Product Description: The Night Sky is a rotating star finder (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 30°-40° latitude zone (southern half of the US, North Africa, Middle East, etc.). There are editions for the following latitude zones: 50°-60°, 40°-50°, 30°-40°, 20°-30°, and the Southern Hemisphere. There are also pocket-sized versions available for the same latitude zones.
A 'must have' for the stargazer! ^ For a first time stargazer[adult or child] this is standard equipment. To put you further down the road to a firm grasp of the contallations, try H.A.Reys book The Stars:A New Way To See Them. Many hours of enjoyment await you.
User-friendly Even for Beginners ^ Easy instructions. Beginners, such as myself, can begin using the Night Sky right away. Bring along a flashlight and a compass. Just as other reviewers have noted, before you order, find out which chart is right for you. This is based on your geographical location. If you're not sure which one to get, check out their website [...].
Great! ^ Very helpful on camping trips when you can't just look it up on the internet. Great product!
New Astronomer's Best Friend ^ As an astronomy enthusiast for over 40 years, and now an astronomy professor, I'm often asked "How do I know what I'm looking at?" or "How do I find constellations like the Big Dipper or Orion?" The answer for every beginner is to use a good planisphere - a rotating star map that shows you what the stars and constellations look like from your location at any time of night, any night of the year. The rotating star map - the planisphere - does this easily and without any effort. If you can tell time, and you know what day it is - you can use this product easily! Everyone from children as young as 7 years old to college students find this to be a user friendly way to learn the sky. Chandler's planisphere is a step above most others because it has very little distortion - the shapes of constellations on the map are the same as they appear when you see them in the sky (very important for new or younger astronomers!) The Chandler map is also rugged enough to withstand years of use - I have classroom models that have been in use for 10 years and more. Be sure to get the right version for where you live! The 30-40 degree model covers northern Mexico through the central USA. Northern US and Canada will need the 40-50 degree version.
Durable, detail enough for light polluted sky ^ This one is nicely made with durable materials. The amount of detail is good enough for light polluted sky, and it's excellent for beginners.
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