Publisher's Synopsis
Essential equipment for both beginners and experienced observers, Philip's planispheres enable 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. The map shows stars down to magnitude 4, plus some deep-sky objects, such as the Pleiades, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Orion Nebula (M42).This new edition is larger, clearer and easier to use, while remaining lightweight and portable. The increased size of the star map makes it easier to read during an observing session. On the back of the planisphere are tables giving the positions of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn for every month until 2011.The Northern 51.5 Planisphere is suitable for use in the British Isles, Northern Europe, Northern USA and Canada.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 keen amateur observer.'Using the planisphere' contains illustrated step-by-step instructions for 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 - the magnitudes of stars, the ecliptic 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:
