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A constellation is a group of star
Star

A star is a massive, luminous ball of Plasma that is held together by its own gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth....
s that appear to have a physical proximity in the sky. The stars in a constellation are often vastly distant from each other, but they appear close to each other from the perspective of Earth.






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Why is a zodiac contellation is known as special constellation?
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Where does the consellation Orion get its name, and during which months it has best seen?!








Encyclopedia


Orion Constellation Map
Orion1~
A constellation is a group of star
Star

A star is a massive, luminous ball of Plasma that is held together by its own gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth....
s that appear to have a physical proximity in the sky. The stars in a constellation are often vastly distant from each other, but they appear close to each other from the perspective of Earth. The word is used colloquially to refer to asterisms
Asterism (astronomy)

In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars seen in Earth's sky which is not an official constellation. Like constellations, they are composed of stars which, while they are in the same general direction, are not physically related, often being at significantly different distances from Earth....
: groups of stars that appear to form patterns in the sky; different world culture
Culture

Culture is difficult to define. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions....
s have divided the stars into different constellations. However, in modern astronomy
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
 the word refers instead to a method of dividing the sky into 88 areas with exact boundaries.

Definitions


In common usage, a constellation is what astronomers call an 'asterism': a group of celestial bodies (usually stars) that appear to form a pattern in the sky or appear visibly related to each other. Examples are Orion
Orion (constellation)

Orion , often referred to as "The Hunter," is a prominent constellation ? one of the largest, most conspicuous, and most recognizable in the night sky....
 (which appears like a human figure with a belt, often referred to as "The Hunter"), Leo
Leo (constellation)

Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is , a corruption of the initial letter of ?e?? . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east....
 (which contains bright stars that outline the form of a lion), Scorpius
Scorpius

Scorpius is one of the constellations of the zodiac; as an astrological sign it is called Scorpio. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is ....
 (which can seem reminiscent of a scorpion), and Crux
Crux

Crux is the List of constellations by area of the 88 modern constellations, but is one of the most distinctive. Its name is Latin for cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped Asterism and is commonly known as the Southern Cross because it is today visible only from the southern hemisphere, although it was visible near the horizon...
 (a cross).

In astronomy, however, a constellation is an area of the sky, and contains all the stars and other celestial objects within that area. The International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy....
 (IAU) divides the sky into 88 official constellations with exact boundaries, so that every direction or place in the sky belongs within one constellation. Most of these constellations are centred on the traditional constellations of Western culture.

Human perception versus reality

Constellations are normally the product of human perception rather than astronomical realities. The stars in a constellation or asterism rarely have any astrophysical relationship to each other; they just happen to appear close together in the sky as viewed from Earth
Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
 and typically lie many light years apart in space. However, there are some exceptions. The famous star pattern known as the Big Dipper
Big Dipper

The seven brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, form a well-known asterism that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial....
 in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
 or the Plough in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 is almost entirely created by stars that are genuinely close together in astronomical terms; they are known as the Ursa Major moving group
Ursa Major Moving Group

The Ursa Major Moving Group, also known as Collinder 285, is the closest moving group to Earth, that is, a set of stars with common velocities in space, thought to have a common origin....
.

The grouping of stars into constellations is essentially arbitrary, as different cultures have seen different patterns in the sky, although a few of the more obvious ones tend to recur frequently, e.g., Orion
Orion (constellation)

Orion , often referred to as "The Hunter," is a prominent constellation ? one of the largest, most conspicuous, and most recognizable in the night sky....
 and Scorpius
Scorpius

Scorpius is one of the constellations of the zodiac; as an astrological sign it is called Scorpio. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is ....
.

Official constellations

The 88 official constellations defined by the IAU
IAU

IAU may refer to:*International Astronomical Union*International American University*International Association of Universities*International Association of Ultra Runners for ultramarathoners....
 (International Astronomical Union) are mostly based upon those of the ancient Greek
Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
 tradition, passed down through the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
, which includes the 'signs of the zodiac
Zodiac

Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens through the constellations that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude....
,' twelve constellations through which the sun passes and which thus have had special cultural significance. The rest consist of constellations which were defined in the early modern era by astronomers who studied the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is south of the equator?the word sphere literally means 'half ball'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere south of the celestial equator....
's skies, which were invisible to the Greeks.

Boundaries

The constellation boundaries now used by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy....
 were drawn up in 1930 by Eugčne Delporte. He drew them along vertical and horizontal lines of right ascension
Right ascension

Right ascension is the astronomical term for one of the two coordinates of a point on the celestial sphere when using the equatorial coordinate system....
 and declination
Declination

In astronomy, declination is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle....
. However, he did so for the epoch
Epoch (astronomy)

In astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time used as a reference for the orbital elements of a celestial body. Typically, the epoch is either the moment an observation was made or the moment for which a prediction was calculated....
 B1875.0, the era when Benjamin A. Gould made the proposal on which Delporte based his work. The consequence of this early date is that due to precession of the equinox
Equinox

Equinoxes occur twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor toward the Sun, causing the Sun to be located vertically above a point on the equator....
es, the borders on a modern star map (e.g., for epoch J2000) are already somewhat skewed and no longer perfectly vertical or horizontal. This skew will increase over the years and centuries to come.

A star pattern may be widely known but may not be used by the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union

The International Astronomical Union is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy....
. One famous example is the asterism
Asterism (astronomy)

In astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of stars seen in Earth's sky which is not an official constellation. Like constellations, they are composed of stars which, while they are in the same general direction, are not physically related, often being at significantly different distances from Earth....
 known as the Big Dipper
Big Dipper

The seven brightest stars of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, form a well-known asterism that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial....
 in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
 or the Plough in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
; this term is not used by the IAU as the stars are considered part of the larger constellation of Ursa Major
Ursa Major

Ursa Major is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. Its name means the Great Bear in Latin. It is dominated by the widely recognized asterism known as the Big Dipper or Plough, which is a useful pointer toward north, and which has mythological significance in numerous world cultures....
.

Names and star designations

All modern constellation names are Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 proper names or words, and some stars are named using the genitive, or sometimes the ablative of the constellation in which they are found. These are formed by using the usual rules of Latin grammar. Some examples include: Aries ? Arietis; Taurus ? Tauri; Gemini ? Geminorum; Virgo ? Virginis; Libra ? Librae; Pisces ? Piscium; Lepus ? Leporis. In addition, all constellation names have a standard three-letter abbreviation assigned by the International Astronomical Union; for example, Aries becomes Ari, Pisces becomes Psc, Sagittarius becomes Sgr and Ursa Major becomes UMa .

Identification of stars within a given constellation includes use of Bayer designation
Bayer designation

A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek alphabet, followed by the genitive case form of its parent constellation's Latin language name....
s such as Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri

Alpha Centauri ; is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus and an established binary star system, Alpha Centauri AB ....
, Flamsteed designation
Flamsteed designation

Flamsteed designations for stars are similar to Bayer designations, except that they use numbers instead of Greek letters. Each star is assigned a number and the Latin genitive of the constellation it lies in ....
s such as 61 Cygni
61 Cygni

61 Cygni,Not to be confused with 16 Cygni, a more distant system containing two Stellar classification stars harboring the gas giant planet 16 Cygni Bb. sometimes called Bessel's Star or Piazzi's Flying Star, is a binary star system in the constellation Cygnus ....
, and variable star designation
Variable star designation

Variable stars are named using a variation on the Bayer designation format of an identifying label combined with the Latin language genitive case of the name of the constellation in which the star lies....
s such as RR Lyrae
RR Lyrae

RR Lyrae is a variable star in the Lyra constellation. It is the prototype of the RR Lyrae variables star class. It has a period of about 13 hours, and oscillates between apparent magnitudes 7 and 8....
. However, many fainter stars will just be given a catalog number designation (in each of various star catalogs) that does not incorporate the constellation name. Frequently, the abbreviated form of the constellation name is used in the star designation, e.g., Alpha Cen, 61 Cyg, RR Lyr.

For more information about star names, see star designation
Star designation

Designations of star are done by the International Astronomical Union . Many of the star names in use today were inherited from the time before the IAU existed....
s and the list of stars by constellation
List of stars by constellation

All stars but one can be associated with an IAU constellation. IAU constellations are areas of the sky. There are 88 IAU constellations, so the sky is divided into 88 boxes....
.

Constellation systems across the world


Western


In the Western world
Western world

The term Western world, the West or the Occident can have multiple meanings dependent on its context . Accordingly, the basic definition of what constitutes "the West" varies, expanding and contracting over time, in relation to various historical circumstances....
, the constellation of the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of the equator?the word sphere literally means 'half sphere'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator....
 is traditionally divided into constellations based on those described by the Ancient Greeks. The first ancient Greek works which dealt with the constellations were books of star myths. The oldest of these was a poem composed by Hesiod
Hesiod

Hesiod was a Greek language oral poet, his date is uncertain but leading scholars agree that Hesiod lived in the latter half of the Eighth-century BCE....
 in or around the eighth century BCE, of which only fragments survive. The most complete existing works dealing with the mythical origins of the constellations are by the Hellenistic writer termed pseudo-Eratosthenes
Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes of Cyrene was a Greeks mathematician, poet, sportsperson, geographer and astronomer. He made several discoveries and inventions including a system of latitude and longitude....
 and an early Roman writer styled pseudo-Hyginus
Hyginus

Hyginus can refer to:*Gaius Julius Hyginus , Roman poet, author of Fabulae, reputed author of Poeticon astronomicon*Hyginus Gromaticus, Roman surveyor...
.

In the 2nd century CE
CE

CE, Ce or ce may refer to:...
, the Greek astronomer Ptolemy
Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemaeus , known in English as Ptolemy , was a Roman Greek mathematics, Greek astronomy, geographer and astrologer. He lived in History of Roman Egypt, and was probably born there in a town in the Thebaid called Ptolemais Hermiou; he died in Alexandria around 168 AD....
 described the constellations in great detail in his influential work the Almagest
Almagest

Almagest is the Latin form of the Arabic language name of a mathematical and astronomical treatise proposing the complex motions of the stars and planetary paths, originally written in Greek language as by Ptolemy of Alexandria, Egypt, written in the 2nd century....
. The 48 constellations he described are still used by modern astronomers today.

Chinese

Chinese constellations are different from the Western constellations due to the independent development of ancient Chinese
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 astronomy
Astronomy

Astronomy is the science of Astronomical object and Phenomenon that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere . It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the physical cosmology....
, although there are also similarities. One difference is that the Chinese counterpart of the 12 western zodiac
Zodiac

Zodiac denotes an annual cycle of twelve stations along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the heavens through the constellations that divide the ecliptic into twelve equal zones of celestial longitude....
 constellations is the 28 "Xiu" or "mansions" (a literal translation).

Indian constellations


In Hindu/Vedic astronomy, constellations are called raasi's. The twelve raasi's along the ecliptic
Ecliptic

The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun traces out in the sky during the year. As it appears to move in the sky in relation to the stars, the apparent path aligns with the planets throughout the course of the year....
 correspond directly to the twelve western star signs. These are however divided into 27 Nakshatra
Nakshatra

A nakshatra or lunar mansion is one of the 27 or 28 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star in them, that the Moon passes through during its monthly cycle, as used in Hindu astronomy and Jyotisha....
s, or lunar houses.

Dark cloud constellations


In the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is south of the equator?the word sphere literally means 'half ball'. It is also that half of the celestial sphere south of the celestial equator....
, it is possible to discern dark patches in the Milky Way
Milky Way

The Milky Way, sometimes called simply the Galaxy, is the galaxy in which the Solar System is located. It is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Group of galaxies....
; and some cultures have discerned shapes in these patches and have given names to these 'dark cloud constellations'. Members of the Inca
Inca

The Inca civilization began as a tribe in the Cuzco area, where the legendary first Sapa Inca, Manco Capac founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200....
 civilization identified various dark areas or dark nebula
Dark nebula

A dark nebula is a type of interstellar cloud that is so dense that it obscures the light from the background emission nebula or reflection nebula or that it blocks out background stars ....
e in the Milky Way
Milky Way

The Milky Way, sometimes called simply the Galaxy, is the galaxy in which the Solar System is located. It is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Group of galaxies....
 as animals, and associated their appearance with the seasonal rains. . Australian Aboriginal astronomy
Australian Aboriginal astronomy

Australian Aboriginal astronomy is a name given to the indigenous Australian cultural traditions of astronomy study. There is a diversity of traditions in Australia, each with its own particular expression of cosmology....
 also describes dark cloud constellations, the most famous being the "emu in the sky" whose head is formed by the coalsack.

See also

  • Chinese constellation
    Chinese constellation

    Chinese constellations are the way ancient Chinese grouped the stars. They are very different from the modern International Astronomical Union recognized constellations....
  • Dendera zodiac
    Dendera zodiac

    The sculptured Dendera zodiac is a widely known Art of ancient Egypt bas-relief from the ceiling of the pronaos of a chapel dedicated to Osiris in the Dendera Temple complex, containing images of Taurus and the Libra ....
  • Former constellations
    Former constellations

    Former constellations are constellations that are no longer recognized by the International Astronomical Union for various reasons. Many of these constellations existed for long periods of time, even centuries in many cases, which means they still have a large historical value and can be found on older star charts....
  • List of constellations
    List of constellations

    Each culture has its own constellations, usually based on mythology. This article covers the 88 constellations used in modern astronomy, which properly speaking are not patterns of stars, as in the common use of the word, but areas of the sky ....
  • List of constellations by area
    List of constellations by area

    Here is a list of the 88 modern constellations by their area in the sky, measured in square degrees.These areas are determined by constellation boundaries drawn up by Eug?ne Delporte in 1930 on behalf of the International Astronomical Union and published in D?limitation scientifique des constellations ....
  • List of stars by constellation
    List of stars by constellation

    All stars but one can be associated with an IAU constellation. IAU constellations are areas of the sky. There are 88 IAU constellations, so the sky is divided into 88 boxes....
  • History of the constellations
    History of the constellations

    The current list of 88 constellations recognised by the International Astronomical Union since 1922 is based on those listed by Claudius Ptolemy, Greek-speaking mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer who lived in the Hellenistic culture of Roman Egypt....


Overall

Current and comprehensive guidebooks and atlas:
  • Chartrand, Mark R. (1991) National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky, Alfred Knopf, Inc.
    Alfred A. Knopf

    Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York City publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Publishing Group at Random House....
    , New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0679408529 softcover. 1st printing 1991, 16th printing 2005. Also notes Messier, NGC, and IC objects.
  • Ridpath, Ian
    Ian Ridpath

    Ian Ridpath is an England science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
    ; and Tirion, Wil
    Wil Tirion

    Wil Tirion is a Dutch Uranography . His most famous work, Sky Atlas 2000.0, is renowned by astronomers for its accuracy and beauty. The second edition of his most complete work, Uranometria 2000.0, was published in 2001 by Willmann-Bell....
    . (2007) Stars & Planets, 4th Edition, as part of the "Collins Guide" series, Collins
    HarperCollins

    HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company....
    , London, ISBN 978-0007248131 hardcover - U.K., ISBN 978-0007251209 softcover - U.K.; as part of the "Princeton Field Guides" series, Princeton University Press
    Princeton University Press

    The Princeton University Press is an independent Academic publishing with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large....
    , Princeton, ISBN 978-0691135564 softcover - U.S.A. Subtitle: "The Most Complete Guide to the Stars, Planets, Galaxies and the Solar System". 1st Edition 1984 as Collins Pocket Guide - Stars and Planets; 2nd Edition 1993, 3rd Edition 2000.
  • Sinnott, Roger W. (2006) Pocket Sky Atlas, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, U.S.A., ISBN 978-1931559317 softcover. Pretitle: "Sky & Telescope
    Sky & Telescope

    Sky & Telescope is an United States monthly magazine covering all aspects of amateur astronomy, including:*current events in astronomy and space exploration...
    's". 1st & 2nd printings 2006.


Monthly Publications

Magazines with phenomena in the constellations and specific constellation articles:
  • Astronomy, ISSN 0091-6358, Kalmbach Publishing, Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Since 1973. General astronomy; not as technical as Sky & Telescope. Began with significant increase in astronomical photographs.
  • Sky & Telescope
    Sky & Telescope

    Sky & Telescope is an United States monthly magazine covering all aspects of amateur astronomy, including:*current events in astronomy and space exploration...
    , ISSN 0037-6604, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Since 1941, as the result of the collective merger of the publications The Amateur Astronomer (1929-1935 bulletin, Amateur Astronomers Association, New York, New York, U.S.A.), which then merged into The Sky (1935-1941 monthly bulletin and then magazine, Hayden Planetarium
    Hayden Planetarium

    |-| |-| |-| |}The Hayden Planetarium is a public planetarium located on Central Park West, New York City, next to and organizationally part of the American Museum of Natural History....
     of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, U.S.A.; independently published in New York 1939), and The Telescope (1931-1941 quarterly magazine, Perkins Observatory, Ohio; then bimonthly in 1934, Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.). Publishes various editions in other countries and in other languages. Became primary general and technical astronomy magazine in the United States after Popular Astronomy (c. 1891-1951).
  • Astronomy Now
    Astronomy Now

    Astronomy Now is a monthly United Kingdom magazine on astronomy and is the UK's best selling astronomy magazine, featuring a mix of articles ranging from how to observe the night sky to the latest discoveries in the Solar System and in deep space....
    , ISSN 0951-9726, Pole Star Publications, England, U.K. Since 1987.
  • Sky News, SkyNews Inc.[sic], Ontario, Canada. Since 1995. Published bimonthly.


Annual Publications

For annual phenomena in the constellations:
  • Observer's Handbook, ISSN 0080-4193, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
    Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

    The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada is a national, non-profit, charitable organization devoted to the advancement of astronomy and allied sciences....
    . Since 1907.
  • Astronomical Phenomena, ISSN 0083-2421, U.S. Naval Observatory & Royal Greenwich Observatory: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
    United States Government Printing Office

    The Government Printing Office is an agency of the Legislature of the United States federal government. The office prints and provides access to documents produced by and for all three Separation of powers of the federal government, including the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Congress, the Executive Office of the Pres...
     (U.S.A.) & Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office
    HM Nautical Almanac Office

    Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office , now part of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, was established in 1832 on the site of the Royal Greenwich Observatory , where the Nautical Almanac had been published since 1767....
    , England (U.K.). Advance publication of astronomical phenomena section prior to appearing in the main volume The Astronomical Almanac.
  • The Astronomical Almanac
    Astronomical Almanac

    The Astronomical Almanac is an almanac published by the United States Naval Observatory and Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office, containing solar system ephemeris and catalogs of selected stellar and extragalactic objects....
    , ISSN 0737-6421, U.S. Naval Observatory & Royal Greenwich Observatory: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (U.S.A.) & Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office, England (U.K.), various ISBN's for each year. Since 1852. Originally published as The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac
    American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac

    The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac was published for the years 1855 to 1980, containing information necessary for astronomers, surveyors, and navigators....
    .
  • The Nautical Almanac
    The Nautical Almanac

    The Nautical Almanac has been the familiar name for a series of official British almanacs published under various titles since the first issue of The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, for 1767: this was the first nautical almanac ever to contain data dedicated to the convenient determination of longitude at sea....
    , ISSN 0077-619X, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office, England (U.K.) [with orange boards and black tape spine]. Since 1767.
  • Time Almanac, ISSN 0073-7860, Time Inc.
    Time Inc.

    Time Inc. is a major subsidiary of the media conglomerate Time Warner, the company formed by the 1990 merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications....
    , New York, New York, U.S.A., and Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., various ISBN's each year, hardcover and softcover.
  • Skywatch, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Annual observation and astronomical phenomena guide for the forthcoming year.


Mythology, Star Lore, History, & Archaeoastronomy


  • Allen, Richard Hinckley
    Richard Hinckley Allen

    Richard Hinckley Allen was a gifted polymath and amateur natural history; his wide range of interests caused his friends to nickname him "the walking encyclopedia." His youthful ambition to pursue astronomy was thwarted by poor eyesight, and he became a moderately successful businessman instead....
    . (1899) Star-Names And Their Meanings, G. E. Stechert, New York, New York, U.S.A., hardcover; reprint 1963 as Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0486210797 softcover.
  • Olcott, William Tyler
    William Tyler Olcott

    William Tyler Olcott was an United states lawyer and amateur astronomer.In 1909, after attending a lecture by Edward Pickering, he developed an interest in observing variable stars....
    . (1911); Star Lore of All Ages, G. P. Putnam's Sons
    G. P. Putnam's Sons

    G. P. Putnam?s Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since its founding in 1838, the company has had several names, including Wiley & Putnam and the more recent Putnam Penguin, Inc....
    , New York, New York, U.S.A., hardcover; reprint 2004 as Star Lore: Myths, Legends, and Facts, Dover Publications, Inc., Mineola, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0486435817 softcover.
  • Kelley, David H. and Milone, Eugene F. (2004) Exploring Ancient Skies: An Encyclopedic Survey of Archaeoastronomy, Springer, ISBN 978-0-387-95310-6 hardcover.
  • Ripdath, Ian. (1989) Star Tales, Lutterworth Press, ISBN 0718826957 hardcover.
  • Staal, Julius D. W. (1988) The New Patterns in the Sky: Myths and Legends of the Stars, McDonald & Woodward Publishing Co., ISBN 0939923106 hardcover, ISBN 0939923041 softcover.


Atlases & Celestial Maps

General & Nonspecialized - Entire Celestial Heavens:
  • Becvar, Antonin
    Antonín Becvár

    Anton?n Becv?r was a Czech Republic astronomer who was active in Slovakia. He was born in Star? Boleslav. Among his chief achievements is the foundation of the Skalnat? Pleso Observatory and the discovery of the comet C/1947 F2 ....
    . Atlas Coeli. Published as Atlas of the Heavens, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.; with coordinate grid transparency overlay.
  • Norton, Arthur Philip. (1910) Norton's Star Atlas
    Norton's Star Atlas

    Norton's Star Atlas is a set of 16 Star chart, first published in 1910 and currently in its 20th edition under the editorship of Ian Ridpath....
    , 20th Edition 2003 as Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook, edited by Ridpath, Ian
    Ian Ridpath

    Ian Ridpath is an England science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
    , Pi Press, ISBN 978-0-13-145164-3, hardcover.
  • National Geographic Society
    National Geographic Society

    The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world....
    . (1957, 1970, 2001, 2007) The Heavens (1970), Cartographic Division of the National Geographic Society (NGS), Washington, D.C., U.S.A., two sided large map chart depicting the constellations of the heavens; as special supplement to the August 1970 issue of National Geographic
    National Geographic Magazine

    The National Geographic Magazine, later shortened to National Geographic, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society....
    . Forerunner map as A Map of The Heavens, as special supplement to the December 1957 issue. Current version 2001 (Tirion), with 2007 reprint.
  • Sinnott, Roger W. and Perryman, Michael A.C. (1997) Millennium Star Atlas
    Millennium Star Atlas

    The Millennium Star Atlas was constructed as a collaboration betweena team at Sky & Telescope led by Roger Sinnott, and the European Space Agency'sHipparcos project, led by Michael Perryman....
    , Epoch 2000.0, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and European Space Agency (ESA), ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. Subtitle: "An All-Sky Atlas Comprising One Million Stars to Visual Magnitude Eleven from the Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogues and Ten Thousand Nonstellar Objects". 3 volumes, hardcover, in hardcover slipcase, set ISBN 0-933346-84-0. Vol. 1, 0-8 Hours (Right Ascension), ISBN 0-933346-81-6 hardcover; Vol. 2, 8-16 Hours, ISBN 0-933346-82-4 hardcover; Vol. 3, 16-24 Hours, ISBN 0-933346-83-2 hardcover. Softcover version available. Supplemental separate purchasable coordinate grid transparent overlays.
  • Tirion, Wil
    Wil Tirion

    Wil Tirion is a Dutch Uranography . His most famous work, Sky Atlas 2000.0, is renowned by astronomers for its accuracy and beauty. The second edition of his most complete work, Uranometria 2000.0, was published in 2001 by Willmann-Bell....
    ; et al. (1987) Uranometria 2000.0, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., 3 volumes, hardcover. Vol. 1 (1987): "The Northern Hemisphere to -6o", by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and George Lovi, ISBN 0-943396-14-X hardcover, printed boards (blue). Vol. 2 (1988): "The Southern Hemisphere to +6o", by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and George Lovi, ISBN 0-943396-15-8 hardcover, printed boards (red). Vol. 3 (1993) as a separate added work: The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000.0, by Murray Cragin, James Lucyk, and Barry Rappaport, ISBN 0-943396-38-7 hardcover, printed boards (gray). 2nd Edition 2001 (black or dark background) as collective set of 3 volumes - Vol. 1: Uranometria 2000.0 Deep Sky Atlas, by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and Will Remaklus, ISBN 978-0-943396-71-2 hardcover, printed boards (blue edging); Vol. 2: Uranometria 2000.0 Deep Sky Atlas, by Wil Tirion, Barry Rappaport, and Will Remaklus, ISBN 978-0-943396-72-9 hardcover, printed boards (green edging); Vol. 3: Uranometria 2000.0 Deep Sky Field Guide by Murray Cragin and Emil Bonanno, ISBN 978-0-943396-73-6, hardcover, printed boards (teal green).
  • Tirion, Wil
    Wil Tirion

    Wil Tirion is a Dutch Uranography . His most famous work, Sky Atlas 2000.0, is renowned by astronomers for its accuracy and beauty. The second edition of his most complete work, Uranometria 2000.0, was published in 2001 by Willmann-Bell....
     and Sinnott, Roger W. (1998) Sky Atlas 2000.0, various editions. 2nd Deluxe Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England (U.K.).


Northern Celestial Hemisphere & North Circumpolar Region:
  • Becvar, Antonin
    Antonín Becvár

    Anton?n Becv?r was a Czech Republic astronomer who was active in Slovakia. He was born in Star? Boleslav. Among his chief achievements is the foundation of the Skalnat? Pleso Observatory and the discovery of the comet C/1947 F2 ....
    . (1962) Atlas Borealis 1950.0, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Praha, Czeckoslovakia, 1st Edition, elephant folio hardcover, with small transparency overlay coordinate grid square and separate paper magnitude legend ruler. 2nd Edition 1972 and 1978 reprint, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Prague, Czeckoslovakia, and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., ISBN 0-933346-01-8 oversize folio softcover spiral bound, with transparency overlay coordinate grid ruler.


Equatorial, Ecliptic, & Zodiacal Celestial Sky:
  • Becvar, Antonin
    Antonín Becvár

    Anton?n Becv?r was a Czech Republic astronomer who was active in Slovakia. He was born in Star? Boleslav. Among his chief achievements is the foundation of the Skalnat? Pleso Observatory and the discovery of the comet C/1947 F2 ....
    . (1958) Atlas Eclipticalis 1950.0, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Praha, Czeckoslovakia, 1st Edition, elephant folio hardcover, with small transparency overlay coordinate grid square and separate paper magnitude legend ruler. 2nd Edition 1974, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Prague, Czeckoslovakia, and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., oversize folio softcover spiral bound, with transparency overlay coordinate grid ruler.


Southern Celestial Hemisphere & South Circumpolar Region:
  • Becvar, Antonin
    Antonín Becvár

    Anton?n Becv?r was a Czech Republic astronomer who was active in Slovakia. He was born in Star? Boleslav. Among his chief achievements is the foundation of the Skalnat? Pleso Observatory and the discovery of the comet C/1947 F2 ....
    . Atlas Australis 1950.0, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Praha, Czeckoslovakia, 1st Edition, elephant folio hardcover, with small transparency overlay coordinate grid square and separate paper magnitude legend ruler. 2nd Edition, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (Ceskoslovenske Akademie Ved), Prague, Czeckoslovakia, and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., oversize folio softcover spiral bound, with transparency overlay coordinate grid ruler.


Celestial Globes


  • Several varieties from various manufacturers, Edmund Scientific, Tonawanda, New York, U.S.A.


Planispheres

The wheel degrees are for the observer's Earth latitude.

  • David H. Levy's Guide to the Stars. (2000) Ken Press.
  1. Northern Hemisphere +30o-60o: ISBN 978-1928771012 large yellow.
  • Night Sky Star Wheel. (2007) Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
  1. Northern Hemisphere - general with bright stars only; for city use: ISBN 978-1931559300 dark blue.
  2. Northern Hemisphere +50o: ISBN 978-1931559126 dark green.
  3. Northern Hemisphere +40o: ISBN 978-1931559119 dark green.
  4. Northern Hemisphere +30o: ISBN 978-1931559102 dark green.
  5. Southern Hemisphere -30o: ISBN 978-1931559133 dark green.
  • The Night Sky. (1998) David Chandler Co.
  1. Northern Hemisphere +50o: ISBN 1891938088 large blue, ISBN 1891938096 small blue.
  2. Northern Hemisphere +40o: ISBN 0961320745 large blue, ISBN 1891938010 small blue
  3. Northern Hemipshere +30o: ISBN 0961320753 large blue, ISBN 1891938029 small blue
  4. Northern Hemisphere +20o: ISBN 0961320761 large blue, ISBN 1891938037 small blue
  5. Southern Hemipshere -30o: ISBN 0961320737 large blue, ISBN 1891938002 small blue.
  • Philip's Planisphere. (2004) Philip's.
  1. Northern Hemisphere +35o: ISBN 978-0540063192 midnight blue.
  2. Southern Hemisphere -35o: ISBN 978-0540084791 sky blue.


Catalogs

  • Becvar, Antonin. (1959) Atlas Coeli II Katalog 1950.0, Praha, 1960 Prague. Published 1964 as Atlas of the Heavens - II Catalogue 1950.0, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
  • Hirshfeld, Alan and Sinnott, Roger W. (1982) Sky Catalogue 2000.0, Cambridge University Press and Sky Publishing Corporation, 1st Edition, 2 volumes. LCCN 81017975 both vols., and LCCN 83240310 vol. 1. "Volume 1: Stars to Magnitude 8.0", ISBN 0-521-24710-1 (Cambridge) and 0-933346-35-2 (Sky) hardcover, ISBN 0-933346-34-4 (Sky) softcover. Vol. 2 (1985) - "Volume 2: Double Stars, Variable Stars, and Nonstellar Objects", ISBN 0-521-25818-9 (Cambridge) hardcover, ISBN 0-521-27721-3 (Cambridge) softcover. 2nd Edition (1991) with additional third author Frangois Ochsenbein, 2 volumes, LCCN 91026764. Vol. 1: ISBN 0-521-41743-0 (Cambridge) hardcover (black binding); ISBN 0-521-42736-3 (Cambridge) softcover (red lettering with Hans Vehrenberg astrophoto). Vol. 2 (1999): ISBN 0-521-27721-3 (Cambridge) softcover and 0-933346-38-7 (Sky) softcover - reprint of 1985 edition (blue lettering with Hans Vehrenberg astrophoto).


  • Yale University Observatory
    Yale University Observatory

    HistoryYale's first observatory, the Atheneum, was situated in a tower, which from 1830 housed Yale's first and America's largest refractor, a John Dollond donated by Sheldon Clark....
    . (1908, et al.) Catalogue of Bright Stars
    Bright Star Catalogue

    The Bright Star Catalogue, also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars or Yale Bright Star Catalogue, is a star catalogue that lists all stars of stellar magnitude 6.5 or brighter, which is roughly every star visible to the naked eye from Earth....
    , New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. Referred to commonly as "Bright Star Catalogue". Various editions with various authors historically, the longest term revising author as (Ellen) Dorrit Hoffleit
    Dorrit Hoffleit

    Ellen Dorrit Hoffleit was an United States senior research astronomer at Yale University.Hoffleit was born in Florence, Alabama and earned her Ph.D....
    . 1st Edition 1908. 2nd Edition 1940 by Frank Schlesinger and Louise F. Jenkins. 3rd Edition (1964), 4th Edition, 5th Edition (1991), and 6th Edition (pending posthumous) by Hoffleit. Hardcover or softcover.


Guidebooks


Limited or Selected Constellations & Beginning
  • Chartrand, Mark R. (1995) National Audubon Society Pocket Guide - Constellations, Knopf, ISBN 978-0679779988 softcover.
  • Chen, P. K. (2007) A Constellation Album: Stars and Mythology of the Night Sky, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., 96 pages, ISBN 978-1931559386 hardcover.
  • Forey, Pamela and Fitzsimons, Cecilia. (1988) An Instant Guide to Stars & Planets, Malcolm Saunders Pub., London, U.K.; 1999 Edition, Gramercy Books, New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0-517-63549-0, hardcover (small).
  • Heifetz, Milton D. (2004) A Walk through the Heavens: A Guide to Stars and Constellations and their Legends, Cambridge University Press, 96 pages, ISBN 978-0521544153 softcover.
  • Pasachoff, Jay M.
    Jay Pasachoff

    Jay Myron Pasachoff is an United States astronomer. Pasachoff is Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams College and the author of textbooks and tradebooks in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and other sciences....
    ; Tirion, Wil
    Wil Tirion

    Wil Tirion is a Dutch Uranography . His most famous work, Sky Atlas 2000.0, is renowned by astronomers for its accuracy and beauty. The second edition of his most complete work, Uranometria 2000.0, was published in 2001 by Willmann-Bell....
    ; and Brickman, Robin. (1988) Astronomy, as part of "Peterson First Guides Series
    Peterson Field Guides

    The Peterson Field Guides are a popular and influential series of United States field guides intended to assist the layman in identification of birds, plants, insects and other natural phenomena....
    ", Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0-395-93542-2 softcover (small). Spine Title: "Peterson First Guide to Astronomy". Updated 1997. Subtitle: "The concise field guide to the stars, planets, and the universe".
  • Rey, H. A.
    H. A. Rey

    Hans Augusto "H.A." Rey , together with his wife Margret Rey, were the authors and illustrators of Children's literature, best known for their Curious George series....
     (Hans Augusto "H.A." Rey). (1952) The Stars: A New Way to See Them. 2008 printing, Houghton Mifflin, New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0547132792 hardcover. 1976 Edition, ISBN 0-395-24830-2 softcover and ISBN 0-395-08121-1 reinforced. Editions 1952, 1962, 1967, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1977 (Chris Dolan update).
  • Rey, H. A. (Hans Augusto "H.A." Rey). (1954) Find the Constellations. 2008 printing, Houghton Mifflin, New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0547131405 hardcover, ISBN 978-0395244180 softcover. 1976 Edition, ISBN 0-395-24509-5 softcover. Editions 1954, 1962, 1966, 1976 (35th printing), 1977 (Chris Dolan update).
  • Ridpath, Ian
    Ian Ridpath

    Ian Ridpath is an England science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
    . (2007) Deck of Stars, "Based on Eyewitness Companions Astronomy", DK Publishing, Inc. (Dorling Kindersley), New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0756635145 hard box with constellation card inserts. Pretitle: "Boy Scouts of America".
  • Sasaki, Chris. (2001) The Constellations: Stars & Stories, Sterling, ISBN 978-0806976358 hardcover, ISBN 978-1402708008 softcover.
  • Zim, Herbert S.
    Herbert Zim

    Herbert Spencer Zim was a Natural history, author, editor and educator best known as the founder and editor in chief of the Golden Guides series of nature books....
     and Baker, Robert H. (1951) Stars. A Golden Nature Guide, Golden Nature Guide Series
    Golden Guide

    The Golden Guides, originally Golden Nature Guides, are a series of pocket-sized books that were created by Western Publishing and published under their "Golden Press" line beginning in 1949....
    , Simon & Shuster, New York, New York, U.S.A., softcover or hardcover. Subtitle: "A Guide to the Constellations, Sun, Moon, Planets, and Other Features of the Heavens". 1956, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1975, 1985 Editions, Golden Press, New York, New York, U.S.A., softcover; 1964 Edition, Golden Press, hardcover (printed boards). 1975 Edition, Goldencraft, U.S.A., softcover, ISBN 978-0307635075 hardcover. 2000 Edition, Golden Books Pub. Co., U.S.A., ISBN 0-307-24493-8 softcover. 2001 Edition, Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press, England (U.K.), ISBN 978-1582381572 softcover. Later editions can have illustrators James Gordon Irving or Mark R. Chartrand.


General & Entire Celestial Heavens
  • Almeida, Guilherme de. (2004) Navigating the Night Sky: How to Identify the Stars and Constellations, Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series, Springer, ISBN 978-1852337377 softcover.
  • Bakich, Michael E. (1995) The Cambridge Guide to the Constellations, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, U.K., ISBN 0521465206 hardcover, ISBN 0521449219 softcover.
  • Burnham, Robert, Jr.
    Robert Burnham, Jr.

    Robert Burnham, Jr. was an American astronomer. He is best known for writing the classic three-volume Burnham's Celestial Handbook....
     (1978) Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Dover Publications, Inc.
    Dover Publications

    Dover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers ? often, but not always, books in the public domain....
    , Mineola, New York, U.S.A., 3 volumes, hardcover: Vol. 1 (Andromeda-Cetus) ISBN 0-486-24063-0, Vol. 2 (Chameleon-Orion) ISBN 0-486-24064-9, Vol. 3 (Pavo-Vulpecula) ISBN 0-486-24065-7; or softcover: Vol. 1 ISBN 0-486-23567-X, Vol. 2 ISBN 0-486-23568-8, Vol. 3 ISBN 0-486-23673-0. Original edition 1966, 1 volume looseleaf 3 ring binder, 930 pp. (comprising 4 Sections with constellations Ara-Leo), no ISBN, LCCN 66-21917, Celestial Handbook Publications, Flagstaff, Arizona.
  • Dyer, Alan; et al. (2001) Backyard Astronomy, Nature Company Guides, ISBN 978-0737000962 softcover.
  • Dyer, Alan; et al. (1997) Advanced Skywatching, Nature Company Guides, ISBN 978-0783549415 hardcover.
  • Henarejos, Philippe. (2005) Guide to the Night Sky, Konemann (Tandem Verlag GmbH), Germany, ISBN 978-3-8331-1585-1 softcover; ISBN 978-0-8416-0177-2 softcover U.S.A. Original edition France.
  • Kerrod, Robin. (1993) The Star Guide, Macmillan, New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0-671-87467-4. With planisphere in attached envelope pocket at end of book. 1995 reprint.
  • Kerrod, Robin. (2002) The Book of Constellations: Discover the Secrets in the Stars, Barron's Educational Series, ISBN 978-0764154409 hardcover.
  • Luginbuhl, Christian B. and Skiff, Brian A.(1990) Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-25665-8 hardcover, ISBN 0-521-62556-4 softcover 1998. Catalogs all constellations with galaxies, open clusters, globular clusters, planetary nebulae, galactic nebulae, and double stars.
  • Olcott, William Tyler. (1929) Field Book of the Skies, 1st Edition, G. P. Putnam, New York, New York, U.S.A., hardcover. 3rd Edition 1936 G. P. Putnam's Sons, 4th Edition 1954 G. P. Putnam's Sons.
  • Olcott, William Tyler. (1907) A Field Book of the Stars, 1st Edition. 2nd Edition 1914 G. P. Putnam's Sons, 3rd Edition 1935 G. P. Putnam's Sons.
  • Pasachoff, Jay M.
    Jay Pasachoff

    Jay Myron Pasachoff is an United States astronomer. Pasachoff is Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams College and the author of textbooks and tradebooks in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and other sciences....
    ; and Tirion, Wil
    Wil Tirion

    Wil Tirion is a Dutch Uranography . His most famous work, Sky Atlas 2000.0, is renowned by astronomers for its accuracy and beauty. The second edition of his most complete work, Uranometria 2000.0, was published in 2001 by Willmann-Bell....
    . (2000) A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets, 4th Edition, as part of "The Peterson Field Guide Series
    Peterson Field Guides

    The Peterson Field Guides are a popular and influential series of United States field guides intended to assist the layman in identification of birds, plants, insects and other natural phenomena....
    ", Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0395934326 hardcover, ISBN 9780395934319 softcover. Spine Title: "Stars and Planets". 1st Edition 1992, 3rd Edition 1998.
  • Ridpath, Ian
    Ian Ridpath

    Ian Ridpath is an England science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
    ; Sparrow, Giles; and Stott, Carole. (2006) Astronomy, as part of the "DK Eyewitness Companions
    Eyewitness Books

    Eyewitness Books is a series of nonfiction books intended for young adults. They were first published in England by Dorling Kindersley in 1988....
    " series, DK Publishing, Inc. (Dorling Kindersley
    Dorling Kindersley

    Dorling Kindersley is an international publishing company specialising in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 51 languages....
    ), New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0756617332 softcover.
  • Ridpath, Ian
    Ian Ridpath

    Ian Ridpath is an England science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
    . (2002) Stars and Planets, 2nd U.S. Edition, as part of the "DK Smithsonian Handbooks" series, DK Publishing, Inc. (Dorling Kindersley), New York, New York, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0789489880 softcover. 1st U.S. Edition 1998.


Advanced & Specialized
  • Archinal, Brent A. and Hynes, Steven J. (2003) Star Clusters, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., ISBN 0-943396-80-8 hardcover.
  • Arp, Halton C.
    Halton Arp

    Halton Christian Arp is an United States astronomer. He is known for his 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, which catalogues many examples of interacting galaxies....
     (1966) The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies
    Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies

    The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies is a Astronomical catalog of peculiar galaxies produced by Halton Arp. A total of 338 galaxies are presented in the atlas, which was originally published in 1966 by the California Institute of Technology....
    , California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.
  • Haas, Sissy. (2007) Double Stars for Small Telescopes, Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., ISBN 978-1931559324 softcover.
  • Kanipe, Jeff
    Jeff Kanipe

    Jeff Kanipe is a science writer and author of several astronomy books....
     and Webb, Dennis. (2006) The Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies: A Chronicle and Observer's Guide, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., ISBN 978-0-943396-76-7 hardcover.
  • Kepple, George Robert; et al. The Night Sky Observer's Guide, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A., 3 volumes, hardcover. Vol. 1: Autumn & Winter, by George Robert Kepple and Glen W. Sanner, 1998, ISBN 978-0-943396-58-3. Vol. 2: Spring & Summer, by George Robert Kepple and Glen W. Sanner, 1998, ISBN 978-0-943396-60-6. Vol. 3: The Southern Skies, by Ian Cooper, Jenni Kay, and George Robert Kepple, 2008, ISBN 978-0-943396-89-7.
  • Scovil, Charles E. (1980) AAVSO Variable Star Atlas (American Association of Variable Star Observers
    American Association of Variable Star Observers

    Since its founding in 1911, the American Association of Variable Star Observers has coordinated, collected, evaluated, analyzed, published, and archived variable star observations made largely by amateur astronomy and makes the records available to professional astronomers, researchers, and educators....
    , Cambridge, Massachusetts), Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., 178 large unbound folio charts in hardcover box, ISBN 0-933346-28-X.
  • Webb Society; and Jones, Kenneth Glyn; Hogg, Helen S.; et al. Webb Society Deep-Sky Observer's Handbook, 8 volumes, softcover. Webb Deep-Sky Society. Vol. 1: Double Stars. Vol. 2: Planetary and Gaseous Nebulae. Vol. 3: Open and Globular Clusters. Vol 4.: Galaxies. Vol. 5: Clusters of Galaxies. Vol. 6: Anonymous Galaxies. Vol. 7 (green): The Southern Sky. Vol. 8: Variable Stars. Society honors Thomas William Webb
    Thomas William Webb

    The Reverend Thomas William Webb was a United Kingdom astronomer. Some sources give his year of birth as 1806. The only son of a clergyman, the Rev....
    .


Constellation & Celestial Computer Software

  • MegaStar5 Sky Atlas, Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
  • Pocket Stars, Nomad Electronics, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.; also has cell phone version.
  • Starry Night Pro Plus 6.2, Imaginova Corporation, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • The Sky 6, Software Bisque, Golden, Colorado, U.S.A.; also has cell phone version.


Other

Masterful articles of note:

  • Steffey, Philip Cooper. (1992) "The Truth About Star Colors" in Sky and Telescope, September 1992 issue. Previous underlying letters in December 1986 issue as "Some Comments about Star Colors" and "Star Colors" in May 1981.


  • Roth, Joshua. (2005). "Spectacles for Spectacular Skies -- Special Report: Night Myopia Spectacles", in Sky and Telescope, September 2005 issue. Pertaining to constellation stargazing and eyesight vision problems during aging.


External links

  • , including high quality maps.
  • origins and mythology of the constellations (Ian Ridpath
    Ian Ridpath

    Ian Ridpath is an England science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
    )
  • free 3D realtime space-simulation (OpenGL)
  • realtime sky rendering program (OpenGL)
  • (the older NASA ADC service does not function anymore)
  • (Allows navigation through the entire sky with variable star detail, optional constellation lines)
  • Greco-Roman constellation myths