Firefly Planisphere Deluxe: For Latitudes between 40 deg and 60 deg North -- Stars to Magnitude 5.5 -- Equinox 2000.0 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is probably the best planisphere I have (I have 3) and very usable. It is usable both as a desk top study/planning tool and also out in the field. The front side of the planisphere that contains the sky mask is more suited for indoors use. The color-coded stars and red constellation lines are impossible to see in the dark with a red flashlight. However, this side is eminently suitable as a desk top planning tool given the tremendous wealth of detail and info.
The back side of the planisphere is unmasked and contains a very detailed sky map mainly for Norhern hemisphere users. This is blue-tone printed and is usable in the dark and the details show up well under a red flash light. An extra bonus are detailed markings of double stars, variable stars, all the Messier objects and selected NGC objects, such as the double cluster. The large size of the planisphere might be ergonomically inconvenient in the field and a little dorky looking, but hey it's virtually a star atlas with all the fabulous detail! After using this planisphere for a while, I picked up some of my others and they just look juvenile. I've gotten spoilt! I would say the next most decent planisphere is one of David Chandler's ( I like the distortion-free flip side Southern view option of his).

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A professional-level tool for observing the night sky.

The large 15 inch Firefly Planisphere Deluxe is a practical tool for accurately locating night sky phenomena at any time of the year. Constructed of sturdy plastic, simply turn the disks to line up the month and date, and the clear top panel reveals the actual positions of the stars. It is also useful for locating planets, stars, constellations, globular clusters, nebula and galaxies at any particular time.

The planisphere is charted by the month, day, hour and minute, so it can be used to plan future viewings. The planisphere also calculates the time of sunrise and sunset for any specific day.

An easy-to-read 24-page companion book describes how to adjust and use the planisphere. The book and planisphere are packaged in a convenient boxed set.

The Firefly Planisphere Deluxe is an indispensable tool for astronomers of all ages.
(200402)

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Planisphere (Astronomy) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm very happy with this item. Very good quality versus price. It's a good start point for the beginner astronomer.

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An essential item of equipment for beginners and experienced observers, Philip's Planisphere enables the user to locate stars, constellations and planets, and work out sunrise and sunset times for every day of the year. Simply turn the oval panel to the required date and time to reveal the whole sky visible from your location. This brand new edition of the Philip's Southern Planisphere is larger, clearer and easier to use, while remaining lightweight and portable. The new map, drawn by renowned celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, shows stars down to magnitude 4 (stars visible with the naked eye), as well as many deep-sky objects. On the back of the planisphere are tables giving the positions of the four visible planets - Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - for every month until 2012. The Southern 35[degrees] Planisphere is suitable for use in Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa and Southern America.

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Sky & Telescope's Star Wheel 40 North Review

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(More customer reviews)Simply, it's a beautiful design, clear but the material is unfortunatly "Cardboard", not very durable and definitely not suitable for those damp nights. Should have been made from enduring Plastic or Laminated, not sure how long it will last.

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The Night Sky 40°-50° (Large) Star Finder Review

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(More customer reviews)Chandler's star chart is a classic that is functional, easy-to-use, and valuable for people just learning the night sky. Its main features are its large size and lamination -- important as summer evening dew inevitably turns most paper products saggy. This is recommended for people desiring to learn their way around the night sky and build an understanding of the universe.

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The Night Sky is a rotating star finder- or 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 40ÂÂ-50 latitude zone (northern United States and parts of Europe). We have versions for the following latitude zones: 50Â-60Â, 40Â-50Â, 30Â-40Â, 20Â-30Â, and the Southern Hemisphere. We also have pocket-sized versions available for the same latitude zones.

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The Night Sky 30°-40° (Large; North Latitude) Review

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(More customer reviews)A rotating starfinder like this one (often referred to as a "Planisphere") effectively shows how the night sky looks at any given time on any night of the year. For instance, if it's 10 p.m. on April 30th, just line up April 30th on the outer wheel with 10 p.m. on the inner wheel. The starfinder will thus display the position and orientation of the constellations that are visible to you at that time. As time passes, celestial objects "drift" from east to west due to the Earth's rotation. Occasional adjustment (rotating the planisphere's inner wheel to keep up with passing time) will sustain an accurate representation. As with any night-time observing aid, it should be viewed with red light.
Planispheres are generally manufactured in incremental versions to accommodate various bandwidths of latitudes from which to use them. For northern latitudes they are most commonly offered in 20/30; 30/40; and 40/50-degree versions. The Night Sky "30-40" matches latitudes from 30 to 40 degrees North, i.e.: - the mid-southern United States. You should select the one that brackets your particular latitude.
Classic boundaries of the constellations are highlighted with lines connecting principal stars down to 5th magnitude. A few of the more significant celestial objects are represent as well, i.e.: - M31. Right Ascension and Declination scales are provided. The front side shows the sky as you face north. Turning the planisphere over (from front to back) shows the sky as it looks facing south - and without distortion.
A good starfinder is a useful tool, and Chandler's Night Sky planisphere has become my personal favorite. It makes for a good learning device as well, and is the planisphere of choice for Terrence Dickinson ("The Backyard Astronomer's Guide"). It is plastic coated, weatherproof, and very durable. Mine has suffered some clumsy mishaps on a concrete observing pad and endured countless hundreds of dew-polluted evenings, but still looks and functions quite well.
Whatever the venue - binocular, telescope, or just plain naked-eye stargazing, I highly recommend Chandler's Night Sky planisphere. I believe it to be the best choice available.

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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 30Â-40Â latitude zone (southern half of the US, North Africa, Middle East, etc.). There are editions for the following latitude zones: 50Â-60Â, 40Â-50Â, 30Â-40Â, 20Â-30Â, and the Southern Hemisphere. There are also pocket-sized versions available for the same latitude zones.

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