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How to Use The Night Sky Planisphere

A Night Sky Planisphere identifies constellations and major stars in the night sky. Its rotating wheel provides a view of the night sky that can be customized to time, place and date. Unlike a telescope, it provides an overall map of the night sky rather than a detailed view of a specific portion of the sky. A Night Sky Planisphere helps you become familiar with the stars and constellations in your night sky.

Things You'll Need

Compass

Instructions

- 1
  Visit a website such as findlatitudeandlongitude.com to determine your latitude. For example, if you live in Wichita, Kansas, your latitude is 37.7 degrees north. Your latitude determines the elevation of the stars and constellations visible to you and their times of rising and setting. Stars and constellations occupy different portions of the sky at different latitudes.
- 2
  Buy a Night Sky Planisphere for your latitude. For Wichita, Kansas, you would buy the Night Sky Planisphere for 30 degrees to 40 degrees north latitude. Planispheres come in different colors, sizes and material. The Miller Planisphere, for example, is made of plastic. All planispheres are similar in construction, and each one features a rotating wheel to present the stars and constellations visible at a given time, date and latitude.
- 3
  Hold the Night Sky Planisphere in both hands. Use your thumbs to rotate the cardboard wheel until the current date on the outer rim of the planisphere aligns with the current time on the inner rim of the planisphere. For example, if it is 10 p.m. on September 10, turn the wheel until the triangle pointer under "10" on the "P.M." side of the wheel is pointing to the "10" on the "SEP" part of the wheel.
- 4
  Hold a compass in your hand and note the direction you are facing. Hold your planisphere so the same direction printed on the planisphere is closest to you. For example, if you are facing north, hold the planisphere so that "NORTH" is at the bottom and closest to you. The night sky displayed in the planisphere above the curved blue area will represent the night sky you are facing.
- 5
  Turn the planisphere over if you are facing south. Hold the planisphere with "SOUTH" on the planisphere closest to you.
- 6
  Rotate the wheel to move a constellation or star that interests you close to "EAST" or "WEST" on the curved blue part of the planisphere. Read the time on the inside of the wheel corresponding to the current date.
- 7
  If you have turned the constellation or star close to "EAST," the date and time you read will correspond to the time on that date the constellation or star rises.
- 8
  If you have turned the constellation or star close to "WEST," the date and time you read will correspond to the time on that date the constellation or star sets.

Astronomy