Editorial Review:
The Observer's Sky Atlas contains star charts and information for all those who observe the night sky with unaided eyes, with binoculars, or with small telescopes, and also for those who just wish to look at constellations and interesting objects. Equally useful for the beginning observer and the old hand, the atlas presents: - A short introduction into observing the sky and a thorough description of the star charts and tables - Clearly arranged charts of all the stars (up to 6th magnitude) visible with the unaided eye - Enlarged chart sections (including all stars to magnitude 9) for binocular observation, highlighting 250 interesting nebulae, galaxies, and stellar clusters; This new third edition features: - 32 additional pages with images of all the 250 nebulae covered in the atlas - An updated calendar for the next 20 years - Double star ephemerides from 2005-2020, including updated tables accompanying star charts - Updated minima/maxima of variable stars according to recent observations - Updated data where new measurements have proven more reliable than previous ones. The Observer's Sky Atlas is an indispensable and handy companion for every observer and has already appeared in four languages. Some praise for previous editions: "… The most informative little sky guide in the business." –Astronomy "The more experienced observer will find this slim volume useful at the telescope and … packed with interesting observing projects." –Sky & Telescope
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
A good guide for deep sky observing  2007-10-04
I have a lot of sky atlases as well as guides to deep sky objects. While there are numerous maps that are aesthetically more beautiful and perhaps more useful overal as a scopeside map, and numerous deep sky object guides, none of them presents such an excellent distillation of objects and easily useable maps for practical recreational viewing with binoculars or the small scope. I find with this book, I get the most out of my evenings with little pre-planning necessary. After gaining some experience with this book, one can than follow the general approach to deep sky viewing with more advanced guides and atlases.
A jewel for small telescope owners 2007-09-27
I've been an active observer for years. My telescopes have been large instruments requiring some planning and setup. For this reason, I typically do little observing during nights when there is a partial moon out. I've decided to do some observing with a small 80mm telescope. It's easy to move outside and set up within a minute and it's no big deal if I only have a few minutes to observe.
It turns out that what I had in the way of a star atlas was not terribly suited for my new endeavor. My atlases are all geared for deep space observing with big reflectors. They are well worn and tattered and I know from experience that although I have loved them to death, I will learn to hate them if I attempt an observing program with an 80mm telescope.
So..... during the past few weeks, I've been looking for the perfect reference material. A friend of mine turned me on to "The Observer's Sky Atlas" by E. Karkoschka. I briefly looked through his and decided immediately that I "needed" one. I've used many of the other atlases geared towards small telescpes but I've decided that this one will be my new companion over the next few months.
My grab and go observing will be just that... grab and go. I wanted a volume that fits that bill. The atlas is a small paperback about 6 x 8 inches. Within it's pages you'll find 250 deep space wonders along with 250 double stars complete with pictures and easy to use reference charts.
Each set of pages includes a table of interesting objects to see on the left side and a chart on the right. The table lists the objects of interest, along with pertinent data. There's your mix of deep space objects, open clusters, binary stars, and standard stars. Refractors are very nice for just looking at your standard stars you know. You got your big ones, your blue ones, your red ones.... There are two additional pieces of data that this volume provides lacking in so many other references. The first is the estimated distance in light years. I love this! The other is a guide to help you determine the difficulty in seeing the object shown by a die (as in dice). A six is super easy, a one will be more challenging.
Near the back of the book are black and white photos of all 250 deep space objects in the guide. This is really nice for your daytime aspects of your observing program or to tease out what you think you see as you compare it to the photograph.
At the back of the book is a full sky chart showing all of the constellations and a key to help you zoom in on the individual charts in the book.
I am sure that all objects in the book are observable in an 80mm scope and that is why I so heartily recommend this book. This is also a volume that I can highly recommend for budding astronomers. I see little mention of it in observing circles but it is a true little jewel. Get it!
Michelle
If only it was made of durable paper! 2006-12-08
Alas, nothing is perfect. This pocket star atlas is nothing short then genius - it would have been perfect but for the cheap production.
The idea is simple yet powerful. All other star atlas are either short on details - thus preventing convenient star-hopping to non-trivial targets, or cumbersome, as good detail of the entire sky is a lot to print.
Taking Uranometria or The Millennium Star Atlas to the field is no light task. Using these hefty books at the field is even less convenient.
Here we have a marvelous solution: most of the sky do not deserve rich detail for lack of interesting objects. Here we have but 10% of the entire sky in high detail, and the rest in low detail. Thus we have 250 objects, enough to satisfy my 10 incher, in a pocket - sized book.
Then there's the fine data regarding each and every object. Why other atlas do not include surface brightness for nebulae? This one does! Tons of knowledge, ready to be used - this is magic!
I warmly recommend this little marvel. I wish better production will be available - I, for one, will certainly buy it.
Indispensable and still the best 2006-08-23
There are two small atlases I consider to be absolutely indispensable. The Observer's Sky Atlas is one of them. The unique feature of The Observer's Sky Atlas is the insets on each chart that provides additional detail in the vicinity of many of the most commonly sought after objects. In this way, Karkoschka has been able to plot stars down to magnitude 9 for those areas of the sky you are most likely to be targeting. This feature has allowed me to more easily zero in on an object where my other favorite field atlas, (see below), sometimes provided too few stars to pinpoint exactly where I was as I tried to narrow in on a tiny section of dark sky.
When opening the book, each chart is printed on a right hand page. Each chart covers a nice area of the sky and includes stick figures of the constellations to help get your bearings. Then, as mentioned above, key areas within the chart are further detailed with the insets. The charts are not in color, so some may not see them as pretty as in other books, but there is a nice elegance to them nonetheless. The charts are easy to find using the all sky view key to charts at the back of the book, (which oddly is in color).
Data for the objects on each chart are printed on the facing left hand page. This is a very nice feature that I particularly like. Information includes such things as a star's apparent and absolute magnitude, it's B-V index, its distance and its coordinates. For binary stars there is information on their separation and their variability. For nebula and galaxies there is additional information on size, shape, and distance. There are even short descriptions of how objects appear through a telescope or binoculars. Karkoschka has done a great job of providing a lot of information in a very condensed but easy to read format.
One drawback to this atlas is the construction. The atlas is not spiral bound, so it does not lay flat, and the pages, although sturdy enough, are not in any way water resistant.
Overall though, this is an outstanding atlas for taking into the field, and I would certainly recommend it. As I said, I consider it to be indispensable.
Another outstanding atlas is Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas by Roger Sinnott. It is a nice compliment to The Observer's Sky Atlas. I like the Pocket Sky Atlas for its big broad views of the sky and it's stunning charts (see my review of that book). I like the Observer's Sky Atlas for its additional detail both in the chart insets and in the descriptions of objects. Both are ideal as field atlases, and I keep them both very close at hand when I've observing.
I hope you're not in a position where you can only buy one. Choosing between the two would be difficult. As I said, I keep both with me when I'm observing. But if you do have to choose, I would suggest the following. If you want the nicest looking atlas, go with the Pocket Sky Atlas. If you want a bit more detail and you don't mind giving up the glossy color pages and spiral binding, go with the Observers's Sky Atlas. But honestly, you really can't go wrong with either one.
A little giant atlas 2005-09-02
I have this atlas since 1999, it was the first, and by far the most used. The 50 charts include 250 non-stellar objects(nebulae), including all Messier,also 250 binary and 80 visual variables stars. All the charts include inset finder charts up
to 9 star magnitudes to find all non-stellar the objects. Althought the object count doesn't seem much impressive, the layout is a miracle of compactness. It's quite amazing how much really usefull information the author did put on such a small
format, and yet on perfectly readable manner. That includes position, size, shape, classification, magnitude, surface
brightness, visibility, distance and even a sucint description. On binary stars have also the color (temperature)
difference, separations , position angles and on some cases even the orbits.
This atlas is a perfect companion for instruments that go from a pair of eyes to telescopes and binoculars up to 150mm (6"),
but beware that is a very practical "field" observer's book, there are no pretty pictures or extensive descriptions, just a
guide to get you to do your own pretty pictures and your own descriptions, requiring some practice and a basic knowledge of
the constellations and some bright stars.
Due it's incredible compactness I'll give it 5 (neutron) stars.
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