The Observer's Sky Atlas: With 50 Star Charts Covering the Entire Sky

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

The Observer's Sky Atlas is a streamlined reference for use with binoculars and small and medium telescopes. It employs 50 charts, displaying all stars down to 6th magnitude. It contains the usual narrative on how to use the charts, complete with graphics and diagrams like a B-V Color Index, and Apparent Magnitude and Distance Scales. There is also a good introductory lexicon, for terms such as precession and sidereal time.

Each of the 50 charts is outlined and numbered on a complete sky map showing all the constellations. Go to the page with its corresponding chart number (easy to do) and you're presented with all the accouterments for visual reference of the area.

The chart will be on the right. All the celestial objects of interest are listed on the left-facing page by object-type, and in order of right ascension. The chart page on the right shows several views of the featured area - an overall perspective of the constellation, and some "finder-charts" of various magnifications, i.e.: - a binocular view; a finder-scope view, etc. The extensive index on the left page lists objects by number (NGC, IC, Messier) or by common name. In the fourth column is a small coded square, which shows where the object can be found on the main chart, and/or any of the accompanying finder-charts. A clever and helpful idea.

As with any book of this genre, there are some minor errors and typos, but none of any consequence. This little atlas is amazingly comprehensive, and very easy to use. If you need a good deep sky reference that's loaded with essential objects in a convenient format, then you can't go wrong with this one.

NOTE: - A beginning novice may find initial exposure to an atlas of any level to be somewhat overbearing. However, with time and a little practice (as with any tool) it will indeed assume its rightful place within the realm of familiarity and usefulness. Thus, this book is perfectly suited for beginning amateurs, advanced observers, and casual stargazers, all of which are grown and graduated from the rank of "novice".

Highly recommended.


Absolutely Indispensable!   January 22, 2003
Ivan W. Ong (Charlotte, North Carolina United States)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

Ok, you've probably read all the other enthusiastic comments from the other reviewers. I have nothing more to add to that...except: I prefer the first edition compared to the second edition. It is printed in Germany on high gloss heavy weight paper that is more resilient to dew and condensation...which might not sound like a big deal to you but believe me if you use it as often as I do you'll know what I mean. The 2nd Ed is printed on more absorbent acid free paper (in the US). The good thing is that the star maps in the back pages are marked in blue/green, which is better than the red constellation markings in the first Ed as the blue/green lines do not disappear under a red flashlight. Otherwise, both editions are equally good and are not overly different.

June 2005 Update: Yes, still using it everytime I go out and still loving it! My scopes range from 3" to 9.25", this book is great for all of them.

Jan 2007 Update: Having shifted heavily to astrophotography, I find Sky & Telescope's little Star Atlas to be a more effective field reference. Karkoschka's book is mainly for the visual astronomer as it leaves out some of the more desirable DSO's for photography.


This little Star Atlas is Top Notch!   August 20, 2003
Dave Viens (Lakewood, WA United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I like this Atlas because it is handy and complete, in a small package. Whether I am using my 10" Dob reflector telescope, or my 7x50 binoculars, this Atlas is with me.

One problem I had when I started in the hobby of astronomy was finding star charts showing dim stars to "steer" or star-hop my telescope by. The charts showing very dim stars are expensive and too detailed. Less-expensive and more popular star atlases were not detailed enough to find my way among the stars.

This Atlas solves the problem by offering, right on the chart page, a handy, detailed inset showing the dimmer stars in the immediate area of many objects sought out by star-gazers.

Give this Star Atlas a try; it is simple to use, handy in size, and accurate. It will enhance your star-gazing experience. Thank you, E. Karkoschka!


Indispensable and still the best   August 23, 2006
R. Markham (CA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

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.