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SFA Star Chart 2 - Equatorial Region

2

1

5

4

3

1

4

2

1

3

6

5

2

1

1

89

2

Local Meridian for 8 PM

6

2

2

Pleiades

Mar31

Apr10

Apr20

May1

May11

May21

Jun1

Jun11Jun 22

Jul2

Jul12

Jul23

Aug2

Aug12

Aug23

Sep2

Sep13

Sep23

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

8090

100

110

120

130

140

160

170

May 22 May 6 Apr 21 Apr 6 Mar 22 Mar 7 Feb 20 Feb 5 Jan 20 Jan 5 Dec 21 Dec 6

CAMELOPARDALIS

URSA MAJOR

PISCES

PERSEUS

ERIDANUS

PHOENIX

FORNAX

CETUS

SCULPTOR

CAELUM

HOROLOGIUM

AURIGA

TAURUS

ANDROMEDA

DORADOPICTOR

CASSIOPEIA

CARINA

COLUMBA

PUPPIS

HYDRA

ANTLIA

CRATER

VELA

VIRGO

LYNX

LEO MINOR

LEO

ARIES

TRIANGULUM

PYXIS

SEXTANS

LEPUS

MONOCERUS

CANIS MAJOR

CANIS MINOR

CANCER GEMINI

ORION

Phecda

Merak

Algol

Mirfak

Algenib

Zaurak

Cursa

Achernar

Baten

Mekab

Diphda

Mira

Capella

Alnath

Aldebaran

Alpheratz

Mirach

Schedar

Canopus

Phakt

Zosma

Denebola

Regulus

Hamal

Arneb

Sirius

Procyon

Castor

Pollux

Salph

BellatrixBetelgeuse

Rigel

12h

11h

10h

9h

8h

7h

6h

5h

4h

3h

2h

1h

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Right Ascension

Declinatio

SFA Observatory 2002 http://observe.p


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SFA Star Chart 3 - Equatorial Region

MICROSCOPIUM

CIRCINUS

24h

13h

14h

15h

16h

17h

18h

19h

20h

21h

22h

23h

Nov 20 Nov 5 Oct 21 Oct 6 Sep 20 Sep 5 Aug 21 Aug 6 Jul 22 Jul 6 Jun 21 Jun 6 M

Mar21

Mar11

Mar1

Feb19

Feb9

Jan30

Jan20

Jan10

Dec 31 Dec 22Dec 12

Dec2

Nov22

Nov12

Nov2

Oct23

Oct13

Oct3

350

340

330

320

310

300

290

280 270 260250

240

230

220

210

200

190

Vega

Spica

Mizar

Markab

Fomalhaut

Deneb

Cor Caroli

Alkaid

Arcturus

Antares

Altair

CORONA BOREALIS

Alioth

Alcor

Albireo

CRUX

TUCANA

URSA MAJOR

CEPHEUS

PISCES

SCULPTOR

PHOENIX

HYDRA

CENTAURUS

ANDROMEDA

VULPECULA

VIRGO

TELESCOPIUM

SAGITTARIUS

SAGITTA

SERPENS

SCUTUM

SCORPIUS

PISCES AUSTRINUS

PEGASUS

PAVO

OPHIUCHUS

NORMA

LYRA

LUPUS

LIBRA

LACERTA

INDUS

HERCULES

GRUS

EQUULEUS

DRACO

DELPHINUS

CYGNUS

CANES VENATICI

CORVUS

CORONA AUSTRALIS

COMA BERENICES

CAPRICORNUS

BOOTES

ARA

AQUARIUS

AQUILA

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Right Ascension

Declinatio

SFA Observatory 2002 - http://observe.p

Local Meridian for 8 PM


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SFA Star Chart 4 - Southern Region

2

1

0

1

2345

2

-30

-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-30

-40

-50

-60

-70

-80

-80

-70

-60

-50

3 0

LocalMeridianfor8PM

23h

22h

21h

20h

19

1 7 h

16h

15h

14h

13h

12h

11h

10h

9h

8h

7h

6h

5h

4h

3h

2h

1h

0h Nov5

Oct21

Oct6

Sep20

Jul2

2

Jul6

Jun2

1

Jun6

May 22

May6

Apr21

Apr6

Mar22

Mar7

Feb20

Feb

5

Jan20

Jan5

Dec2

1

Dec6

Nov 20

SCULPTOR

SCORPIUS

PISCES AUSTRINUS

HYDRA

FORNAX

Rigil Kentaurus

Mimosa

Hadar

Canopus

Acrux

Achernar

VOLANS

VELA

TUCANA

TRIANGULUM AUSTRALIS

TELESCOPIUM

SAGITTARIUS

RETICULUM

PYXIS

PUPPIS

PICTOR

PHOENIX

PAVO

OCTANS

NORMA

MUSCA

MICROSCOPIUM

MENSA

LUPUS

INDUS

HYDRUS

HOROLOGIUM

GRUS

ERIDANUS

DORADO

CRUX

CORONA

AUSTRALISCOLUMBA

CIRCINUS

CHAMAELEON

CENTAURUS

CARINA

CAELUM

ARAAPUS

ANTLIA

SFA Observatory 2002 - http://observe.phy

ACERTA - Lizard

EO - Lion

EPUS - Hare

IBRA - Scales

EO MINOR - Smaller Lion

UPUS - Wolf

YNX - Wildcat

YRA - Harp

MENSA - Table Mountain

MICROSCOPIUM - Microscope

MONOCERUS - Unicorn

MUSCA - Fly

ORMA - Carpenter`s Square

CTANS - Octant, Navigational Instrument

PHIUCHUS - Serpent Holder

RION - The Hunter

AVO - Peacock

EGASUS - Winged Horse

ERSEUS - Hero

HOENIX - Mythical Bird

ICTOR - Easel

ISCES AUSTRINUS - Southern Fish

ISCES - Fish

UPPIS - Stern of the Ship Argo

YXIS - Mariner's Compass

ETICULUM - Net

CULPTOR - Sculptor's Apparatus

CORPIUS - Scorpion

CUTUM - Shield

ERPENS - Serpent

EXTANS - Sextant, Navigational Instrument

AGITTA - Arrow

AGITTARIUS - Archer

AURUS - Bull

ELESCOPIUM - Telescope

RIANGULUM AUSTRALIS - Southern TriangleRIANGULUM - Triangle

UCANA - Toucan

RSA MAJOR - Great Bear

RSA MINOR - Little Bear

ELA - Sails of the Ship Argo

IRGO - Virgin

OLANS - Flying Fish

ULPECULA - Fox


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Using the SFA Star Charts

The charts provided cover the entire celestial sphere. You will notice that there are regionswere the charts overlap. For example, Perseus can be found on both Chart 1 and Chart 2.

The procedures outlined on the next page are for observers in the northern hemisphere.Chart 4 is not needed for these observers.

Right Ascension and DeclinationThe coordinates of stars and other objects on the celestial sphere are called right ascension

and declination. These coordinates are similar to those used on Earth: longitude and latitude. Right

ascension is measured in hours, declination is measured in degrees. You may notice that 24 hoursof right ascension corresponds to 360 degrees, or simply that 1 hour of right ascension is 15degrees.

Chart 1Celestial NorthPole Region

Chart 3Celestial Equator and

Ecliptic Region

Chart 2Celestial Equator and

Ecliptic Region

Chart 4Celestial South

Pole Region


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Procedure for using Chart 1:(1) Face North.(2) Find the meridian in the sky and on the Chart 1 using the date and time.

(3) Find the field of view on the Chart 1 and compare the stars seen on the chart withthose in the sky.

The meridian in the sky is an imaginary curve that passes through the north horizon, the northstar, the point directly overhead (zenith), and the south horizon as shown below. Note that Polaris is

notthe brightest star in the sky. You can use Dubhe and Merak of Ursa Major as pointer stars tohelp you find Polaris.

The meridian on Chart 1 can be located using the date and time. The dates along outer edgeof the Chart 1 represent the location of the meridian. If Chart 1 is oriented so that the date appears a

the top, then a line passing through the date and Polaris is the meridian at 8:00pm local time. Forevery hour after 8:00pm the meridian moves to the clockwise by one hour of right ascension.

The field of view on the Chart 1 includes roughly all objects above the north horizon line. Thenorth horizon line is a line perpendicular to the meridian on Chart 1 and intersects the meridian at apoint 32 below Polaris. (Replace 32 with your latitude if you are not observing from the SFA

Observatory.)

Procedure for using Charts 2 and 3:(1) Face South. Place Charts 2 and 3 side by side.(2) Find the meridian in the sky and on Chart 2 or 3 using the date and time.

(3) Find the field of view on the Charts 2 and 3 and compare the stars seen on thechart with those in the sky.

The meridian on Charts 2 and 3 can be located using the date and time. The dates along thetopaxis of these charts represent the location of the meridian (a vertical line) at 8:00pm local time.For every hour after 8:00pm the meridian moves to the left by one hour of right ascension.

The field of view on these charts includes roughly all objects between a vertical line 6 hours ofright ascension to the west (right) of the meridian and a vertical line 6 hours of right ascension to theeast (left) of the meridian. These two vertical lines roughly represent the west and east horizon

respectively.The sine curve seen when these two charts are placed side by side is known as the ecliptic

and represents the apparent path of the Sun. The dates along the ecliptic give the location of the

Sun on the celestial sphere for the date of interest.

Dan Bruton, SFA Observatory, http://www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/SFAStarCharts.html

N

S

E

Zenith

Polaris, the North Star

Meridian

Le Costellazioni - Stars Map

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