Follow the Stars with an Astronomy Map
The stars are unbearably many. You can tell that when you look up at the sky. Yet, astronomers actually refer to each star by a name. The name may be proper, like Alpha Centauri, or it can be codes like C4H1 or the like. You might wonder how scientists can accurately pinpoint an individual star to name it, when they are as numerous as the ants that live below the earth.
That’s because astronomers have an astronomy map. These are maps in which they plot the locations of known stars so they would know where Alpha Centauri is placed. They use this data to make observations focusing on one or two specific stars. An astronomy map is very accurate, and is printed in monthly versions since stars change locations every month due to the revolution of the Earth around the sun.[ad#250x250-sq]
Different Kinds of Astronomy Maps
There are many kinds of astronomy maps that astronomers use in their work. The commonly used maps are called sky maps. These maps plot the positions of specific celestial bodies in any given time, and in any given location. For example, if you live in New York, there are maps that show the positions of the stars in a specific month as they would appear to the eyes of someone who lives in New York.
Star finders are another kind of astronomy map. Instead of just stars, these maps show the positions of constellations among the many others in the sky.
Advantages of an Astronomy Map
The first—and the most obvious—advantage is that an astronomy map serves as reference so people can easily locate a star. It is used not just by astronomers, but by seamen as well so they can locate the North Star in the Big Dipper. The North Star is used as a reference, so seamen can tell the direction they’re going.
Another advantage is that they are fairly easy to obtain. Most can be taken from astronomy magazines. Most magazines publish the astronomy map monthly, so readers can make use of it. And with the boom of the Internet age, anyone can freely download and print an astronomy map free of charge from the many websites who offer it. Three-dimensional and even four-dimensional maps can also be viewed through the Internet. All it takes is the perseverance to search and find these maps through the search engines.
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Next time you’re looking up at the stars, don’t settle for just making guesses as to what star you’re staring at. Grab your astronomy map and start knowing your stars today.