Customer Reviews

The Night Sky 30°-40° (Small) Star Finder

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

Superb product. The prduct is made of sturdy material(plastic?) not like the cardboard one I owned in the past. I love the clear plastic cover which can keep the dew and my fingerprints at bay. The chart itself, in addition, to the constellations locates Messier objects and nebulae.
This is great item to take on a camping trips or just stash in the glove compartment for impromptu stops to see the stars.

Make sure you buy the chart that is at or near the latitude where you live. The USA runs from 30-50 degrees latitude. So if you live at or south of New York and Denver then get the 30-40. If much above that, get the 40-50 degree latitude

After much careful comparing I found this Plainesphere to be the best one out there. Has a back side which is actually useful. I bought 2 as Christmas gifts and were enthusiastically received. Highly recommended.
By the way - also get a Red LED flashlight to go with these to preserve night vision. Amazon has a great small one at a good price.

Actually I would give this planisphere a rating of 3.5 rather than 4. It is a good planisphere overall. The plastic it is made of is of good quality & it comes in a plastic cover for storage. Instructions are printed on one side for the beginner, and they are brief yet very explanatory. Blue ink against a white background make this planisphere very easy to read under filtered red light since the blue appears black under red light. However, I find it lacks detail. Although all constellations are on it, only a few Messier objects are plotted. I've seen other planispheres with much more detail. Another thing it lacks is a list of the planets & when they are best viewed. I've seen this list on many other planispheres, but not on this one. The bottom line, however, is that this is a very good planisphere for those beginners who want to learn well the constellations.

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.

Dave Chandler's Night Sky has been a useful toll for me for many years of comet hunting. I began using it 20 years ago to determine what stars I should be seeing near the horizon at the evening and morning twilights. It is very simple to use, both during the day and at night.

I am in the business of painting the night sky on people's ceilings that are visible only at night (www.NightSkyMurals.com). Over the past 20 years I have used different star charts and planispheres to place the constellations in accurate locations for those that want an accurate night sky painted.

Many years ago, I went through many different brands of planisphers and none have even come close to the Night Sky planisphere by David Chandler. It is so easy to read and follow where others that I used were very hard to read and understand. My kids can even look at the Night Sky map and then look up at the night sky and find what they are looking for.

I like to give them out now (when I remember to order them) to my customers who get a mural from me. I will also leave Dave's "Exploring the Night Sky..." too. They are both great items and are great for people new to star gazing and also for the old timers.

Great product and worth every penny!

I am very new to the details of astronomy and viewing the night sky. This product is very helpful not only for use with my telescope but binoculars and even as a good reference for the naked eye. I am very pleased with how easy it is to carry and use

This planisphere is small enough to keep on hand while you're outside with the scope, but large enough to be read easily. It also shows up well under a red light. This planisphere is great for beginners to get a feel for the locations of major stars and constellations. This planisphere is best as a supplement to a sky atlas.

Very helpful on camping trips when you can't just look it up on the internet. Great product!