Sky Maps for Beginners

Humans beings are map makers. There is a good reason for that: Why waste time wandering around aimlessly when we can find our way to our objective with a proper map? The night sky is no different. Men long ago began finding patterns (technically called "asterisms") in the sky and giving them names. Today we know them as constellations.

Learning the Constellations (or at least beginning to learn them) is the first step towards appreciating the night sky. I highly recommend the following book: Sky Maps for Beginners. My experience is similar to that of those offering reader reviews at Amazon. My copy is falling apart from use (the sign of a good book).

The "revolutionary" thing about this book is that it does not present the sky maps in CIRCLE form (which, for beginners is a bit confusing). Instead, it takes the dome of stars above and splits is and lays it flat on the page so that you see the sky divided into the four cardinal directions (NSEW). Different maps are provided to cover the sky for any time of the year and any time of the night.



You will find this book so invaluable, that you will be wanting to give copies to friends (and even children) who are interested in learning more about the night sky. It is a wonderful, unintimidating little book and is now available in a 50th Anniversary Edition. I recommend getting the most recent edition of this book, as it will contain current information on the location of the planets in the night sky.