4 Dazzling Stargazing Maps

What's This?

By Jess Fee2013-07-26 10:00:12 UTC

Stargazing is a cheap and relaxing alternative to break-the-bank activities, but with thousands of stars up there twinkling away, it can be difficult to identify the various constellations and other features of the night sky.

We've rounded up a list of the best stargazing maps available online, from interactive websites to downloadable PDFs.

These maps may look like they have east and west inverted, but that's only because they show you what you see when looking at the zenith. To use them correctly, face north and hold the map with north facing downward. Then, rotate the map as you turn.

Where is your favorite place to stargaze? Let us know in the comments section below.

Planetarium is an interactive stargazing map that depicts constellations in a dome-like interface. The map allows you to specify a geographical location, date and time. It uses this information to orient the sun on the map and render a personalized, accurate representation of the night sky. Drag your mouse over a star to see its name, magnitude and distance.

Image: Planetarium

This interactive sky chart generates the night sky for you in real-time based on your location, the time of day and the date. The color of the sky matches the time of day you specify, and the orientation of the constellations corresponds with your geographical location. A green rectangle allows you to magnify certain sections of the night sky and explore the constellations, while some of the more significant stars are identified in blue text.

Image: Interactive Skychart

100,000 Stars is the beautiful brainchild of the Data Arts Team at Google. The project shows a 3D rendering of 119,617 nearby stars in the Milky Way and provides contextual data to help convey the magnitude of our solar system. Of these stars, 87 are identified by name. You can explore our digitized universe with the scroll bar on the right-hand side, or you can take an automated video tour.

100,000-Stars Image: 100,000 Stars

Star-map.fr lets you download a beautiful PDF of the sky. The available customization options make this map especially great. You can specify your hemisphere, the time of day and what version you want to download. The objects listed on the first page of the PDF show what you can see with the naked eye. The second page provides additional information about big and small telescopes and the best way to use the map.

Starmap Image: Starmap