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SFA Star Charts

SFA Star Charts

Nov 20 SFA Chart 1 - Northern Region 0h Dec 6 Nov 5 h 23 30º 1 h d Dec 21 h p Oct 21h s b 2 h 22 - Daughter of and Cassiopeia Mirach Local Meridian for 8 PM q m - Air Pumpe p 40º - Bird of Paradise n o i b g - Eagle k ANDROMEDA Jan 5 u - Water Carrier Oct 6 h z 3 21 l h - Altar j g - Ram 50º - Charioteer e a BOOTES - Herdsman j r Schedar b - Graving Tool x b a Algol Jan 20 b o - h Caph q 4 Sep 20 k h 20 g a 60º z - z g d t x - Keel of the Ship k i n h m a s CASSIOPEIA - Ethiopian Queen on a Throne c h CASSIOPEIA g Mirfak d e i - Half horse and half man CEPHEUS e CEPHEUS - Ethiopian King Alderamin a d 70º - Whale h l m Feb 5

5 - Chameleon h i g h 19 Sep 5 i - Compasses b g z d k e - Larger Dog b r 7 h - Smaller Dog e 80º g a e a Capella - Crab d a k AURIGA - Dove t b - Berenice's Hair Aug 21 j Feb 20 - Southern Crown Eltanin c 18 a d 6 d h - Northern Crown h q g x b q 30º 30º 80º 80º 40º 70º 50º 60º 60º 70º 50º - Cup 40º i e - Cross n z b Rastaban h URSA - Crow z r MINOR - Hunting Dogs p 80º b CYGNUS - Swan h g q - Kocab Aug 6 e 17 - Goldfish q h h h o 7 DRACO - s t t Mar 7 - Little Horse z i a - River j k l r - Furnace a GEMINI - Twins u a Dubhe - Crane Jul 2216 60º j i HERCULES - Hero h h q q k 8 Alcor z Megrez HOROLOGIUM - Clock m e b Merak b Mizar Mar 22 - Sea q Alioth d - Water Snake l h Phecda d g - Indian Alkaid 50º BOOTES g c l a Jul 615 h h 9 -2 m y r Apr 6 -1 b b a 0 40º 1 h 14 h CANES VENATICI MINOR Jun 21 10 2 3 n Apr 21 4 x h 5 13h 30º 11 Jun 6 12h May 6 May 22 SFA Observatory © 2002 - http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/ SFA 2 - Equatorial Region Local Meridian for 8 PM 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 60º 60º u CASSIOPEIA a b b CAMELOPARDALIS h Schedar g Merak d g j Phecda t q URSA MAJOR Mirfak j 50º l i q 50º c i m a Capella s j k d a k y LYNX b l e ANDROMEDA n g b Algol u n m h z 40º e 40º q r m q PERSEUS b AURIGA b s x Mirach a b n q i g p Castor a r o x t z TRIANGULUM d 30º a t a 30º i Pollux s Alnath e Alpheratz u i b u m k b CANCER GEMINI e k 90º ARIES j z e 100º 80º a z l 110º d h Jun 22 70º h Zosma LEO Jul 2 Jun 11 g m 1 z Jun 1 60º d 120º Jul 12 z 2 c b 20º g n c May 21 20º Jul 23 g 130º d e 50º a d May 11 h Aug 2 l g q g 40º b 140º Aldebaran h Algenib n q May 1 g Aug 12 x Regulus a a x l 30º m Apr 20 i Aug 23 l 10º r o 2 x 10º b m p l o 20º 160º o x e b 3 d e Betelgeuse Bellatrix p Apr 10 n s Sep 2 z Procyon CANIS MINOR a g d p4 m 10º 170º Mekab a n a Mar 31 5 g Sep 13 q h s p a x b 6 p d 0º d 0º a Mar 21 Sep 23 b i d z e m z s h n Mira Cursa o q b 1 MONOCERUS g i t o CETUS q g b 2 z i a k b o d e h -10º q a h -10º e Baten Salph z l q g p k l p d h CRATER u q z Zaurak t n g m ERIDANUS h HYDRA a b g a i m b a Arneb 1 n t Diphda -20º z CANIS MAJOR -20º b 5 4 d t t t2 u e t6 b 2 9 r o 1 x g t 3 x o 8 t t d q g s e u1 a n -30º h z FORNAX a -30º a u2 x b a k Phakt d a b h ANTLIA b e b e g i p b COLUMBA q -40º y z i -40º CAELUM a a l h a s n g k d b g e m k d -50º -50º t b i c g c o a HOROLOGIUM h j j k d z z d g z a CARINA DORADO a h i e -60º -60º 12h 11h 10h 9h 8h 7h 6h 5h 4h 3h 2h 1h 0h SFA Observatory © 2002 http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/ Local Meridian for 8 PM SFA Star Chart 3 - Equatorial Region 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 60º 60º DRACO i Alioth z x q d CEPHEUS Alcor z n e k Mizar b i q b URSA MAJOR 50º a g h 50º Alkaid l Deneb i t l LACERTA j k a d i o s LYRA b CANES VENATICI b 40º ANDROMEDA g e a 40º CYGNUS h Vega g r p m a Cor Caroli d z h q HERCULES p e c d BOOTES g b h e z q r 30º i s 30º b z o b Albireo g b x b i m l e a k g e m a d d CORONA BOREALIS COMA BERENICES l b 20º 20º g Arcturus a d g k h a a g a b Markab DELPHINUS e g b u a d b a z a z x z e g e 10º e d g i d 10º AQUILA o PISCES a k EQUULEUS m w q q l b a i a g b e b d d l p g l t k h 0º h a z h 180º Mar 21 z 0º g g q i Sep 23 350º o AQUARIUS h Declination d m 190º Mar 11 l b e VIRGO q b m i Oct 3 j 340º q 200º l Mar 1 m a y e b Oct 13 -10º 330º z k -10º x 210º Feb 19 n a a o Oct 23 t 320º n i b g g 220º Feb 9 a d d i q 310º x h j q Nov 2 d 230º g g Jan 30 r c 300º b 240º Nov 12 CORVUS -20º n -20º h Jan 20 290º p x x 250º w w Nov 22 280º 270º 260º g e Jan 10 Dec 2 z CAPRICORNUS Dec 12 d b Dec 31 Dec 22 y l s a s q Antares s p e a p HYDRA d PISCES AUSTRINUS w t j u a d t r t -30º q z -30º g t e g g SCULPTOR d i c g b m a e e g l j q i g e h u q l m b a k k b h -40º l CORONA AUSTRALIS i -40º GRUS q a d g d k h n i m h z q z m d i b h q b i a d e u b d e i CENTAURUS a a e z PHOENIX t i h m k a a s d -50º z g -50º s e INDUS g z x e z e r l ARA q h d b CRUX a z g g g b CIRCINUS b h g b d -60º -60º 24h 23h 22h 21h 20h 19h 18h 17h 16h 15h 14h 13h 12h Right Ascension SFA Observatory © 2002 - http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/ Nov 20 SFA Star Chart 4 - Southern Region 0h Nov 5 Dec 6 1h -30º 23h h SCULPTOR g d Oct 21

LACERTA - Lizard Dec 21h g b 22 Local Meridian for 8 PM 2 h LEO - Lion b t -40º PISCES AUSTRINUS LEPUS - Hare PHOENIX m q LIBRA - Scales a i k i Oct 6 GRUS LEO MINOR - Smaller Lion e m l g e h FORNAX g 21 Jan 5 i d h LUPUS - Wolf 3 n b b LYNX - Wildcat b -50º g LYRA - Harp i s d a q a - z e q MICROSCOPIUM - Microscope k Sep 20 ERIDANUS c z TUCANA MICROSCOPIUM MONOCERUS - Unicorn h g 20 h j a Jan 20 i h - Fly 4 i -60º d INDUS h NORMA - Carpenter`s Square Achernar q HOROLOGIUM z a a - Octant, Navigational Instrument b a OPHIUCHUS - Serpent Holder z e HYDRUS d b ORION - The Hunter a 2 PAVO - Peacock u -70º g a b a SAGITTARIUS Sep 5 PEGASUS - Winged Horse a d d i g e b 19 h b a h PERSEUS - Hero 5 d g Feb 5 CAELUM d b e b b d PHOENIX - Mythical Bird g a g h z e PICTOR - Easel a DORADO -80º n PAVO l l PISCES AUSTRINUS - Southern g e h PISCES - Fish e z b q k OCTANS d l TELESCOPIUM z CORONA e PUPPIS - Stern of the Ship Argo a b h a PICTOR k n AUSTRALIS h PYXIS - Mariner's Compass COLUMBA b b b z x e Aug 21 g d MENSA g g

p 18 RETICULUM - Net h g h ml SCULPTOR - Sculptor's Apparatus 6 d a h Feb 20 h i -60º -30º -30º a -80º -80º -40º -50º -70º -60º -50º SCORPIUS - Scorpion -70º g k g b d b q SCUTUM - Shield d Canopus a g d d a a l SERPENS - Serpent n d z q ARA u t a d a APUS SEXTANS - Sextant, Navigational Instrument g h h b z e SCORPIUS SAGITTA - Arrow k e CHAMAELEON d g e SAGITTARIUS - Archer CARINA b z Mar 7 b m 7 b PUPPIS TRIANGULUM AUSTRALIS h TAURUS - Bull h g g e e 17 p c e a w d CIRCINUS TELESCOPIUM - Telescope s Aug 6 a NORMA -70º g h TRIANGULUM AUSTRALIS - Southern Triangle u a MUSCA b e b a d TRIANGULUM - Triangle d i l Rigil Kentaurus g q Hadar TUCANA - Toucan o h q z a z URSA MAJOR - Great Bear k l b m g h k e - Little Bear b Mar 22 -60º LUPUS c h 8 l VELA - Sails of the Ship Argo h j d a d 16 VIRGO - Virgin g e b l Jul 22 PYXIS VELA CRUX j VOLANS - Flying Fish b p i k r VULPECULA - Fox a h s z u y m -50º d g CENTAURUS e t Apr 96 m h h -2 n 15 q Jul 6 -1 ANTLIA 0 i -40º i 1 10 h Apr 21h a 14 2 3 HYDRA b Jun 21 4 5 11h -30º h May 6 13 12h Jun 6 May 22 SFA Observatory © 2002 - http://observe.phy.sfasu.edu/

Using the SFA Star Charts

The charts provided cover the entire . You will notice that there are regions were the charts overlap. For example, Perseus can be found on both Chart 1 and Chart 2.

Chart 1 Celestial North Pole Region

Chart 2 Chart 3 Celestial and and Region Ecliptic Region

Chart 4 Celestial South Pole Region

The procedures outlined on the next page are for observers in the . Chart 4 is not needed for these observers.

Right Ascension and Declination The coordinates of and other objects on the celestial sphere are called right ascension and declination. These coordinates are similar to those used on : longitude and . 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.

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.) Zenith

Meridian

Polaris, the North Star

S N

E

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 . 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