12:42AM
Opening Post
Posted 10/24/2006 01:42AM
#1
Isaac,
I hope you also have a pair of binoculars. They are an invaluable aid. 50X7, 50X10 are great to have near the telescope.
My wife and I like to use and recommend "Starwatch" by Phil Harrington, The Sky & Telescope, "Pocket Sky Atlas" for our urban site. "Turn Left at Orion" is also a good starter book.
Oh, and Phil has a deep sky book out I think, haven't seen it yet...Don't know why a lot of folks don't use them, but planispheres are excellent tools to navigating though the season's night skies. David Levy's Planisphere and Firefly has a large one also I believe.
"NightWatch" by Terrence Dickinson is a good beginner guide, with a new (4th)edition out.
Software: "Starry Nights", useful for printing sky charts, planning a nights observing, estimating FOV, controlling some GoTo mounts, etc.. "Stellarium", free planetarium software.
"Virtual Moon Atlas", freeware for PC.
"Skymaps.com" for monthly star chart with hightlights to expect through the month.
And to read all this stuff at the telescope: a Petzl Tactikka Headlamp with flip-up red lense (with additonal red tape to tone the brightness down). Three brightness levels. Best astronomy flashlight ever, IMHO.
Best of Luck and Enjoy those night skies!
Gerald
I hope you also have a pair of binoculars. They are an invaluable aid. 50X7, 50X10 are great to have near the telescope.
My wife and I like to use and recommend "Starwatch" by Phil Harrington, The Sky & Telescope, "Pocket Sky Atlas" for our urban site. "Turn Left at Orion" is also a good starter book.
Oh, and Phil has a deep sky book out I think, haven't seen it yet...Don't know why a lot of folks don't use them, but planispheres are excellent tools to navigating though the season's night skies. David Levy's Planisphere and Firefly has a large one also I believe.
"NightWatch" by Terrence Dickinson is a good beginner guide, with a new (4th)edition out.
Software: "Starry Nights", useful for printing sky charts, planning a nights observing, estimating FOV, controlling some GoTo mounts, etc.. "Stellarium", free planetarium software.
"Virtual Moon Atlas", freeware for PC.
"Skymaps.com" for monthly star chart with hightlights to expect through the month.
And to read all this stuff at the telescope: a Petzl Tactikka Headlamp with flip-up red lense (with additonal red tape to tone the brightness down). Three brightness levels. Best astronomy flashlight ever, IMHO.
Best of Luck and Enjoy those night skies!
Gerald
Posted 10/24/2006 02:18AM
#2
Just to add one more thing, a subscription to either of the magazines helps as well. When I first got started all I used were the magazine centerfolds, a planisphere and binos to help me get around the sky. My computer at the time had less capabilty than my son's cellphone does now. 
Real men play Golf
Posted 10/24/2006 11:04AM
#3
The Bright Star Atlas 2000.0 is a very good beginners star atlas and is quite inexpensive.
http://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas1.htm
Another good one is the Edmund Mag 6 Star Atlas.
http://tinyurl.com/w67b8
If you have a Telrad, the various Sky Spot Telrad Finder Chart books can be very useful.
http://www.sky-spot.com/
Dave Mitsky
http://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas1.htm
Another good one is the Edmund Mag 6 Star Atlas.
http://tinyurl.com/w67b8
If you have a Telrad, the various Sky Spot Telrad Finder Chart books can be very useful.
http://www.sky-spot.com/
Dave Mitsky
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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