Publisher's Synopsis
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 Planisphere is suitable for use in Australia, New Zealand, southern Africa and Southern America.the WALLETNew for this edition is the full-colour wallet. Divided into two main sections - 'Using the planisphere' and 'Exploring the skies' - it provides indispensable information for the first time observer.'Using the planisphere' gives illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to set the planisphere to the right date and time, how to locate the planets and how to work out the time of sunrise or sunset. It explains the details seen on the map, such as the magnitudes of stars, the ecliptic (path of the Sun) and the celestial coordinates.'Exploring the skies' is an excellent beginner's guide to stargazing. It introduces the novice astronomer to the principal celestial objects visible at different times of the year. Major constellations are used as signposts to navigate the night sky, locating hard-to-find stars and some fascinating deep-sky objects.Main map scale:
