|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
What do you consider to be the most useful, usable star atlas on the market today???
Thanks! Tom
|
wilash
Fairy Godmother
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 5746
|
|
The Herald-Bobroff Astroatlas.
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
I would recomend "The Messier Objects" and "The Caldwell
Objects" by Stephen James O'Meara. Even though there not star atlases perse,they are wonderful,wonderful books. Not only do they list where to find the objects,O'Meara even
says when they were discovered.Also,he shows you sketches
of each object, and gives you tips on how to observe each one.And there's so much more to say about that I'll have a hard time fitting it in here.Even if your a seasoned observer this is a must have for any amatuer. 
|
EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12792
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
|
|
I have these:
The Cambridge Star Atlas, good for the briefcase to have one at work. Also good for beginner, because it has object tables opposite every page.
Binocular Astronomy by Crossen has the mag 6 Bright Star Atlas, good to have an atlas in the back of that book so you don't have to run after another chart when your in that book.
Night Sky Observer's Guide has lots of little charts and is great reference, but is not nearly as easy to use as an atlas.
Uranometria has the deep detail I want on rare occasion, but is way to detailed an large to make it easy to use.
And my favorite is SkyAtlas 2000.0. It has all the detail I need most of the time. My most used. In fact all my field charts with much notation are color photocopies out of my main chartbook.
--------------------
Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
|
Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 6628
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
|
|
In terms of limiting magnitude the MSA is the best. In terms of general usefulness in the field the Uranometria 2000.0 and the H-B Astroatlas are about equal.
Dave Mitsky
--------------------
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Interesting, all different (and from different perspectives). I still haven't gotten one yet! I will go to the library and see what they have so I can compare them all (if possible).
Any opinions on Burnham's Celestial handbooks?
My library has all 3 volumes so I'll go pick them up today (hopefully!) It doesn't have the Sky Atlas though...
|
jr_
sage
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 212
Loc: Valencia, Spain
|
|
Not so easy!.
(1) The Millennium sky atlas is the most detailed, but it has nasty drawbacks (besides being out of print and a very price): too scarce in DSO objects (10,000, that is, about 1/3 of the DSO in Uranometria 2000.0 2nd. ed.), too bulky, and too heavy. However, the cartography is wonderful. Very good chart arrangement and the best star size representation among all star atlases. And, of course, 1,000,000 stars...
(2) Uranometria 2000.0: The second edition includes LESS STARS that the first one, but it is really comfortable to use (very easy moving from one sky area to another, a very clever system). There is a lot of DSO, but stars are insufficient to locate a lot of them. I had to say that I prefer the first edition to use at the telescope.
(3) Sky Atlas 2000.0 2ed.: Far better that the 1st. ed: galaxies properly oriented (the same as the above atlas), twice stars than that first edition (now about 80,000), very comfortable and reliable. Extremely good cartography. It has been my favorite atlas since many years ago. The only drawback is the size. You can try the deluxe edition (the charts are folded), but perhaps the field edition (white background, black stars) is better.
(4) Cambridge star atlas. Good charts, but only for beginners (and even in that case, the Sky Atlas 2000.0 is preferable. The old Norton star atlas and reference handbook is nice, but not very useful to me). For succeeding in DSO observation, you need more details that those provided by these atlases.
I would recommend this atlas, together with Uranometria. This is the best combination, I think.
I'm trying now another alternative (see the acrobat PDF file attached): a collection of 5,000 maps that I generated with a sky map program (I made the program by myself), where each object includes a main chart similar to the Millennium star atlas (but with 4,500,000 stars!!!), and two small finder charts, one like Sky Atlas 2000 and the other like Uranometria. I needn't thus any atlas. Each page contains 9 of these maps, so in the 550 printed pages I have a really powerful atlas. Have a look to the attachment.
--------------------
10" LX-200 classic
Binoc:25x100,20x80
Refr:12/15cm
Deep sky/software
http://www.uv.es/jrtorres
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
I like the arrangement of charts there, Jr. I really like the progressive finder charts to help star hop and zero in on your target. My old eyes would certainly have a difficult time with 9 charts per page though...I would assume that your program reads a database of some sort to display a particular region and then generate one of these charts? Looks really useful. The best programs are the one we write ourselves. Create enough of them and publish it!
Tom
|
jr_
sage
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 212
Loc: Valencia, Spain
|
|
The charts are generated by the software I commented above. It manages a huge database of stars (4,500,000 stars), and about 200,000 deep sky objets (80,000 nonstellar objects, 80,000 double stars, and 35,000 variable and reference stars). The program generates, indexes and manages all the databases. It is prepared to be used in standard mode like Guide or Megastar (zooming, checking data, panning, making cross searches, etc), but also includes batch processing facilities. So you can make (or generate by cross searching) a list of objects that you wish to chart; the program then plots them in batch mode, dumping the maps in PCX format. Later, you can print them in mosaics with a power point macro (9 or 4 for maps by page). I have a collection of 5000 maps like that one included in the message, printed and stored in plastic folders. I will bring tomorrow some screenshots to show it.
--------------------
10" LX-200 classic
Binoc:25x100,20x80
Refr:12/15cm
Deep sky/software
http://www.uv.es/jrtorres
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Have you considered making it shareware or selling it outright to others? It would be nice to set up a viewing session and then print out maps like you have attached to take with you. Very useful. Looking forward to seeing the screen shots.
Tom
|
jr_
sage
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 212
Loc: Valencia, Spain
|
|
Hi Tom,
Here you can see some screenshots. I will comment briefly what you will see:
Screen0: The area surrounding Minkowski 1-64 as an example of the charting mode. This is like the maps finally printed to build the collection I mentioned yesterday. You can display other types of finder maps.
Screen1-2: The navigating window, that uses two standard zoomed windows: (Screen1) 5 degrees and (Screen2) 1.5 degrees (these magnifications can be customized). You can explore (moving, checking data, jump to near objects, add the objects you want to observe to the observation list, etc) using 5 degrees, and when you want more detail, swap to 1.5 degrees to see fainter objects, returning then to the exploration zoom. Note that a circle is overlay with a mark showing the zenit direction (very useful).
Screen 3: This slide shows the horizon mode, that shows where is the pointed target in the map at the current computer time. This correspond to M13.
Screen4: This is the prediction of visibility window. Using the object's data (magnitude and size), the transmission factor, telescope (aperture and focal length), eyepieces and barlows/compressors, the program tells you whether the object (star or extended DSO) is visible or not, and the best eyepiece/barlow. It applies a system based in the Clark's method and Blackwell's eye response surface. Perhaps in some days I could include an article explaining it in the forum.
Screen5: Ephemerids for the object (rise, set, etc)
Screen6: Field screen. All the nonstellar objects/variable/double stars plotted in a given map are displayed to consult their data, jump to other objects, etc.
Screen7: Evolution height over horizon versus time for the target pointed in the map (for deciding the best moment to see the object)
Screen8: This is the flashlight mode (red stars) to be used in the night
Screen9: The cross searching screen. Here we are searching for bright globular clusters above -50ēdec
Screen10: And these are the clusters found displayed in galactic coordinates (the results can be plotted, listed, printed or store in disk).
Screen11: The night summary window
Screen12: Ephemerids for variable stars (the maxima/minima)
I have also included a huge database of observations (many thousands) that I've been collecting in the net, and a documentation section with premade tables and a lot of information. I started the project in 1994, so you can imagine how many effort I have dedicated to make the program useful and powerful.
Oh, I'm not interested in marketing it. I have enjoyed a lot developing it and it is very useful for planning observations; that is enough for me. If I had room to leave it on the net, I would leave it as freeware. But it requires more than 100Mb to a full installation. Maybe a shorter one (less objects and another star database) could be stored instead.
JR
--------------------
10" LX-200 classic
Binoc:25x100,20x80
Refr:12/15cm
Deep sky/software
http://www.uv.es/jrtorres
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
JR, All I can say is WOW! 
Do me a favor and post this in the computer software forum as a new thread (if you don't mind) and get some real feedback from some of our more esteemed amatuer astonomers here. From what you have shown me here, this program is exceptional. I'm sure you could easily add scope control to this as well.
Thanks for sharing this! Tom
|
jr_
sage
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 212
Loc: Valencia, Spain
|
|
Thanks for your words. I will post it as new thread tomorrow. As you have guessed, I want to control my LX200 with the program (see the Meade forum); I have already programmed the protocols but I have to build a cable and I am not sure about which wires should I connect. That is the reason of that message. But be sure that I will do it soon.
--------------------
10" LX-200 classic
Binoc:25x100,20x80
Refr:12/15cm
Deep sky/software
http://www.uv.es/jrtorres
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
I think the best would be mirror version of Sky Atlas 2000 though it has not been published yet.It is very hard to compare mirrow view through diagonal with the correct view of the star map. I wonder why S&T won't publish mirror version of Sky Atlas 2000 for those who must use diafonal. It would sells.
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
I agree 100% with EdZ above! I have all the books he recommends except the two most expensive, Uranometria and The Night Sky Observer's Guide, but some day I will have them too.
George
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Good list of pros and cons, jr! I like the Norton Star Atlas for its wealth of detailed technical information in the front, but the charts are not as useful to me as those of the Cambridge Star Atlas, . . . EXCEPT for the one main drawback of CSA -- (and SA2K, if I'm not mistaken) -- the Galaxies are drawn in RED on the page, and disappear under the red flashlight at night!
George
|
Peter Argenziano
Watcher of the Skies
Reged: 11/11/03
Posts: 2825
|
|
Quote:
What do you consider to be the most useful, usable star atlas on the market today?
SkyAtlas 2000.0
Second Edition
Desk Version
I bought the unlaminated pages (no annoying reflections) and had them spiral-bound at Alphagraphics. I also have the companion guide book.
Peter
--------------------
Peter
14.5" Starmaster
I hail from the explosive jetsam of a multitude of high-mass stars that died more than 5 billion years ago.
|
desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30447
Loc: Tucson, AZ
|
|
Quote:
Good list of pros and cons, jr! I like the Norton Star Atlas for its wealth of detailed technical information in the front, but the charts are not as useful to me as those of the Cambridge Star Atlas, . . . EXCEPT for the one main drawback of CSA -- (and SA2K, if I'm not mistaken) -- the Galaxies are drawn in RED on the page, and disappear under the red flashlight at night!
George
Nice to know I'm not the only one using Norton's. It was what just about everyone used, back when I was first involved in the hobby. So when I jumped back in and learned it was still in print, it was the first addition to the astronomy library. I find it very useful.
--------------------
Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. - Galileo Galilei
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Quote:
In terms of limiting magnitude the MSA is the best. In terms of general usefulness in the field the Uranometria 2000.0 and the H-B Astroatlas are about equal.
Dave Mitsky
Yes, without a doubt the MSA has to be the most comprehensive atlas that's not available. Probably not practical for regular field use, but I'd sure use it on dry evenings. I'm still looking for a copy of this three volume set.
The Tirion atlas is pretty good, but the magnitudes don't go far enough.
|
Tom L
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 29882
Loc: Sunny Oregon
|
|
I ended up getting the SkyAtlas 2000.0, 2nd edition. For my needs, it is great!
--------------------
Tom 
Tele Vue 102mm f/8.6 on an EzTouch
Vixen 80mm f/5 A80SSWT on a grab-n-go mount
|
|
1 registered and 1 anonymous users are browsing this forum.
Moderator: desertstars, ~Steph~
Print Thread
|
Forum Permissions
You cannot start new topics
You cannot reply to topics
HTML is disabled
UBBCode is enabled
|
Thread views: 17263
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 
