I NC LUDES A MOON MAP AND STAR C HARTS

AN EASY GUIDE TO
EXPLORING THE
UNIVERSE
ASTRONOMY
GE T TI NG STARTED I N
FROM THE
EDITORS OF
[
]
NORTHE RN HE MI S PHE RE VE RS I ON

SkyandTelescope.com
Astronomy doesnt deserve
its reputation as a tough,
expensive hobby to get into.
You just need to begin with
the right advice.
way around the sky. They also give you a
view thats right side up and straight in
front of you, making it easy to see where
youre pointing. Binoculars are fairly inex-
pensive, widely available, and easy to carry
and store. Theyre also versatile; you can
switch from terrestrial to celestial viewing in
an instant.And their performance is surpris-
ingly respectable. Ordinary 7- to 10-power
binoculars improve on the unaided eye
about as much as a good amateur telescope
improves on binoculars and at a far
lower cost. For astronomy, the larger the
front lenses are, the better. High optical
quality is important too. But any binoculars
already knocking around the back of your
closet are enough to launch your amateur-
astronomy career.
Use Maps and Guidebooks
Once youve learned your way around the
night sky, binoculars can keep you busy for
years. With good maps and reference books,
you can identify dozens of the Moons
craters, plains, and mountains. Binoculars
will show you the ever-changing positions
of Jupiters moons and the crescent phases
of Venus. Theyll also reveal most of the 109
M objects, the star clusters, galaxies, and
nebulae cataloged by 18th-century
astronomer Charles Messier. Binoculars will
let you split scores of colorful double stars
and allow you to follow the fadings and
brightenings of numerous variable stars.
All this and more is possible but only if
you know where to look and what to look
for. Moreover, the skills youll develop using
maps and guidebooks with binoculars are
exactly the skills youll need to put a tele-
scope to good use.
Seek Out Other Amateurs
Theres nothing like sharing an interest with
others. There are hundreds of astronomy
clubs worldwide; Sky &Telescopes Web site
includes a directory of them. Call a club
near you to find out when it holds meetings
or all-night observing sessions called star
parties. These events offer a wonderful
opportunity to try out different telescopes,
learn new skills, and make friends.
When Its Time for a Telescope,
Plunge in Deep
Eventually youll be ready for your first tele-
scope. This is no time to skimp on quality.
The telescope you want has two essentials.
One is high-quality, diffraction-limited
optics. The other is a solid, steady, smooth-
ly working mount. You may also want large
aperture (size), but dont lose sight of port-
ability and convenience. Remember, the
best telescope for you is the one youll
actually use.
Many telescopes have built-in comput-
ers and motors that will point them to any
of thousands of celestial objects at the
push of a few buttons. These are a lot of
fun to use and can help you locate sights
you might otherwise overlook. But its still
helpful to know your way around the sky
especially if your batteries run out!
Its true that telescopes can cost many
thousands of dollars, but its also true that
some good ones can be had for only a few
hundred dollars. Cant afford the scope
you want? Save up until you can.
Another year of using binoculars while
building a savings account will be time
youll never regret.
Relax and Have Fun
Dont get upset if you cant find a particu-
lar object or because the view in your tele-
scope is less than perfect. Learn to take
pleasure in whatever your eyes, binoculars,
or telescope can show you. The more you
look, the more youll see. Set your own
pace, and revel in the beauty and mystery
of our amazing universe!
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU can see a galaxy
2
1
2 million light-years away with your
unaided eye? Or that you can see craters
on the Moon with ordinary binoculars?
These and countless other wonders await
your gaze every clear night. The first step
is simply to look up and ask, Whats
that? And when you do, youll take the
first step toward a lifetime of cosmic
exploration and enjoyment. Whats the
best way to get started on this exciting
adventure?
Read It and Reap
The joy of astronomy comes from finding
your way around the starry sky and
understanding what you see. A great place
to start is your local library or bookstore.
Browse the astronomy shelf for beginners
guides that will teach you about the
Moon, planets, and constellations. Check
the magazine rack for Sky &Telescope, the
hobbys essential monthly magazine. It
offers practical tips for observers as well as
articles on many fascinating astronomical
topics.
Another great resource is the World
Wide Web. Start at Sky &Telescopes site,
SkyandTelescope.com, or you can use any
search utility to look up topics such as
amateur astronomy or stargazing.
Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
Go out on any clear, dark night and famil-
iarize yourself with the star patterns over-
head, using the constellation maps on the
following pages.
If you live in a brightly lit city or town,
find a place where theres less light pollu-
tion (or at least a spot free from the glare
of nearby lights) so you can see more
stars. The ability to look up and say,
Theres the North Star! or Thats
Saturn! will provide pleasure and a
sense of your place in the cosmos for
the rest of your life.
Start with Binoculars
Binoculars are an ideal first telescope
for several reasons. They show you a wide
field of view, making it easy to find your

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
Your First Steps
in Astronomy
N o r t h e r n H e mi s p h e r e V e r s i o n
Looking Deeper
Take the maps out often, and try to learn a
new constellation each night. You are
establishing the landmarks youll need for
finding your way when you start using
binoculars or a telescope.
Once you know at least some constella-
tions fairly well, you can start exploring
the sky a lot more deeply with optical aid.
For this youll need larger star charts that
show more close-up detail.
The maps here show stars as faint as
magnitude 4.5. This is about as faint as
you can see with the naked eye through
suburban light pollution. Also plotted are
some interesting objects for binoculars or
small telescopes: star clusters, nebulae, and
galaxies. When hunting for these faint
sights youll have an easier time if you use
larger charts that show stars to at least as
faint as magnitude 6. (Higher magnitude
numbers mean fainter stars.)
People who get serious about using a
telescope will want even more detailed sky
charts ones that show stars as faint as
magnitude 8 or so. Sky Atlas 2000.0 by Wil
Tirion and Roger W. Sinnott is the set
most widely used. The latest edition shows
81,000 stars to magnitude 8.5 and 2,700
galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae.
Clear skies!
Greek Letters on Star Maps
The brightest stars in each constellation
are named with lowercase Greek letters. A
constellations most brilliant star is often
called Alpha, the first letter in the Greek
alphabet. The letters are used with the
Latin genitive form of the constellation
name, so the Alpha star of Centaurus is
called Alpha Centauri.
Here is the lowercase Greek alphabet as
used by astronomers:
CAN YOU SPOT THE BIG DIPPER? Orion? The
Pleiades? Your exploration of the universe
begins with learning the stars in your
evening sky. But different constellations are
visible at different times of year and hours
of the night, depending on your latitude
and which way the night side of our planet
is facing.
The accompanying charts will help you
get oriented. Theyre designed for sky-
watchers in midnorthern latitudes such
as the United States, southern Canada,
and Europe. Each represents the entire
sky at the dates and times printed on it.
Find a chart appropriate for your date,
and go out within an hour or so of the
time listed.
How the Charts Work
The round edge of each chart represents
your horizon, with compass directions
labeled. Turn the map around so the edge
marked with the direction youre facing
(north, east, or whatever) is right-side up.
The stars above this horizon on the map
will now match the stars youre facing.
Ignore the rest of the map for now.
The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star thats plotted halfway
from the edge to the center can be found
about halfway up the sky. That is, it will be
halfway from horizontal to straight up.
Dot sizes indicate star brightnesses
the larger the dot, the brighter the star.
Example: Lets try the July/August chart.
Turn it so the horizon labeled Facing
West is right-side up. About halfway from
there to the center is the bright star
Arcturus. Go outside around one of the
dates and times listed, face west, and look
halfway from horizontal to straight up.
Theres Arcturus!
To the right of Arcturus, in the north-
west, is the Big Dipper. Turn the chart so
the Facing NW horizon edge is right-
side up. When you hold the chart correct-
ly, the Dippers handle stretches toward
the upper left and its bowl is at lower right
just the way it looks in the northwest-
ern sky. Nearly overhead, as you crane
Heres how to use our bimonthly
star charts to identify your
evening stars and constellations.
Finding Your Way
Among the Stars
your neck up, is the bright star Vega. Its
part of the little constellation Lyra.
Youll notice that east is left of north on
our charts, not to the right as on maps of
the Earth. This is because the charts are
used while looking up, not down.
Tips for Success
Find a dark viewing site and bring a dim
flashlight to read the map by. Its best to
use red light, which helps preserve your
night vision.
When you start out, look only for the
brightest stars on the map, those depicted
with the biggest dots. Mentally blank out
the fainter ones if you are in a city or sub-
urb (or in bright moonlight); they will be
invisible or nearly so through the light pol-
lution. But wherever you are, remember
that there is a much bigger difference
between bright and faint stars in the sky
than is suggested on the chart.
Remember that the chart is a very
reduced representation of the real sky. To
see how reduced, hold your hand at arms
length with your fingers fully spread as
wide as you can. One of these hand
spans from thumbtip to little fingertip is
a little less than the length of the Big
Dipper. Compare this with the size of the
Dipper on the charts. You can work your
way around by remembering this rule:
One hand span in the sky is slightly less
than an inch on the chart. Pretty tiny!
The maps are drawn for an observer at
40 north latitude (for example, Denver,
New York, Madrid). If youre far south of
there, stars in the southern part of the sky
will appear higher than the map shows,
and stars in the north will be lower. If
youre far north of 40 latitude, the reverse
will be true.
The Moon and planets are not plotted
because theyre always changing position.
Find the line arcing across each chart
labeled ECLIPTIC. This is the line near
which the Sun, Moon, and planets always
travel. Its called the ecliptic because its
where eclipses can occur.
If you see a bright star near the eclip-
tic thats not on the map, youve located a
planet. To figure out which one it is, con-
sult the latest issue of Sky & Telescope or
visit SkyandTelescope.com and use our
Interactive Sky Chart.
" Iota
# Kappa
$ Lambda
Mu
% Nu
& Xi
' Omicron
( Pi
) Rho
* Sigma
+ Tau
, Upsilon
- Phi
. Chi
/ Psi
0 Omega
N o r t h e r n H e mi s p h e r e V e r s i o n
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.

SkyandTelescope.com
1 Alpha
2 Beta
3 Gamma
4 Delta
5 Epsilon
6 Zeta
7 Eta
8 Theta
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T h u b a n
When to Use This Chart
Early Jan. 10 p.m.
Late Jan. 9 p.m.
Early Feb. 8 p.m.
Late Feb. Dusk
The chart is also useful in early October at 5
a.m.*, early November at 2 a.m., and early
December at midnight.
*Daylight-saving time
Jan/Feb
Northern Hemi sphere

SkyandTelescope.com
How to Use This Chart
Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
direction youre facing is right-reading. The stars
above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found
in the sky about halfway
from horizontal to
straight up.
Evening Stars in
for latitude 40 N.
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
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Star magnitudes
When to Use This Chart
Early Mar. 11 p.m.
Late Mar. 10 p.m.
Early Apr. 10 p.m.*
Late Apr. Dusk
*Daylight-saving time
The chart is also useful in early
December at 5 a.m., early
January at 3 a.m., and
early February at 1
a.m.
How to Use This Chart
Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
direction youre facing is right-reading. The stars
above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the edge to
the center can be found in the sky
about halfway from hori-
zontal to straight up.
Mar/Apr
Northern Hemi sphere

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
for latitude 40 N.
Evening Stars in
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
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S
A
M
A
J
O
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U R S A
M I N O R
C
E
P
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C
A
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S
I O
P
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I A
L
A
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T
A
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L
P
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N
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L
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R
A
S
A
G
I
T
T
A
A
Q
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I
L
A
S
C
U
T
U
M
S
A
G
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T
T
A
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S
P o l a r i s
S
p
ica
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e
g
u
l
u
s
D
e
n
e
b
o
l
a
S
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c
k
l
e
M
4
4
C
a
s
t
o
r
P
o
l l u
x
Arcturus
A
n
ta
re
s
M
4
M
5
M
9
2
M
1
3
V
e
g
a
A
l b
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e
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5
7
D
e
n
e
b
M
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a
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&

A
l c
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r
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D
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p
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r
M
5
1
L i t t l e
D i p p e r
T
h
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a
n
A
l
t
a
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r
M
1
1
M
2
3
M
2
4
F
a
c
i
n
g
E
a
s
t
Facing South
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
W
F
a
c
i
n
g
W
e
s
t
F a c i n g N o r t h
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
W
V
i r
g
o
G
a
l a
x
y
C
l u
s
t e
r
M
1
5
Zenith
M
3
M
1
0
M
1
2
M
2
7
M
1
7
M
8
1
M
8
2
D
i
f
f
u
s
e

n
e
b
u
l
a
P
l
a
n
e
t
a
r
y

n
e
b
u
l
a
V
a
r
i
a
b
l
e

s
t
a
r
G
a
l
a
x
y
G
l
o
b
u
l
a
r

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
O
p
e
n

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
1 0 1 2 3 4
Star magnitudes
When to Use This Chart
Early May 1 a.m.*
Late May Midnight*
Early June 11 p.m.*
Late June Dusk*
*Daylight-saving time
The chart is also useful in early
February at dawn, early
March at 4 a.m., and
early April at 3
a.m.*.
May/Jun
Northern Hemi sphere

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
How to Use This Chart
Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
direction youre facing is right-reading. The stars
above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found in
the sky about halfway from
horizontal to straight
up.
Evening Stars in
for latitude 40 N.
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
M
8
1
M
8
2
M
5
E
C
L
I
P
T
I
C
M6
M7
M4
Antares
4
1
5
$
8
M22
M8
M20
M23
M25
M24
M17
5
*
1
7
M
11
M
1
3
M
9
2
1
A
r
c
t
u
r
u
s
1
M
i z
a
r&
A
l c
o
r
B
i gD
i p
p
e
r
M
5
1
3
5
6
7
1
2
A
lta
ir
7
1
M
2
7
G
r
e
a
t

S
q
u
a
r
e
o
f

P
e
g
a
s
u
s
M
1
5
1
2
5
.
3
2
5
1
1

4
D
o
u
b
l e
C
l u
s
t e
r
P o l a r i s
1
2
L i t t l e
D i p p e r
M
3
1
L
Y
R
A
V
e
g
a
M
5
7
A
l
b
i
r
e
o
D
e
n
e
b
S
p
ic
a
1
L
I
B
R
A
S
C
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P
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S SAGI TTARI US
C
A
P
R
I
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N
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S
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I
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C
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U
S
V
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R
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T
U
M
S
E
R
P
E
N
S
C
A
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D
A
H
E
R
C
U
L
E
S


C
O
R
O
N
A
B
O
R
E
A
L
I
S
S
E
R
P
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N
S
C
A
P
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T
B
O

T
E
S
C
O
M
A
B
E
R
E
N
I
C
E
S
L
E
O
D
e
n
e
b
o
l a
2
C
A
N
E
S
V
E
N
A
T
I
C
I
U
R
S
A
M
A
J
O
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A
Q
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A
R
I
U
S
A
Q
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I
L
A
D
E
L
P
H
I
N
U
S
E
Q
U
U
L
E
U
S
P
E
G
A
S
U
S
P
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R
S
E
U
S
1
D R A C O
T h u b a n
U R S A
M I N O R
C
A
S
S
I
O
P
E
I
A
2
1
3
C
E
P
H
E
U
S
A
N
D
R
O
M
E
D
A
L
A
C
E
R
T
A
S
A
G
I
T
T
A
C
Y
G
N
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S
CORONA
AUSTRALIS
P
I
S
C
E
S
2
3
P
e
r s e
i d
m
e
t e
o
r s
r a
d
i a
n
t
1
M
10
M
12
M
5
M
3
M
10
M
12
M
3
Zenith
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
E
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
E
F a c i n g N o r t h
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
W
F
a
c
i
n
g
W
e
s
t
Facing South
F
a
c
i
n
g
E
a
s
t
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
W
C A M E L O P A R D A L I S
D
i
f
f
u
s
e

n
e
b
u
l
a
P
l
a
n
e
t
a
r
y

n
e
b
u
l
a
V
a
r
i
a
b
l
e

s
t
a
r
G
a
l
a
x
y
G
l
o
b
u
l
a
r

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
O
p
e
n

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
1 0 1 2 3 4
Star magnitudes
When to Use This Chart
Early July Midnight*
Late July 11 p.m.*
Early Aug. 10 p.m.*
Late Aug. Dusk*
*Daylight-saving time
The chart is also useful in late April
at dawn, late May at 3 a.m.*,
and late June at 1 a.m.*.
Jul/Aug
Northern Hemi sphere

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
How to Use This Chart
Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
direction youre facing is right-reading. The stars
above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found
in the sky about halfway
from horizontal to
straight up.
Evening Stars in
for latitude 40 N. Every issue of Sky & Telescope
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
M
8 1
M
8 2
E
C
L I P T I C
S
A
G
I
T
T
A
R
I
U
S
M
2
2
M
2
3
M
2
4
M
1
7
*
5
O
P
H
I
U
C
H
U
S
1
7
1
S
C
U
T
U
M
S
E
R
P
E
N
S
C
A
U
D
A
M
1
1
S
E
R
P
E
N
S
C
A
P
U
T
H
E
R
C
U
L
E
S


M
1
3
M
9
2
C
O
R
O
N
A
B
O
R
E
A
L
I
S
B
O

T
E
S
A
r
c
t
u
r
u
s
1
U
R
S
A
M
A
J
O
R
M i z a r
& A l c o r
1
2
3
5
6
7
B i g
D i p p e r
U R S A
M
I N O
R
L i t t l e
D i p p e r
2
3
P o l a r i s
1
D
R
A
C
O
T h u b a n
L
Y
R
A
V
e
g
a
M
5
7
1
A
Q
U
I
L
A
A
lta
ir
1
7
3
CAPRI CORNUS
A
Q
U
A
R
I
U
S
DELPHINUS
EQUULEUS
P
I
S
C
E
S
P
E
G
A
S
U
S
G
r
e
a
t

S
q
u
a
r
e
o
f

P
e
g
a
s
u
s
C
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r
c
l
e
t
1
1
2
S
A
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IT
T
A
L
A
C
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T
A
A
N
D
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D
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1
2
3 T
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N
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L
U
M
P
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R
S
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S
1
A
l g
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D
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I S
D
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b
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C
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s
t
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C
A
S
S
I
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P
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I
A
1
2
3
C E P H E U S
4
1

C Y G N U S Albireo
Deneb
2
1
3
.
C
a
p
e
l l a
K
i d
s
1
2
A
U
R
I
G
A
P
l e
i a
d
e
s
A
R
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E
S
H
a
m
a
l
1
C
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T
U
S
M
ir
a
2
5
P
I S
C
I S
A
U
S
T
R
I N
U
S
1
Fom
alhaut
G
R
U
S
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
E
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
E
F a c i n g N o r t h
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
W
F
a
c
i
n
g
W
e
s
t
Facing South
F
a
c
i
n
g
E
a
s
t
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
W
M
3
4
M
1
5
M
2
5
M
1
0
M
1
2
M
2
7
M
3
3
Zenith
D
i
f
f
u
s
e

n
e
b
u
l
a
P
l
a
n
e
t
a
r
y

n
e
b
u
l
a
V
a
r
i
a
b
l
e

s
t
a
r
G
a
l
a
x
y
G
l
o
b
u
l
a
r

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
O
p
e
n

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
1 0 1 2 3 4
Star magnitudes
When to Use This Chart
Early Sept. 11 p.m.*
Late Sept. 10 p.m.*
Early Oct. 9 p.m.*
Late Oct. Dusk*
*Daylight-saving time
The chart is also useful in late June at
dawn, late July at 2 a.m.*, and
late August at midnight*.
Sep/Oct
Northern Hemi sphere

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
How to Use This Chart
Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
direction youre facing is right-reading. The stars
above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found
in the sky about halfway
from horizontal to
straight up.
for latitude 40 N.
Evening Stars in
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
M
8
1
M
8
2
E
C
L
I
P
T
I
C
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
E
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
E
F a c i n g N o r t h
F
a
c
i
n
g

N
W
F
a
c
i
n
g
W
e
s
t
Facing South
F
a
c
i
n
g
E
a
s
t
F
a
c
i
n
g

S
W
C
a
p
e
l l a
K
i d
s
A
U
R
I
G
A
M
3
6
M
3
7
M
3
8
L
Y
N
X
U
R
S
A
M
A
J
O
R
M
i z
a
r
&
A
l c
o
r
B
i
g
D
i
p
p
e
r
1
2
5
3
6
C
A
M
E
L
O
P
A
R
D
A
L
I S
D o u b l e
C l u s t e r
C A S S I O P E I A
1
2
3
P
E
R
S
E
U
S
1
A
l g
o
l
2
P
l
e
i
a
d
e
s
T
A
U
R
U
S
A
l
d
e
b
a
r
a
n
1
H
y
a
d
e
s
T
R
I
A
N
G
U
L
U
M
A
R
I
E
S
PI SCES
Circlet
E
R
I
D
A
N
U
S
F
O
R
N
A
X
C
E
T
U
S
M
ira
2
1
SCULPTOR
P
I
S
C
I
S
A
U
S
T
R
I
N
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S
F
o
m
a
lh
a
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C
A
P
R
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C
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Q
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a
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S
q
u
a
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P
e
g
a
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1
M
1
5
5
2
ANDROMEDA
M31
2
1
3
1
D
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P
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S
A
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L
Y
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A
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g
a
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5
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S
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N
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D
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b
.2
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o
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1
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D
R
A
C
O
U R S A
M I N O R
L i t t l e
D i p p e r
2
3
P o l a r i s
1
M
3
3
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I
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N
B
e
lla
t
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M
4
2
2
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#
4 5
6
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e
lg
e
u
s
e 1
1
2
3
R
ig
e
l
L
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P
U
S
M
O
N
O
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E
R
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G
E
M
I
N
I
C
a
s
t
o
r
P
o
l l u
x
2
2
1
PHOENIX
M
3
4
1
1
7
3
Zenith
M
2
7
D
i
f
f
u
s
e

n
e
b
u
l
a
P
l
a
n
e
t
a
r
y

n
e
b
u
l
a
V
a
r
i
a
b
l
e

s
t
a
r
G
a
l
a
x
y
G
l
o
b
u
l
a
r

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
O
p
e
n

c
l
u
s
t
e
r
1 0 1 2 3 4
Star magnitudes
When to Use This Chart
Early Nov. 10 p.m.
Late Nov. 9 p.m.
Early Dec. 8 p.m.
Late Dec. 7 p.m.
The chart is also useful in early August at
dawn, early September at 3 a.m.*, and early
October at 1 a.m.*.
Nov/Dec
Northern Hemi sphere

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
How to Use This Chart
Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
direction youre facing is right-reading. The stars
above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The maps center is overhead (the
zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found
in the sky about halfway
from horizontal to
straight up.
for latitude 40 N.
Evening Stars in
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
Exploring the Moon

SkyandTelescope.com
! 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
U
C
O
/
L
i
c
k
O
b
s
e
r
v
a
t
o
r
y
(growing) crescent, we see the parts on the
right edge of the map. At first-quarter phase
we see the entire right half, and so on.
To use this lunar map, turn the chart
until it matches your view. Note: Some tele-
scopes give a mirror image, which will not
match this map no matter how you turn it.
Refractors and Cassegrain reflectors give
mirror images when used with a star diago-
nal; so does any other instrument contain-
ing an odd number of mirrors. If you find
this to be a problem, take out the star diag-
onal and view straight through. A correct
image is much easier to compare with any
map.
Once the map is oriented, it will be
simple to identify the major craters,
mountains, and other features.
In time, the geography of
this alien world will
become as familiar
to you as that of
our own.
The Moon is by far the most rewarding ce-
lestial object for a small telescope. Even a
very small instrument will reveal its bleak,
blasted landscape of mountain ranges,
plains, hills, valleys, and craters. Even
binoculars show many features, and there
are enough interesting sites on the Moon to
keep a telescopic explorer busy forever.
Youll notice right away that except
when the Moon is full, it is divided
by the terminator, the line sep-
arating lunar day and
night. Here is where
detail shows best.
When the Moon
is a waxing
Clavius
Plato
Aristoteles
Atlas
Hercules
Pico
Piton
Fracastorius
Cyrillus
Theophilus
Langrenus
Plinius
Ptolemaeus
Alphonsus
Arzachel
C
A
U
C
A
S
U
S
M
T
S
A
L
P
S
M
T
S
A
P
E
N
N
I
N
E

M
T
S
R
h
e
i
t
a
V
a
l
l
e
y
Tycho
Longomontanus
Maurolycus
Gassendi
Grimaldi
Aristarchus
Copernicus
Kepler
Eratosthenes
Archimedes
M A R E
S E R E N I T AT I S
MARE
VAPORUM
SI NUS
AESTUUM
SI NUS
MEDI I
M A R E
T R A N Q U I L L I T AT I S
M A R E
N U B I U M
MARE
NECTARI S
MA R E
H U MOR U M
P R O C E L L A R U M
O C E A N U S
MARE
FECUNDITATIS
M A R E
C R I S I U M P
A
L
U
S
S
O
M
N
I
S I N U S
I R I D U M
L
A
C
U
S
S
O
M
N
I O
R
U
M
M A R E
I M B R I U M
F R I G O R I S
MARE
UNDARUM
MARE
SPUMANS
M A R E
S
I
N
U
S
R
O
R
I
S
A
P
E
N
N
I
N
E

M
T
S
Tycho