The Observer's Sky Atlas: With 50 Star Charts Covering the Entire Sky (Paperback)

by Erich Karkoschka (Author)
Key Phrases: elongated halo, nebula filter, dust features, Position V-Mag, Name Dist, Size Shape Type Vis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"... the most informative little sky guide in the business" -- Astronomy, on the first edition

"The more experienced observer will find this slim volume useful at the telescope and ... packed with interesting observing projects." -- Sky & Telescope, on the first edition

FROM REVIEWS OF THE FIRST EDITION
"the most informative little sky guide in the business."
ASTRONOMY

"The more experienced observer will find this slim volume useful at the telescope andpacked with interesting observing projects."
SKY & TELESCOPE

Product Description
The Observer's Sky Atlas contains star charts and information for all those who observe the night sky with unaided eyes, with binoculars, or with small telescopes, and also for those who just wish to look at constellations and interesting objects. Equally useful for the beginning observer and the old hand, the atlas presents:

( a short introduction into observing the sky and a thorough description of the star charts and tables;

( clearly arranged charts of all the stars (up to 6th magnitude) visible with the unaided eye;

( enlarged chart sections (including all stars to magnitude 9) for binocular observation, highlighting 250 interesting nebulae, galaxies, and stellar clusters;

( a catalog of more than 1000 objects that takes into account the far-reaching measurements of the Hipparcos Satellite published in 1997;

( tables of predicted separations of binary stars through the year 2015.

The Observer's Sky Atlas is an indispensable and handy companion for every observer and has already appeared in four languages.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 130 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd edition (July 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387986065
• ISBN-13: 978-0387986067
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,018,474 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU BUY ONLY ONE STAR ATLAS, GET THIS ONE!, October 22, 2001

By	Tiburd (USA) - See all my reviews

Looks small and unimpressive, but WOW! By far the most useful single sky guide I've found. What makes it special? First, the trick of showing additional detail and fainter stars for only selected areas of the sky, along with full-sky coverage of brighter stars...if you use binoculars or a telescope to hunt down faint objects, you will see lots of faint stars too, and showing them on the charts is a big help to orient you. Second, the scaling of the charts and of the plotted stars is unusually well matched to what you actually see through binoculars or a telescope at low power, making it easy to match your eyepiece view to what the chart shows. (Indeed, I find it superior to either the Sky Atlas 2000.0 or Uranometria--much larger and more expensive charts--in that regard.) Third, the format of listing interesting objects with associated data on pages facing each map is very useful and convenient. Fourth, the inclusion of hundreds of NGC objects besides the full Messier list makes this a reference that a beginner will not soon outgrow, and a veteran will continue to find it useful through the years. Fifth, the information regarding the types of instruments needed to view each object (small binoculars, large binos, small scope, medium scope) is the most accurate and practical I've seen. Sixth, it's so portable you can take it out on every viewing session--it even fits into a binocular case. Downside? Only that so few dealers carry it! ...and you've found one here. Good work, Amazon.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very handy field book for the non-novice, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

I looked forward very much to getting this book. I had a copy of the first edition and lost it on a trip to Chile. Among the several atlases I own, I found this one to be the most convenient for general observing. When I received the new edition, I was at first, disappointed. The older edition was printed on glossy paper that resisted moisture very well while using it in the field and the new version is not. Nevertheless, it is still printed on good paper and may hold up well. Time will tell. One of the other things I liked so much about the older version was the pocket size, and the new edition is about an inch larger in both directions. Again, it is still more handy than a hardbound book like the "Cambridge" or "Norton" atlases. Neither is it so thick that it is difficult to hold open like the "Peterson's" guides.

After examining the contents I saw that the added size was put to good advantage. The same basic charts are there from the first edition, but just a little larger in scale. And now there is quite a bit more information packed on the opposing pages that describe the objects to be viewed. Binary or multiple stars with significant relative motions are plotted so that you can see how the relationship will change over the next 20 years. A visual plot is given of the position angle of these stars rather than just a number. Little thermometers indicate the relative temperatures of each component to give an idea of the color difference to be expected. For regular variable stars a small waveform is often included that describes the period and change in brightness of the star. A set of symbols is now used to describe the ease of visibility of objects and objects with low surface brightness are noted using the same symbols. Several other columns have been added that are to assist in finding an object on the adjacent chart and to identify its magnitude. Although I did not find these particularly useful, others may.

At the beginning of the book there is a chart that I do not remember from the first edition that describes how natural and man-made light pollution affects the view of objects and shows how many objects can be seen under what conditions. All together the books positive changes balance the negative ones nicely. It will still be my first choice at the telescope. One negative that might exist for users new to the sky is that now there may be too much information on each page. I do not think that will be a problem for most. Thanks for the new edition!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly comprehensive, with some interesting features., March 24, 2001

By	Bill Wiegert (The Belmont Society - Belmont, NC) - See all my reviews

Some of us have a penchant for portability - a disposition for stuff that's easy-to-tote, whether it be accessories, maintenance items, or even the featured equipment itself. For star parties and "over-niters" I could care less if my bulk and baggage are busting at the seams. However, a walk on the boulevard with binoculars, or the occasional front yard setup for a hop through Cygnus, is much more enjoyable without having to juggle back and forth between the eyepiece and whatever I'm using as a reference - like a clumsy atlas.

The Observer's Sky Atlas is a streamlined reference for use with binoculars and small and medium telescopes. It employs 50 charts, displaying all stars down to 6th magnitude. It contains the usual narrative on how to use the charts, complete with graphics and diagrams like a B-V Color Index, and Apparent Magnitude and Distance Scales. There is also a good introductory lexicon, for terms such as precession and sidereal time.

Each of the 50 charts is outlined and numbered on a complete sky map showing all the constellations. Go to the page with its corresponding chart number (easy to do) and you're presented with all the accouterments for visual reference of the area.

The chart will be on the right. All the celestial objects of interest are listed on the left-facing page by object-type, and in order of right ascension. The chart page on the right shows several views of the featured area - an overall perspective of the constellation, and some "finder-charts" of various magnifications, i.e.: - a binocular view; a finder-scope view, etc. The extensive index on the left page lists objects by number (NGC, IC, Messier) or by common name. In the fourth column is a small coded square, which shows where the object can be found on the main chart, and/or any of the accompanying finder-charts. A clever and helpful idea.

As with any book of this genre, there are some minor errors and typos, but none of any consequence. This little atlas is amazingly comprehensive, and very easy to use. If you need a good deep sky reference that's loaded with essential objects in a convenient format, then you can't go wrong with this one.

NOTE: - A beginning novice may find initial exposure to an atlas of any level to be somewhat overbearing. However, with time and a little practice (as with any tool) it will indeed assume its rightful place within the realm of familiarity and usefulness. Thus, this book is perfectly suited for beginning amateurs, advanced observers, and casual stargazers, all of which are grown and graduated from the rank of "novice".

Highly recommended.