Planisphere and Starfinder

The complete beginner's guide to exploring the night sky

Planisphere and Starfinder is your personal guide to exploring the night sky. It takes the mystery out of astronomy and introduces basic stargazing techniques, helping you to find and recognize objects easily.

Starting close to home in the Solar System, it shows you how to observe the Moon, planets, comets, and asteroids as well as how to make the most of events like eclipses and meteor showers.

Then you'll head for the stars with a guide to the constellations. Each entry is illustrated with a clear star chart, shows you where in the world you can see the constellation, and even explains the symbolic meaning of its star pattern. Have you ever heard of Orion's belt? Your guide will make sure you're armed with a list of things to look out for and how best to see them.

The final section takes you month-by-month guide through the night sky so you never miss a thing. Each month highlights the features on view, while a large-scale chart shows you where to find the planets and a table of special events lists the dates of Moon phases, eclipses, and the best times to see the planets.

The book comes with a planisphere you can remove from the book and take anywhere. It shows you the entire sky above your head at any time of night and any time of year.