SFA Star Chart 1 - Northern Region

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40º 30º

Local Meridian for 8 PM

23h

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Nov 5

Oct 21

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Aug 21

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Jul 22

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Jun 21

Jun 6

May 22

May 6

Apr 21

Apr

6

Mar

22

Mar

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Feb 20

Feb 5

Jan 20

Jan 5

Dec 21

Dec 6

Nov 20

Vega

Thuban

Schedar

Eltanin Polaris

Phecda

Mizar

Mirfak

Mirach

MerakMegrez

Kocab

Dubhe

Deneb

Cor Caroli

Castor

Caph

Capella

Alkaid

Rastaban

Alioth

Algol

Alderamin

Alcor

URSAMINOR

URSA MAJOR

TRIANGULUM

PERSEUS

LYRA

LYNX

LEO MINOR

LACERTA

HERCULES

GEMINIDRACO

CYGNUS

CEPHEUS

CASSIOPEIA

CANES VENATICI

CAMELOPARDALIS

BOOTES

AURIGA

ANDROMEDA

ANDROMEDA - Daughter of Cepheus and CassiopeiaANTLIA - Air PumpeAPUS - Bird of ParadiseAQUILA - EagleAQUARIUS - Water CarrierARA - AltarARIES - RamAURIGA - CharioteerBOOTES - HerdsmanCAELUM - Graving ToolCAMELOPARDALIS - GiraffeCAPRICORNUS - Sea GoatCARINA - Keel of the Ship ArgoCASSIOPEIA - Ethiopian Queen on a ThroneCENTAURUS - Half horse and half manCEPHEUS - Ethiopian KingCETUS - WhaleCHAMAELEON - ChameleonCIRCINUS - CompassesCANIS MAJOR - Larger DogCANIS MINOR - Smaller DogCANCER - CrabCOLUMBA - DoveCOMA BERENICES - Berenice's HairCORONA AUSTRALIS - Southern CrownCORONA BOREALIS - Northern CrownCRATER - CupCRUX - CrossCORVUS - CrowCANES VENATICI - Hunting DogsCYGNUS - SwanDELPHINUS - DolphinDORADO - GoldfishDRACO - DragonEQUULEUS - Little HorseERIDANUS - RiverFORNAX - FurnaceGEMINI - TwinsGRUS - CraneHERCULES - HeroHOROLOGIUM - ClockHYDRA - Sea SerpentHYDRUS - Water SnakeINDUS - Indian

SFA Observatory © 2002 - http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/

SFA Star Chart 2 - Equatorial Region

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Local Meridian for 8 PM

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Pleiades

Mar 21

Mar 31

Apr 10

Apr 20

May 1

May 11

May 21

Jun 1 Jun 11

Jun 22 Jul 2

Jul 12

Jul 23

Aug 2

Aug 12

Aug 23

Sep 2

Sep 13

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

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 0h

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Right Ascension

Dec

linat

ion

SFA Observatory © 2002 http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/

SFA Star Chart 3 - Equatorial Region

MICROSCOPIUM

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CIRCINUS

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24h 12h13h14h15h16h17h18h19h20h21h22h23h

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

Mar 21

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Mar 1

Feb 19

Feb 9

Jan 30

Jan 20 Jan 10

Dec 31 Dec 22 Dec 12 Dec 2

Nov 22

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350º

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290º280º 270º 260º

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Vega

Spica

Mizar

Markab

Fomalhaut

Deneb

Cor Caroli

Alkaid

Arcturus

Antares

Altair

CORONA BOREALIS

AliothAlcor

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

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Right Ascension

Dec

linat

ion

SFA Observatory © 2002 - http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/

Local Meridian for 8 PM

SFA Star Chart 4 - Southern Region

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-30º

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Local Meridian for 8 PM

23h

22 h

21 h

20 h

19h

18h

17h

16h

15h

14h

13h

12h

11h

10 h

9 h

8 h

7h

6h

5h

4h

3h

2h

1h

0h Nov 5

Oct 21

Oct 6

Sep 20

Sep 5 A

ug 21

Aug

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Jul 2

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Jul 6

Jun 21

Jun 6

May 22

May 6

Apr 21

Apr 6

Mar 22

Mar 7

Feb

20

Feb

5

Jan

20

Jan 5

Dec 21

Dec 6 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 AUSTRALIS

COLUMBA

CIRCINUS

CHAMAELEON

CENTAURUS

CARINA

CAELUM

ARAAPUS

ANTLIA

SFA Observatory © 2002 - http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/

LACERTA - LizardLEO - LionLEPUS - HareLIBRA - ScalesLEO MINOR - Smaller LionLUPUS - WolfLYNX - WildcatLYRA - HarpMENSA - Table MountainMICROSCOPIUM - MicroscopeMONOCERUS - UnicornMUSCA - FlyNORMA - Carpenter`s SquareOCTANS - Octant, Navigational Instrument OPHIUCHUS - Serpent HolderORION - The HunterPAVO - PeacockPEGASUS - Winged Horse PERSEUS - HeroPHOENIX - Mythical BirdPICTOR - EaselPISCES AUSTRINUS - Southern FishPISCES - FishPUPPIS - Stern of the Ship ArgoPYXIS - Mariner's CompassRETICULUM - NetSCULPTOR - Sculptor's ApparatusSCORPIUS - ScorpionSCUTUM - ShieldSERPENS - SerpentSEXTANS - Sextant, Navigational InstrumentSAGITTA - ArrowSAGITTARIUS - ArcherTAURUS - BullTELESCOPIUM - TelescopeTRIANGULUM AUSTRALIS - Southern TriangleTRIANGULUM - TriangleTUCANA - ToucanURSA MAJOR - Great BearURSA MINOR - Little BearVELA - Sails of the Ship ArgoVIRGO - VirginVOLANS - Flying FishVULPECULA - Fox

Using the SFA Star Charts

The charts provided cover the entire celestial sphere. You will notice that there are regions were 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 Declination The 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 hours of right ascension corresponds to 360 degrees, or simply that 1 hour of right ascension is 15 degrees.

Chart 1 Celestial North Pole Region

Chart 3

Celestial Equator and Ecliptic Region

Chart 2

Celestial Equator and Ecliptic Region

Chart 4 Celestial South

Pole Region

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 with those in the sky.

The meridian in the sky is an imaginary curve that passes through the north horizon, the north star, the point directly overhead (zenith), and the south horizon as shown below. Note that Polaris is not the brightest star in the sky. You can use Dubhe and Merak of Ursa Major as pointer stars to help you find Polaris. The meridian on Chart 1 can be located using the date and time. The dates along outer edge of 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. For every 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. The north horizon line is a line perpendicular to the meridian on Chart 1 and intersects the meridian at a point 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 the chart with those in the sky.

The meridian on Charts 2 and 3 can be located using the date and time. The dates along the top axis 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 of right ascension to the west (right) of the meridian and a vertical line 6 hours of right ascension to the east (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