 What
better way to celebrate the International Year
of Astronomy 2009 than to find stars with your
Star Finder?
A Star
Finder (also known as a Planisphere) helps you find out
which stars and constellations are over your head on
any given night.
To
use your new Star Finder, follow these instructions: Turn
the round star map so the date matches the time you are
observing. The time shown is Standard (winter) Time.
For daylight savings time (summer), subtract one more hour
(9 PM becomes 8 PM on the star map). The Star Finder
is designed for latitude 45°. If you live much further
north, the patterns in the sky are similar, but fewer
southern stars are visible.
The oval
area shows the entire visible sky. Overhead stars
are in the centre of the oval. Stars near
the horizon are close to the edge. To identify
stars, hold the Star Finder in front of your so the label
for the horizon you are facing is at the bottom. If you
are not sure of the direction, find the Big Dipper which
is usually North.
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