Which chart do I use tonight?
10 PM mid-Jan · 9 PM early Feb · 8 PM mid-Feb
Start with Orion's Belt, high in the south.
10 PM mid-Apr · 9 PM early May · 8 PM mid-May
Start with the Big Dipper, almost straight overhead.
10 PM early Aug · 9 PM mid-Aug · 8 PM early Sep
Start with Vega, the brightest star near overhead.
10 PM mid-Oct · 9 PM early Nov · 7 PM mid-Nov
Start with the Great Square of Pegasus, high in the south.
Out later than the times listed? The sky shifts about two hours every month, so the next season's chart is a better match late at night. Every chart is drawn for 42° N latitude.
Reading the chart
Holding it the right way
A star chart only works when it's lined up with the real sky. It takes about ten seconds once you know how.
- Pick the right chart
Each chart lists the dates and times it matches. Close is good enough — the sky shifts slowly.
- Face a direction
South is a good place to start. Use a compass app on your phone if you're not sure which way that is.
- Turn the chart to match
Rotate the chart so the direction you're facing is at the bottom edge. That edge is now your horizon.
- Hold it up
Raise it in front of you, tilted toward the sky. The center of the chart is straight overhead, and the outer circle is the horizon all the way around you.
Why are east and west backwards?
A road map shows the ground from above. A star map shows the sky from below. Lie on your back with your head pointing north and east really is on your left. Hold the chart overhead and every direction lines up.
Measure the sky with your hand
Hold your arm all the way out. These widths work for almost everyone, because longer arms come with bigger hands. You'll use them to record altitude in your Observation Log.
The Moon is only about ½° wide.
About the gap between the Big Dipper's pointer stars.
Nine fists from the horizon reaches straight overhead.
Thumb tip to pinky tip.
What's in the PDF
- p. 1How to use a star mapHolding the chart, measuring with your hand, and the sky-coordinates cheat sheet.
- p. 2Constellation checklistAll 24 constellations we learn, with what to look for and a spot to date each find.
- p. 3Winter evening skyOrion, Taurus, Gemini, and the brightest star in the sky.
- p. 4Spring evening skyThe Big Dipper overhead, Leo, Arcturus, and Spica.
- p. 5Summer evening skyThe Summer Triangle, Scorpius, and the Milky Way at its best.
- p. 6Autumn evening skyThe Great Square of Pegasus and the Andromeda Galaxy.
Before you go out
- Give your eyes 20–30 minutes in the dark. One look at a bright phone screen starts the clock over.
- Read the chart with a red light: a phone in night mode, or red cellophane taped over a flashlight.
- Check the Moon. A bright Moon washes out faint stars, so the nights around new Moon are best.
- Get away from porch lights and streetlights — even the dark side of a house helps.
- Preview tonight's sky in Stellarium before you head out.