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How do I learn to read them?
Home » Astronomy » Star Charts » How do I learn to read them?Reading a star chart becomes easy once you learn the rules by which it is written. No matter what chart you use, look for your cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west. Star charts are presented just as if you were looking at the sky. North is up, south is down. But, the sky moves from east to west—so east is to the left and west is to the right.
Star charts can also be separated into squares. Along one border is Right Ascension (RA). It will be expressed in hours. Along the other border will be Declination (Dec)—expressed in degrees. If you know an object’s celestial coordinates, you can pinpoint its place on the map by using that combination.
If you are looking at a chart for an object to visit, look for the largest dots to help you identify the constellation. Remember the primary stars—the ones you can see easily—are expressed as Greek letters. Once you find an object you would like to view, it’s almost as easy as matching the star chart to the sky.
Let’s find out how that’s done...
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