50

APPING THE SKY celestial

coordinates

constellation
border
CENTAURUS
UX
two
The following pages divide the celestial sphere into six parts-
the NGC
polar regions and four equatorial regions which show deep-kyY
object Hadar 4755soal
location of the 88 constellations. Each constellation is then profiled
in the following section. Each entry places the constellation and its Iinking lines Joln
Up constellation
CARINA
main features into the context of the rest of the sky. ioure
MUSCA
VISIBILITY MAPS CONSTELLATION CHARTS

80'N Each of the 88 constellation entries has its own

chart, 14h
3h 12h 111h11
area. These charts
Not visible Centred around the constellation Within the DEEP-SKY 0BJECTS
60 N show all stars brighter than magnitude 6.5.
5 is
40N constellation borders, every star brighter than magnitude Galaxy
icon.
labelled. Deep-sky objects are represented by
Partially an
visible 20N Globular cluster
0
KEY TO STAR MAGNITUDES
20S Open cluster
Visible-
40S
6.0-6.9
Diffuse nebula
4.0-4.9 5.0-5.9
60°S -1.5-0 0-0.9 1.0-1.9 2.0-2.9 3.0-3.9

Planetary nebula or
supernova remnant
The entryfor each constellation contains a map showing 18h
the parts of the world from which it can be seen. The entire
Black hole or
constellation can be seen from the area shaded black, part is X-ray binary
visible from the areashaded grey, and it cannot be seen from the
area shaded white. Exact latitudes for full visibility are given
in the accompanying dataset
CYGNYS
21h
THE NORTH DRACO
POLAR SKY B0OTES
22h

CEPHEUs
LACERTA 23h

URSA MINORX

50 Oh

Almost in the URSA MAJOR

centre of this chart
is the star Polaris, in
Ursa Minor, which
lies less than 1° from
the north celestial CASSIOPEIA
pole. For observers
in the northern
hemisphere, the stars
around the pole never
set they are circumpolar.
PERSEUS
The viewer's latitude will 2h

determine how much of the

sky is circumpolar: the farther
north, the larger the circumpolar cAMELOPAkDALIS
area. This chart shows the sky from
declinations 90° to 50°.
LYNX
STAR MA GNITUDES
101 2 34 5 Variable star
Star magnitudes shown here are tor the equatorial and polar sky charts AURIGA
7h h
oh
 MAPPING THE SKY

HE GREEK ALPHABET
VISIBILITY ICONS
Onmost star charts,
bright stars are identified
Alpha
Beta
O ta Nu Beside every photograph is an icon indicating the kind of
Theta Tau Naked eye
byGreek letters Xi view it illustrates. Some photographs show the star or
according to a system
Gamma Y lota Upsilon Binoculars
Delta Omicron o Phi deep-sky object as it can be seen by the
naked eye,
invented by Johann Epsilon
Kappa PI
Chi through binoculars, or through amateur telescopes. Telescope (amateur)
Bayer (see p.72). Leta Lambda Rho P Psi Others are the result of CCD photography or show
the cCD
Mu, Sigma Omega View through professional observing equipment Professional equipment

ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF THE 88

CONSTELLATIONS
The constellation entries are ordered by their position on p.414 p.400
the celestial sphere, beginning with Ursa Minor in the Corona Borealis p.379 Hydra p.394 Norma Sagittarius
north and spiralling soutn in a clockwise direction, before Corvus p.397 Hydrus p.419 Octans p.425 Scorpius p.402
Crater p.416 Ophiuchus P.381 SCulptor p.404
finishing with Octans. his alphabetical list provides an p.397 Indus
.390 Scutum p.382
alternative way of locating constellation entries. Crux p.412 Lacerta p.369 Orion
Cygnus p.366 Leo p.377 Pavo p.392 Serpens (Caput
and Cauda) p.380
Delphinus P.385 Leo Minor P.376 Pegasus p.386 Sextans p.396
Andromeda p.368 Canis Major Dorado p.421 Lepus p.407 Perseus p.370
p.392 Draco Phoenix p.417 Taurus p.372
Antlia p.396 Canis Minor p.392 p.415 Libra p.379 Telescopium p.416
p.423 Equuleus p.399 Pictor p.420
Apus CapricornuS p.404 p.385 Lupus Pisces p.388 Triangulum p.369
Aquarius p.387 Carina Eridanus p.406 Lynx p.359 Triangulum Australe p.414
p.411 Fornax Piscis Austrinus p.404
Aquila P.383 Cassiopeia p.357 p.405 Lyra p.365 Tucana p.418
Ara p.415 Centaurus Gemini p.374 Mensa p.422 Puppis p.409
p.398 Grus Microscopium p.403 Pyxis p.408 Ursa Major P.360
Aries p.371 Cepheus p.417 p.354
p.356 Hercules Monoceros p.393 Reticulum p.420 Ursa Minor
p.359 Cetus P.364
Auriga p.389
p.413 Sagitta p.382 Vela p410
Bootes p.363 Chamaeleon p.423
Horologium p.419 Musca
Virgo p.378
Caelum p.405 Circinus p.413 18h Volans p.422
Camelopardalis p.358 Columba p.408 19h 17h Vulpecula p.384
Cancer p.375 Coma Berenices p.376
Canes Venatici p.362 Corona Australis D.415 20h ARA

TELESCOPIUM
NORMA
15h

THE SOUTH PAVO

POLAR SKY LUPUS

/TRIANGVLU 14h
INDUS AUSTRAUE

APUS/ CIRCINU
GRUS
C E N T A U R U S 13h

OCTANS& CRUX
OU 5012

There is no PHOENIX
southern equivalent TUCANA.

of Polaris, the north

pole star- in fact,
LEO
11h
the area around the
south celestial pole is MENSA
remarkably barren. XHYDRUS
This chart shows the
sky from declinations
to -90°. Many ot
EpIDANE 10h
-50
the stars on this chart are VELA
Circumpolar for southern AETACUM DORADO vôLANS
observers- that is,the stars
vis1ble
HOROLOGU
set and are always
never
in the night sky. The farther
SOuth the viewer, the greater
the CARINA
amount of sky that is circumpolar.

PICTOR
STAR MAGNITUDES
.4
5 Variable star
O 1 2 3
and polar
sKY
Charts
5n
h

the equatorial on
shown here are
for
magnitudes
 EQUATORIAL SKY CHART 1 in September, October, and
observation on evenings
This part of the sky is best placed for which is the point at which the
Suns

contains the vernal equinox, in Pisces,

November. It northern half of the sky.
The Sun
the celestial equator into the
path, the ecliptic, crosses March each line of right ascension also passes through
in late year. The Oh on Earth.
The
reaches this pointthe of 0° longitude (the prime meridian)
this
point; this is
celestial equivalent of Pegasus
is the great Square
distinctive feature in this region of the night sky
most in the belongs to neighbouring
Andromeda.
although one star square actually
21h 500

50 22h

28h
Oh
CASSIOPEA
PERSEUSS
40
cYGyUS
LACERTA

ANDROMEDA
0 0

30 TRIANULUM
VULPECULA

20
ARIES
20 PEGASUS

DELPHINUS

10
ECLIPTIC PISCES
10

FOUULEUs
0

CETUS
ERPANUJS
-10
-10

AQUARIUJS

-20 -20
CÅPRICORNUS
PISCIS
SCULPTOR AUSTRINUS
30 30

FORNAX

PHOENIX GRUS
40

40
MICROSCOPIUM
Oh
ERIDANUS
h
23h
2h
22n
INDUS
500

3h -50
STAR MA GNITUDES 21h
1 0
12 34s.5 Variable star
Star magnitudes shovwn here are for the equatorial and polar
sky charts
 EQUATORIAL
This sky
SKY
area of
placed is best
for
CHART 2
the point where the Sun observation
on
evenings in j
happens around 21
reaches its most
southerly declination ear, in Sagittarus.
shortest December, which is the ea hemisphere and t h
day the northern. Rich
in longest day in the
sou of sky, from Cygnus
Milky
Sagittarius and Scorpius inWay
in the north star fields
to cro5 t nhiuchus, both
the south. Hercules
representing mythical giants, stand head to head in the north. ana natterns in the
SOutn are
the Teapot asterism in Sagittarius and the Notable st e Scorpion.
curving
tail of SconPy
21h 15h
50 50
20h 16h

19h 18h
17h

IDRACO BOOTES

40 40

LYRA

CYGNUS CORONA 30

30 BOREALIS
HERCULES

VULPEÇULA 20

20
SERPENS
DELPHINUS CAPUT
SAGITTA

10
AQUILA
VIRGO
OPHIYCHUS
0

AQUARIUS
10
LIBRA
SCUTNVSERPFNS
-10 CAUDA

ECLIPTIC
-20

20
CAPRICORNUS

-30
SCORPIUS LUPUS
SAGITTARIUS

-30
CORONA
AUSTRALIS
MCROS¢OPIUM 40

ARA ANORMA
-40
TELESCOFIUM

18h 17h
19h 16h
-50°
15h
INDOS
20h

STAR MAGNITUDES

-50 Variable star

21h 3 4 5
0 1* 2 and polar sky charts

-1 shown
here are tor the
equatorial

magnitudes
Star
 EQUATORIAL SKY CHART 3
his region is best placed for observation on evenings in March, April, and May. It contains
into the southern hemispher
the point at which the Sun moves across the celestial equator In
each This point lies in Virgo, and the Sun reaches it around 21 September. the
year constellation Boötes lies Arcturus, a notably orange-coloured star whose visibility
northern
marks the arrival of northern spring. South of it is the zodiacal constellation of VirgO, whose
of the few constellations
Drightest star is the blue-white Spica. Adjoining Virgo is Leo,inone
this case, a crouching lion.
that
genuinely resembles the animal it is said to represent

h
15h 0
50
10h

13h 11h
12h
URSA MAJOR URSA MAJOR

CANESVENATIC
LYNX
30
30°
LEO MINOR

20
COMA
CANCER 20
BERENICES CES
LEO ECLIPTIC

10 BOOTES 10

VIRGO

SEXTANS

10 -10

CORVUS
CRATER
LIBRA

-20 HYDRA -20

PYXIS
300

ANTLIA
CENTAURUS

-40° -400
VELA

LUPUS 13h
12h
11h
14h
10h
-50°
15h
-50
STAR MAGNITUDES 9h

10*1 2 346 Variable star

Star magnitudes shown here are for the equatorial and polar sky charts
 EQUATORIAL SKY CHART 4
This region is best placed for observation on December, January, and February evenings
It contains the point at which the Sun is farthest north of the celestial equator, on the border
ot 1aurus with Gemini. This occurs around 21 June, when days are longest in the northern
hemisphere and shortest in the southern. Glittering stars and magnificent constellations
of all, Sirius in Canis MajorA
abound in this region of sky, including the brightest.star
while in Taurus the bright star
distinctive line of three stars marks the belt of Orion,
Aldebaran glints like the eye of the bull, along with the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters.

500

8h
h

40
AURIGA
PERSEUS
LYNX

300

30

ARIES

GEMINI 20
ECLIPTICa
20

CANCER
10
ORION
10

TAURUS
CANISs MINOR CETU 0
HYDRA

MONOCEROS
-10

-10

ERIDANUS

-20
LEPUS
20
CANIS
MAJOR
PYXIS
COLUMBA
30
PUPPIS FORNAX
30

-40

400

VELA
PICTOR

7h
oh HpROLOGIUM
4h
-50
3h

50 STAR MAGNITUDES
9h

3 45 Variable star
-1 o 1*2

and polar sky charts

here are for the equatorial
shown
Star magnitudes