Absolutely gorgeous Star Atlas. Top notch production values.
Although computerized star atlases are fast replacing their paper predecessors, there is still a place for a printed star atlas, which is why the German language version of this one sold out in Europe.
It seems to have just the right amount of detail, includes constellation lines, which I find very helpful, spiral bound, so will lay flat when open, or you can even fold it back on itself so it only takes up the space of one open page. None of the color codes are in red, so they will all show up under a red light (if you elect to take it outdoors, although there is a field edition for that use). There is a bit of overlap between the pages making it easier to follow from one page to the connecting page.
Deep sky objects are shaded according to how visible they should appear in various aperture telescopes - 4 inch, 8 inch, 12 inch, and greater than 12 inch. I would take these classifications with a grain (or two) of salt. The author states that the classifications are based on what can be seen under a reasonably dark rural sky. For example, the California Nebula, NGC 1499, is shown as visible in a 4 inch telescope. Perhaps. Yet in consulting the "Night Sky Observer's Guide Volume 1" it states that NGC 1499, even for 8 to 10 inch scopes, "...is very disappointing and difficult to detect visually." (There is not even an entry for 4 to 6 inch scopes, as there is for other deep sky objects when appropriate).
This is not to say that the classification provided by this Atlas is not valuable. It is, and it is the first time a star atlas has provided any such aid for deep sky objects. I am just saying that it is always wise to consult another source when in doubt.
The Atlas has numerous other useful features as well. A number of nebulas have a small symbol attached which indicates which filter you should use for best viewing. The size of the deep sky object is proportional to the visual size of the object in the sky. Double stars are indicated by symbols showing the separation, position angle, and magnitude (brightness) difference between the two stars. All of this is valuable information for observers. A reviewer in one of the astronomy forums went out with the atlas for a night of observations and found all of the double stars that he checked to be correct in the Atlas.
So, without a doubt, the very best star atlas to become available in years. Highly recommended.
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