People are always interested in knowing the unknown and seeing the unseen world that we have above us. Hence we all have got this never-ending fascination for the sky.
Sky Atlases are a good way to enjoy the enchanting world that we have beyond our sight. They are fascinating, right? But not all of them have authentic information.
And, the others lack a good printing quality while some others aren’t easy to carry around. That’s why stargazers love to have the best sky atlas in their collection.
But finding the best one ain’t that easy, right? Well, need not worry about that. We examined the available options for sky atlas in the market to help you in this regard.
Here you will get to know interesting facts and some actual atlas overviews. So If you don’t want to miss out on the authentic information and thoroughly researched insights, then stick with us-
Comparison Table
| Product Name | Edition | Writer |
| “Space Atlas Mapping The Universe And Beyond” | Second Edition | James Trefil |
| “2021 Night Sky Almanac” | First Edition | Nicole Mortillaro |
| “The Sky Atlas” | Kindle Edition | Edward Brooke-Hitching |
| “Sky & Telescope’s Pocket Sky Atlas” | Jumbo Edition | Roger W. Sinnott |
| “The Cambridge Star Atlas” | Fourth Edition | Wil Tirion |
| “Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas” | First Edition | Ronald Stoyan |
| “The Astrophotography Sky Atlas” | Paperback Edition | Charles Bracken |
“Space Atlas Mapping The Universe And Beyond”
Atlas Overview
Our first product is “Space Atlas Mapping The Universe And Beyond”. It’s authored by Jamer Trefil and published by National Geographic. This is one of the best books for knowing the sky maps and is quite easy to carry around.
James Trefil wrote this book with utter care and knowledge. His expertise is explaining tough scientific concepts in easier words. And, he showed it in this book admirably.
This 352 paged book contains a lot of information but all of it is presented easily for the readers. Moreover, it has forewords by Buzz Aldrin. This part is also extremely interesting and catches the reader’s attention instantly.
Furthermore, it has sparkling pictures of stars and nebulae. They are not only eye-catching, but they also make the whole read entertaining as well. The writer has described the pictures and tried providing a good perspective.
Hence the total thing becomes too exciting for any reader. Anyone with an interest in the sky would love this book on their table like their afternoon coffee.
As a whole, this is a complete book packed with information, illustrations, pictures, and descriptions. So you will definitely love it. Moreover, the page quality and printing are also praiseworthy. Therefore as an enthusiast, you can definitely have this book in your collection.
Pros
- Have exciting illustrations and gleaming space pictures
- The page and binding quality is good
- It has good perspectives and information
- Tough concepts are explained in easy words
- Has an exciting foreword by Buzz Aldrin
Cons
- More depth of information would be nice.
“2021 Night Sky Almanac”
Atlas Overview
Next up we have the “2021 Night Sky Almanac” on our list. This is another awesome book for sky lovers. It is basically a month-by-month guide to North America’s sky.
If you’re someone who loves to know about and explore the night sky, this book has to be in yourself. To be honest, this is a complete book that is perfect for both novice and experienced people.
So if you’re someone who is just entering the sky gazing thing, you can have one copy of this book. Certainly, it will help you to build up a better overview of the sky and stars.
This book has everything you need, we are not even exaggerating. It has described everything month-by-month. The writer has included his observations very neatly here.
Moreover, he took a very appreciable technical approach to some of the topics as well. So, reading this book will definitely help you to enhance your insights into the sky.
This book can be really useful for you to learn some interesting facts and necessary topics. So, don’t miss out on the chance of having this super beneficial book in your collection.
Pros
- Has interesting facts and information
- It has depth information about binoculars and telescopes
- Terms and tough concepts are explained in easy words
- It contains historical information about the constellations and stars as well
- Contains month-by-month information about the sky
Cons
- Providing more pictures will make this book even better
“The Sky Atlas”
Atlas Overview
Now, we are about to introduce you to the most eye-catching books on our list. The book’s name is “The Sky Atlas”. This is one of the best books that have stories, beautiful illustrations, and star catalogs.
Humankind is always opting for knowing more about the sky and beyond. Hence there has been a lot of mythological stories, stories, paintings, manuscripts, and catalogs.
This book is a perfect compilation of all of the above-mentioned. It’s rich with the finest examples of celestial cartography. The gods, devils, witches, sailors, aliens, and animals- this book has literally everything.
The history of sky exploring is pretty ancient. While reading this book, the reader can take tours around the world and through history. It will be an exciting one that we can assure you.
So having this book will give you some thrill, that’s obvious. The chronicles of cosmic imagination and exploration- you can enjoy it all.
Here, the added maps and catalogs, pictures, and illustrations will add to your imaginary world even more. They will help you to take a tour through the unknown world of the sky.
So having this book will be nice. If you’re interested in the sky, not only star gazing, this should be your pick. It contains not only information about the stars but about other things as well. So, don’t miss them out.
Pros
- It has stunning illustrations that are a treat to the eyes
- The history part is very nice
- Provides introduction about the sky history
- Extremely informative, packed with a lot of stories and descriptions
- Printed on top quality cartridge paper
- Has some unique maps that expand beyond the terrestrial
Cons
- It lacks information about sky mythology.
“Sky & Telescope’s Pocket Sky Atlas”
Atlas Overview
This time we are going to raise the curtain to a very exceptionally written atlas. The product name is “Sky & Telescope’s Pocket Sky Atlas”.
Even though the book couldn’t justify its name, it’s not exactly pocket size atlas. But, the contents are simply amazing. This book has 110 pages and all of them are packed with necessary information.
The pages are thick hence they last long. So if you’re a reader who goes through the book frequently, this must be your pick. The thick pages don’t get worn off easily. Moreover, they are dew-resistant, so you can use them outside as well.
Also, the book has a spiral binding, which is another plus point. The page arrangements are excellent, and you can use them with ease. Furthermore, the graphics are top-notch, that we must say.
So these colorful illustrations will definitely help you to point out the objects and recognize them. Besides, the book also provides a clear description for better understanding.
The fonts, font size, and printing are also outstanding. As a whole, this product is a complete one with everything you need. So what’s stopping you from having this book in your collection?
Pros
- Made of thick paper, so lasts for a long time
- It has a spiral binding, so the book is extremely handy
- It contains the navigation and page number clearly
- The object and graphics are colorful hence very easy to spot and recognize
- It is written in detail so reading it will definitely give you a good perspective
Cons
- The book can’t be carried around in your pocket, just as the name suggests
“The Cambridge Star Atlas”
Atlas Overview
Moving on to the next product on our list from the Cambridge University Press. The product name is “The Cambridge Star Atlas”. If you’re already familiar with the sky and stars, this book is good for you.
But if you’re a beginner in this sector, then this book is one of the must-haves for you. It has clear and colored pictures of stars, clusters, and galaxies. They have described the objects nicely and mentioned what you can use to observe them.
It also contains maps of the surface of the moon, craters, and features. Moreover, it also has a second Moon map, mirror reversed for users of telescopes with star diagonals.
So, you can get a lot of information from this book, no doubt about that. Besides, the tables and lists make your learning about the sky and objects easier.
If you are still learning and picking information, then this is an ideal book for you. The fonts and maps are clear and easy to focus on. Hence using it while orienting stars and objects in the sky will be extremely thrilling.
Pros
- Has a good range of information, especially for the beginners
- It has useful lists and charts on it
- Easy to read and locate the objects amidst the space
- The binding and the printing both are excellent in quality
Cons
- The color combination of some charts is too hard to read for the readers.
“Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas”
Atlas Overview
We are very near to the end. This time we have the “Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas”. This is another product that is quite good for people who are into the sky and space.
This atlas is presented to the reader with a different approach. Here, all objects are shown according to their actual visibility. So, it has classifications like objects that you can see with a 4-inch telescope.
There are other categories like visible with 8 inches and 12 inches telescopes and so on. According to the categories, different color symbols, weights, and other details are also provided here.
Moreover, other necessary information is provided as well. So, any amateur users should have this particular atlas in their collection. This will help them throughout their exploration.
The details that are provided with every object are extremely praiseworthy. You will find quite a good range of information here. Moreover, the presentation of the information is also outstanding.
Other than that, the color combination used is soothing and the design is also aesthetically pleasing. So, reading this book and going through its graphics will be a treat for your eyes.
Lastly, the size is also compact. So, it’s good to be used during the observation. Hence, we would suggest you have it in your collection. We believe you won’t regret this purchase.
Pros
- Very detailed and packed with information
- The colorful approach is extremely praiseworthy
- Size is simply perfect for use during the observation
- The design is aesthetically pleasing
- The bright color scheme used here is excellent
Cons
- The maps are actually too small in size.
“The Astrophotography Sky Atlas”
Atlas Overview
Time to say hello to the last atlas on our list “The Astrophotography Sky Atlas”. Another book which is packed with info and extremely reasonable in price. It also has catalogs to make your reading exciting.
This is a complete book that has got a wide range of information. You can find information about various objects. The descriptions are pretty vast and well-narrated.
So reading it will certainly help you to grow a better understanding. Moreover, this book has got a lot of charts to make your reading easier to understand. So this will help you as well.
Most importantly, it will help you by providing the best time to capture any object. So if you are interested in photography, then this book is a must-have for you.
Pros
- A compact book with lots of information
- The price is affordable
- It has seventy colored charts that cover the whole sky
- You’ll find details about the sky and its objects
- Provides insights about the best time to capture sky objects
Cons
- The quality isn’t durable enough
How To Read The Sky Atlas?
Yeah, we have already got a thorough idea about some of the best sky atlases. But buying a good sky atlas isn’t the end. If you are really into stargazing then you have to learn how to use it.
Reading the sky atlas and locating the stars aren’t that easy. You have to know the process of reading it and pinpointing the stars by following the atlas. Hence we added this part where we described how to read the atlas.
This will certainly help you in reading the atlas properly. So let’s just jump into it-
- You need to keep the night view on. So don’t use a high-power bulb, that’ll ruin the night ambiance. We would suggest a dim red torch to view the map and gazing at the sky with no lights on.
- Then you need to remember some of the dots and lines that represent the stars and constellations.
- To place the atlas, find your directions and then place them in front of you accordingly. Like finding the north and then placing the north side of the atlas on that side.
These will help you to read the atlas easily and to locate the stars effectively. So try them out to have a thrilling experience of stargazing at night.
FAQs
Question: What does a star atlas do?
Answer: Star atlas is just like all the other atlases. It provides a roadmap to the user. The only difference is unlike other atlases sky atlas give the road maps and directions of the sky. So that you can get a proper idea about the star and other objects of the sky in detail.
Question: Why is a book of maps called an atlas?
Answer: Titan Atlas used to hold the globe on his shoulder. From this idea, any collection of maps or charts are called an atlas.
Question: What causes stars to move across the night sky?
Answer: Even though we see the stars moving across the sky, mostly at night. But this is basically a direct result of the rotation. Our earth is always moving. Hence if we look at the sky for some hours, we notice that some stars are moving across the sky. Even the moon also seems to appear moving due to the same reason.
Question: What do the dots represent on a star wheel?
Answer: On the stargazing maps the stars are represented with a circular shape, more precisely with dots. The bigger the dot, the brighter the stars are. Bigger dots also represent that you can see this star even with bad light pollution.
Question: Are stars fixed in space?
Answer: Obviously not. Just like we are constantly rotating, the stars are also moving along. Due to the constant moving of both the earth and the star, it becomes hard to pinpoint the movement. But, the stars aren’t fixed at all, they have their own movement.
To Sum Up
By this time you’ve already got enough information about sky atlases, right? Then, it’s time to pack up and say goodbye. But before we part ways, we hope you find the best sky atlas for you.
The sky atlas is extremely important for stargazing and sky enthusiasts. Hence finding the best one is extremely tough yet necessary for them. We really wish to be a part of your quest of searching for a suitable sky atlas.
So just pick the one that you think will be the best for you. And then have a fun-filled sky and stargazing. Our good wishes to you.
