Author Description

This star chart was specifically designed for use around the EQUATOR but it is useful from latitudes 30 degrees NORTH to 30 degrees SOUTH. The instructions are in ENGLISH and SPANISH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT THIS STAR CHART CAN BE USED INCLUDE: Southern Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, Central America, northern and central South America including all of Brazil, central and southern Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, southern China, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea and northern Australia. Special Note: Although this star chart was designed specifically for use at or near the equator, with a little ingenuity, it can be used anywhere in the world because it charts the entire night skies of the northern and southern hemispheres. The Equatorial Guide to the Stars was made for both beginning stargazers and more seasoned amateur astronomers visiting or living around the ''waist'' of the Earth. Beginners can ignore some of the chart's details that might be useful to those more familiar with the night sky. These details are described a few paragraphs below. This star chart consists of a sleeve that contains a round star chart or ''star wheel.'' The star wheel cannot fall out of the sleeve. The round star wheel is rotated within the sleeve to match the date with the time. The stars that appear in the two ovals are the stars that will be in the night sky. There are two sides. One side has an oval for the stars that will appear in the northern sky and the other side has an oval for the stars that will appear in the southern sky. This star chart is made of sturdy, card-type paper that resists moisture. It is printed in color. The star chart indicates all 88 Constellations, the Names of 73 Stars, the Milky Way Band and the Ecliptic (which is the path of the Sun, Moon and Planets). Also noted are favorite star patterns including the Southern Cross and Great Square. Additionally, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the Coal Sack are shown. T