NORTHERN HEMI SPHERE VERSI ON
]
[
GETTI NG STARTED I N
ASTRONOMY
AN EASY GUIDE TO
EXPLORING THE
UNIVERSE
I NCLUDES A MOON MAP AND STAR CHARTS
FROM THE
EDITORS OF
®
SkyandTelescope.com
Northern Hemi sphere Versi on
Your First Steps
®
SkyandTelescope.com in Astronomy
Astronomy doesn t deserve
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU can see a galaxy way around the sky. They also give you a
21D 2 million light-years away with your view that s right side up and straight in
its reputation as a tough,
unaided eye? Or that you can see craters front of you, making it easy to see where
on the Moon with ordinary binoculars? you re pointing. Binoculars are fairly inex-
These and countless other wonders await pensive, widely available, and easy to carry
expensive hobby to get into.
your gaze every clear night. The first step and store. They re also versatile; you can
is simply to look up and ask,  What s switch from terrestrial to celestial viewing in
You just need to begin with
that? And when you do, you ll take the an instant.And their performance is surpris-
first step toward a lifetime of cosmic ingly respectable. Ordinary 7- to 10-power
the right advice.
exploration and enjoyment. What s the binoculars improve on the unaided eye
best way to get started on this exciting about as much as a good amateur telescope
adventure? improves on binoculars  and at a far
lower cost. For astronomy, the larger the
Read It and Reap front lenses are, the better. High optical When It s Time for a Telescope,
The joy of astronomy comes from finding quality is important too. But any binoculars Plunge in Deep
your way around the starry sky and already knocking around the back of your Eventually you ll be ready for your first tele-
understanding what you see. A great place closet are enough to launch your amateur- scope. This is no time to skimp on quality.
to start is your local library or bookstore. astronomy career. The telescope you want has two essentials.
Browse the astronomy shelf for beginner s One is high-quality,  diffraction-limited
guides that will teach you about the Use Maps and Guidebooks optics. The other is a solid, steady, smooth-
Moon, planets, and constellations. Check Once you ve learned your way around the ly working mount. You may also want large
the magazine rack for Sky & Telescope, the night sky, binoculars can keep you busy for aperture (size), but don t lose sight of port-
hobby s essential monthly magazine. It years. With good maps and reference books, ability and convenience. Remember, the
offers practical tips for observers as well as you can identify dozens of the Moon s best telescope for you is the one you ll
articles on many fascinating astronomical craters, plains, and mountains. Binoculars actually use.
topics. will show you the ever-changing positions Many telescopes have built-in comput-
Another great resource is the World of Jupiter s moons and the crescent phases ers and motors that will point them to any
Wide Web. Start at Sky & Telescope s site, of Venus. They ll also reveal most of the 109 of thousands of celestial objects at the
SkyandTelescope.com, or you can use any  M objects, the star clusters, galaxies, and push of a few buttons. These are a lot of
search utility to look up topics such as nebulae cataloged by 18th-century fun to use and can help you locate sights
 amateur astronomy or  stargazing. astronomer Charles Messier. Binoculars will you might otherwise overlook. But it s still
let you split scores of colorful double stars helpful to know your way around the sky
Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes and allow you to follow the fadings and  especially if your batteries run out!
Go out on any clear, dark night and famil- brightenings of numerous variable stars. It s true that telescopes can cost many
iarize yourself with the star patterns over- All this and more is possible  but only if thousands of dollars, but it s also true that
head, using the constellation maps on the you know where to look and what to look some good ones can be had for only a few
following pages. for. Moreover, the skills you ll develop using hundred dollars. Can t afford the scope
If you live in a brightly lit city or town, maps and guidebooks with binoculars are you want? Save up until you can.
find a place where there s less light pollu- exactly the skills you ll need to put a tele- Another year of using binoculars while
tion (or at least a spot free from the glare scope to good use. building a savings account will be time
of nearby lights) so you can see more you ll never regret.
stars. The ability to look up and say, Seek Out Other Amateurs
 There s the North Star! or  That s There s nothing like sharing an interest with Relax and Have Fun
Saturn! will provide pleasure  and a others. There are hundreds of astronomy Don t get upset if you can t find a particu-
sense of your place in the cosmos  for clubs worldwide; Sky & Telescope s Web site lar object or because the view in your tele-
the rest of your life. includes a directory of them. Call a club scope is less than perfect. Learn to take
near you to find out when it holds meetings pleasure in whatever your eyes, binoculars,
Start with Binoculars or all-night observing sessions called  star or telescope can show you. The more you
Binoculars are an ideal  first telescope parties. These events offer a wonderful look, the more you ll see. Set your own
for several reasons. They show you a wide opportunity to try out different telescopes, pace, and revel in the beauty and mystery
field of view, making it easy to find your learn new skills, and make friends. of our amazing universe!
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
Northern Hemi sphere Versi on
Finding Your Way
®
Among the Stars
SkyandTelescope.com
your neck up, is the bright star Vega. It s
Looking Deeper
Here s how to use our bimonthly
part of the little constellation Lyra.
Take the maps out often, and try to learn a
star charts to identify your
You ll notice that east is left of north on
new constellation each night. You are
evening stars and constellations.
our charts, not to the right as on maps of
establishing the landmarks you ll need for
the Earth. This is because the charts are
finding your way when you start using
CAN YOU SPOT THE BIG DIPPER? Orion? The used while looking up, not down.
binoculars or a telescope.
Pleiades? Your exploration of the universe
Once you know at least some constella-
begins with learning the stars in your Tips for Success
tions fairly well, you can start exploring
evening sky. But different constellations are Find a dark viewing site and bring a dim
the sky a lot more deeply with optical aid.
visible at different times of year and hours flashlight to read the map by. It s best to
For this you ll need larger star charts that
of the night, depending on your latitude use red light, which helps preserve your
show more close-up detail.
and which way the night side of our planet night vision.
The maps here show stars as faint as
is facing. When you start out, look only for the
magnitude 4.5. This is about as faint as
The accompanying charts will help you brightest stars on the map, those depicted
you can see with the naked eye through
get oriented. They re designed for sky- with the biggest dots. Mentally blank out
suburban light pollution. Also plotted are
watchers in midnorthern latitudes such the fainter ones if you are in a city or sub- some interesting objects for binoculars or
as the United States, southern Canada, urb (or in bright moonlight); they will be
small telescopes: star clusters, nebulae, and
and Europe. Each represents the entire invisible or nearly so through the  light pol- galaxies. When hunting for these faint
sky at the dates and times printed on it. lution. But wherever you are, remember
sights you ll have an easier time if you use
Find a chart appropriate for your date, that there is a much bigger difference
larger charts that show stars to at least as
and go out within an hour or so of the between bright and faint stars in the sky
faint as magnitude 6. (Higher magnitude
time listed. than is suggested on the chart.
numbers mean fainter stars.)
Remember that the chart is a very
People who get serious about using a
How the Charts Work reduced representation of the real sky. To
telescope will want even more detailed sky
The round edge of each chart represents see how reduced, hold your hand at arm s
charts  ones that show stars as faint as
your horizon, with compass directions length with your fingers fully spread as
magnitude 8 or so. Sky Atlas 2000.0 by Wil
labeled. Turn the map around so the edge wide as you can. One of these  hand
Tirion and Roger W. Sinnott is the set
marked with the direction you re facing spans from thumbtip to little fingertip is
most widely used. The latest edition shows
(north, east, or whatever) is right-side up. a little less than the length of the Big
81,000 stars to magnitude 8.5 and 2,700
The stars above this horizon on the map Dipper. Compare this with the size of the
galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae.
will now match the stars you re facing. Dipper on the charts. You can work your
Clear skies!
Ignore the rest of the map for now. way around by remembering this rule:
The map s center is overhead (the One hand span in the sky is slightly less
Greek Letters on Star Maps
zenith). So a star that s plotted halfway than an inch on the chart. Pretty tiny!
The brightest stars in each constellation
from the edge to the center can be found The maps are drawn for an observer at
are named with lowercase Greek letters. A
about halfway up the sky. That is, it will be 40° north latitude (for example, Denver,
constellation s most brilliant star is often
halfway from horizontal to straight up. New York, Madrid). If you re far south of
called Alpha, the first letter in the Greek
Dot sizes indicate star brightnesses  there, stars in the southern part of the sky
alphabet. The letters are used with the
the larger the dot, the brighter the star. will appear higher than the map shows,
Latin genitive form of the constellation
Example: Let s try the July/August chart. and stars in the north will be lower. If
name, so the Alpha star of Centaurus is
Turn it so the horizon labeled  Facing you re far north of 40° latitude, the reverse
called  Alpha Centauri.
West is right-side up. About halfway from will be true.
Here is the lowercase Greek alphabet as
there to the center is the bright star The Moon and planets are not plotted
used by astronomers:
Arcturus. Go outside around one of the because they re always changing position.
dates and times listed, face west, and look Find the line arcing across each chart
Ä… Alpha Ä… Iota Á Rho
halfway from horizontal to straight up. labeled  ECLIPTIC. This is the line near
² Beta º Kappa à Sigma
There s Arcturus! which the Sun, Moon, and planets always
Å‚ Gamma  Lambda Ä Tau
To the right of Arcturus, in the north- travel. It s called the ecliptic because it s
´ Delta Mu Å Upsilon
west, is the Big Dipper. Turn the chart so where eclipses can occur.
µ Epsilon ½ Nu Ć Phi
the  Facing NW horizon edge is right- If you see a bright  star near the eclip-
Å› Zeta ¾ Xi Ç Chi
side up. When you hold the chart correct- tic that s not on the map, you ve located a
· Eta ż Omicron È Psi
ly, the Dipper s handle stretches toward planet. To figure out which one it is, con-
¸ Theta Ä„ Pi É Omega
the upper left and its bowl is at lower right sult the latest issue of Sky & Telescope or
 just the way it looks in the northwest- visit SkyandTelescope.com and use our
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
ern sky. Nearly overhead, as you crane Interactive Sky Chart.
Evening Stars in
®
Jan/Feb
for latitude 40 N.
Northern Hemisphere
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
SkyandTelescope.com
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
When to Use This Chart How to Use This Chart
Early Jan. 10 p.m. Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Late Jan. 9 p.m. Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
Early Feb. 8 p.m. direction you re facing is right-reading. The stars
Late Feb. Dusk above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The map s center is overhead (the
The chart is also useful in early October at 5 zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
a.m.*, early November at 2 a.m., and early edge to the center can be found
December at midnight. in the sky about halfway
from horizontal to
*Daylight-saving time straight up.
Zenith
C L I P T I
Ä…
Star magnitudes
 1 0 1 2 3 4
Ä…
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© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
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Evening Stars in
Mar/Apr
®
for latitude 40 N.
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
Northern Hemisphere
SkyandTelescope.com
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
When to Use This Chart How to Use This Chart
Early Mar. 11 p.m. Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Late Mar. 10 p.m. Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
Early Apr. 10 p.m.* direction you re facing is right-reading. The stars
Late Apr. Dusk above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The map s center is overhead (the
*Daylight-saving time zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the edge to
the center can be found in the sky
The chart is also useful in early about halfway from hori-
December at 5 a.m., early zontal to straight up.
January at 3 a.m., and
early February at 1
a.m.
Zenith
Star magnitudes
 1 0 1 2 3 4
g
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
S
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Evening Stars in
®
May/Jun
for latitude 40 N.
Northern Hemisphere
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
SkyandTelescope.com
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
When to Use This Chart How to Use This Chart
Early May 1 a.m.* Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Late May Midnight* Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
Early June 11 p.m.* direction you re facing is right-reading. The stars
Late June Dusk* above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The map s center is overhead (the
*Daylight-saving time zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found in
The chart is also useful in early the sky about halfway from
February at dawn, early horizontal to straight
March at 4 a.m., and up.
early April at 3
a.m.*.
Zenith
BOÖTES
Arcturus
Star magnitudes
 1 0 1 2 3 4
S
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
SAGITTA
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CANES
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Evening Stars in
®
Jul/Aug
Northern Hemisphere for latitude 40 N.
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
SkyandTelescope.com
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
When to Use This Chart How to Use This Chart
Early July Midnight* Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Late July 11 p.m.* Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
Early Aug. 10 p.m.* direction you re facing is right-reading. The stars
Late Aug. Dusk* above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The map s center is overhead (the
*Daylight-saving time zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found
The chart is also useful in late April in the sky about halfway
at dawn, late May at 3 a.m.*, from horizontal to
and late June at 1 a.m.*. straight up.
Zenith
M20
Star magnitudes
 1 0 1 2 3 4
g
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
G r e a t S q u a r e
o f P e g a s u s
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Evening Stars in
®
Sep/Oct
for latitude 40 N.
Northern Hemisphere
Every issue of Sky & Telescope
SkyandTelescope.com
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
When to Use This Chart How to Use This Chart
Early Sept. 11 p.m.* Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Late Sept. 10 p.m.* Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
Early Oct. 9 p.m.* direction you re facing is right-reading. The stars
Late Oct. Dusk* above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The map s center is overhead (the
*Daylight-saving time zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
edge to the center can be found
The chart is also useful in late June at in the sky about halfway
dawn, late July at 2 a.m.*, and from horizontal to
late August at midnight*. straight up.
Deneb
Zenith
²
C Y G N U S Albireo
CAPRICORNUS
Star magnitudes
 1 0 1 2 3 4
g S
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
L
A
C
E
R
T
A
ng
M92
M13
Vega
g
LYRA
H ERC U LES
M57
CAPUT
SERPENS
N
g
n
o
i
r
c
t
a
h
F
MAJOR
URSA
²
²
AURIGA
Facing N
Å‚
Ä…
81
M
Ä…
82
Capella
M
E
K
id
Dipper
s
Facing NW
µ
Big
Å›
& Alcor
C
A
M
Mizar
E
LO
P
A
·
R
D
A
LIS
R
INO
Thuban
M
olaris
P
²
Ä…
URSA
Ä…
P
PER
leiades
C
Algol
luster
SEU
D
ouble
Dipper
rus
Little
rctu
²
S
A
CASSIOPEIA
BOÖTES
M
Ä…
34
Å‚
Å‚
TR
DRACO
Ä…
CEPHEUS
IA
²
N
A
G
U
´
ANDROMEDA
EALIS
Ä…
LU
Hamal
RON
Å‚
M
BOR
CO
M31
M
A
²
33
Ä…
R
IES
F
t
a
s
c
e
i
Ä…
Ä…
W
Ä…
Å‚
E
n
Great Square
PISCES
i
a
²
of Pegasus
c
s
Ç
a
t
F
P
Ä…
C
E
T
U
S
E
Ä…
M
G
ira
27
M
A
Ä…
DELPHINUS
SU
M15
SAGITTA
12
M
Circlet
Å‚
S
µ
Ä…
Altair
EQUULEUS
10
M
·
SERPENS
CAUDA
AQUILA
OPHIUCHUS
11
M
AQUARIUS
·
M17
²
SCUTUM
4
2
M
3
2
M
M25
E
C
L
I
P
T
I
C
Ã
M22
Facing SE
Fomalhaut
Ä…
PISCIS
Facing SW
AUSTRINUS
µ
SAGITTARIUS
GRUS
Variable star
Open cluster
Globular cluster
Galaxy
Planetary nebula
Diffuse nebula
F
a
h
c
t
i
u
n
o
Evening Stars in
®
Nov/Dec
Every issue of Sky & Telescope for latitude 40 N.
Northern Hemisphere
SkyandTelescope.com
magazine contains a full-color
star chart for the current month.
When to Use This Chart How to Use This Chart
Early Nov. 10 p.m. Go out within an hour or so of the time listed at left.
Late Nov. 9 p.m. Turn the chart around so the edge marked with the
Early Dec. 8 p.m. direction you re facing is right-reading. The stars
Late Dec. 7 p.m. above this horizon on the map now match the stars
in front of you. The map s center is overhead (the
The chart is also useful in early August at zenith). So a star plotted halfway from the
dawn, early September at 3 a.m.*, and early edge to the center can be found
October at 1 a.m.*. in the sky about halfway
from horizontal to
straight up.
Zenith
ANDROMEDA
PI SCES
Circlet
Star magnitudes
 1 0 1 2 3 4
PHOENIX
g S
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
²
ing
Pleiades
Hyades
Aldebaran
TAURUS
g
g
n
N
i
o
c
r
a
t
F
h
Å›
Å‚
µ
&
A
lc
M
o
iz
r
a
r
D
ip
pe
²
B
r
ig
MAJOR
URSA
Facing N
Ä…
NW
E
M
²
81
Facing
CO
A
M
82
DR
HERCULES
LYNX
MINOR
URSA
Dipper
Little
Å‚
Polaris
P
Ä…
ollux
Castor
Ä…
Vega
²
CAMELOPARDALIS
Ä…
G
E
CEPHEUS
A
M
R
Y
IN
L
M57
²
Ä…
Capella
I
CASSIOPEIA
Ä…
AURIGA
Å‚
M
Cluster
Å‚
Ä…
Albireo
´
37
M
M
²
Double
²
Ç
38
36
Deneb
Ä…
Kids
A
Ä…
CYGNUS
T
R
Å‚
PERSEUS
E
C
M
MONOCER
F
3
t
LA
²
SAGITTA
4
Algol
a
M27
s
c
e
B
M31
e
Å‚
telge
W
TRIANGULUM
use
E
Ä…
n
M33
Ä…
i
a
OS
²
c
Ä…
²
Altair
s
Ä…
a
AQUILA
t
ORION
F
·
Å‚
DELPHINUS
Ä…
M15
Bellatr
A
R
IES
´
µ
ix
Å›
µ
PEGASUS
Great Square
of Pegasus
Ä…
EQUULEUS
M42
º
²
R
E
LEPUS
igel
C
L
I
P
Mira
T
CETUS
I
C
E
R
ID
AQUARIUS
A
N
U
S
CAPRICORNUS
²
Facing SE
FORNAX
Ä…
Fomalhaut
SCULPTOR
Facing SW
PISCIS
AUSTRINUS
Variable star
Open cluster
Globular cluster
Galaxy
Planetary nebula
Diffuse nebula
F
a
h
c
t
i
n
u
o
®
Exploring the Moon
SkyandTelescope.com
The Moon is by far the most rewarding ce- (growing) crescent, we see the parts on the Refractors and Cassegrain reflectors give
lestial object for a small telescope. Even a right edge of the map. At first-quarter phase mirror images when used with a star diago-
very small instrument will reveal its bleak, we see the entire right half, and so on. nal; so does any other instrument contain-
blasted landscape of mountain ranges, To use this lunar map, turn the chart ing an odd number of mirrors. If you find
plains, hills, valleys, and craters. Even until it matches your view. Note: Some tele- this to be a problem, take out the star diag-
binoculars show many features, and there scopes give a mirror image, which will not onal and view  straight through. A correct
are enough interesting sites on the Moon to match this map no matter how you turn it. image is much easier to compare with any
keep a telescopic explorer busy forever. map.
You ll notice right away that except Once the map is oriented, it will be
when the Moon is full, it is divided simple to identify the major craters,
by the terminator, the line sep- mountains, and other features.
arating lunar day and In time, the geography of
MARE
FRI GORI S
night. Here is where this alien world will
Aristoteles
detail shows best. become as familiar
Plato
When the Moon to you as that of
Atlas
is a waxing our own.
SI NUS Hercules
I RI DUM
Pico
MARE Piton
I MBRI UM
MARE
Archimedes
SERENI TATI S
MARE
Aristarchus
CRI SI UM
Eratosthenes
OCEANUS MARE
MARE
Plinius
UNDARUM
VAPORUM
MARE
SI NUS
AESTUUM MARE
TRANQUI LLI TATI S
SPUMANS
Copernicus
Kepler
MARE
SI NUS
MEDI I
FECUNDITATIS
PROCELLARUM
Grimaldi
Langrenus
Theophilus
Ptolemaeus
Cyrillus
MARE
Alphonsus NECTARI S
Gassendi
MARE
Arzachel
Fracastorius
NUBI UM
MARE
HUMORUM
Maurolycus
Tycho
Tycho
Longomontanus
Clavius
© 2003 Sky Publishing Corp.
ALPS
SINUS
MTS
RORIS
LACUS
SOMNIORUM
CAUCASUS
MTS
PA
SOMNI
L
U
S
APENNINE MTS
APENNINE MTS
y
or
at
v
ser
b
alley
O
V
Rheita
UCO/Lick