![]() My Omegon Planisphere contains some 300 deep sky objects easily spotted with a binocular. Legend of symbols used in my planisphere. Special points or faint but interesting stars, such as Barnard’s Star in Ophiuchus, one of the best studied red dwarf.Usually, different symbols are used to identify the type of objects, such as: For example, the Andromeda Galaxy is named on my planisphere as M31, while the North America Nebula is NGC7000. Deep Sky ObjectsĪ number of easily observable deep sky objects are also shown with their Messier or NGC catalog designation. Both constellations and the brightest stars have their name printed next to them. ConstellationsĬonstellations are also shown with solid lines connecting the stars. Greek letters are often used to identify stars within a constellation, like γ for γ-Cassiopeia, the middle star in the Cassiopeia constellation. On the disc, stars are shown as dots, and the size of the dots represents the apparent magnitude of the stars: the smaller the dot, the higher the apparent magnitude and the fainter the star is.įor example, my Omegon Planisphere shows stars ranging from magnitude 5 to -2 and it shows some 700 stars, all visible to the naked eye and with a binocular. Credit: Ed Vazhorov.Įd Vazhorov has created a beginner star atlas you can download for free.īoth star charts and planispheres display a number of information about the night sky. Star charts usually focus on smaller regions of the sky at a time and are usually collected together to form a star atlas. If you don’t already own a planisphere, you can print one from. Planispheres depict the whole night sky, which is printed on a disc and a mobile window will rotate on the disc to only show the part of the sky that is visible from your location at a particular time and date. What Info Does A Planisphere And A Star Chart Show? And if you want the best precision, you should correct for your local longitude as well.Īpps for smartphones don’t have these limitations. I live in Brussels, Belgium, about 51º N and I had to get a planisphere for 50º N latitude, which is accurate between 45ºN and 55ºN. The interface of SkySafari (left) and Stellarium (right) are two of the most common astronomy apps for smartphones.īecause of the small font often used in star charts and planispheres, they could prove rather hard to read at night.įinally, planispheres are only accurate for a small range of latitudes. With those apps you can get detailed info on stars, planets and deep sky objects, simulate the exact field of view of your instrument, easily move back and forward in time, and even control your mount.Īstronomy apps for smartphones are also much easier to use: simply point your phone at the sky to see on screen what is in the part of the sky you are framing. While star charts and planispheres pack a lot of info, apps such as Stellarium and SkySafari provide a ton more information. Planispheres and star charts do have some limitations. What Are The Limitations Of Star Charts And Planisphere? ![]() It gives you a quick overview of the stars and constellations in the entire night sky, horizon to horizon, as visible for your location. Nonetheless, a planisphere is still a nice educational instrument for learning about the sky. In today’s digital world, though, many outstanding astronomy apps are just one tap away on your smartphone. They sure were, for astronomers as well as for sailors sailing through the night.
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