Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Wed, 09/24/2014 - 19:26

The chart that is provided for Del Cep as part of the "10 Star Tutorial" show two start at the bottom of the square one is 3.4 and the other is 2.5.

The problem is when I create a binocuar chart using VSP I don't see those two starts? Are you just not in the field of view?

 

 

TIA,

David

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
del Cep charts VSP vs 10-Star Tutorial

Hi David,

Yes, it's a matter of scale (field of view). To correlate the stars on the 10-star tutorial chart with a VSP-generated chart for delta Cep, in VSP, plot your chart choosing A scale, North up, East left, and binocular chart. The resulting chart will have the 42 and 53 marked, and while the 34 and 25 will not be marked, you will be able to find them once you see the 42 and 53 relative to delta.

Hang in there - this is pretty much the hardest part (matching fields of view)!

Good observing,

Elizabeth

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Orientation Experiment

Hi David,

This "East is to the Left"  can confuse newcomers.

Do this experiment (if only as a thought experiment), always keeping your head towards the north:

Lie face down on the ground and then east is towards your right.

Lie on your back, then east is towards your left. When you are on your back, you are looking up to the sky in the same way you are looking at a star chart.

If the thought experiment does not work, try doing it for real. If somebody sees you, don't worry, all astronomers are a bit odd.

John

 

 

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
John, 
Thanks for your

John, 

Thanks for your comments,  they helped....sort of? 

Are the charts designed to be held overhead?

I guess the other questions are if I'm siting in a chair facing north and looking 

Up at Cep. Where is north and east on the chart?Im referring to naked eye or binocular viewing.

Thanks again

David

Affiliation
Svensk Amator Astronomisk Forening, variabelsektionen (Sweden) (SAAF)
I don't hold the naked-eye

I don't hold the naked-eye charts overhead, instead alternating between looking up at the sky and at the chart on a table or in my hands.

As for orientation of charts and matching charts to sky, another way to go about this is to not bother too much with the cardinal directions, but instead think in terms of patterns of stars. Find patterns of stars in your binocular field of view or with your naked eye that match the ones you see on the chart, and then you're on your way. If patterns are not there to be found, try rotating the map. It's not easy at first, at least it wasn't for me when I was a beginner, but after some practice you'll get there.

Chart scale is important: print out charts that are appropriate for the field of view in your binocular or telescope. For naked eye observation or orientation, I use the 15 deg charts, for binocular observing the 5 deg, and for my telescopes 3 and 1 deg. (Print out inverted charts if you use SCT's or refractors with diagonals.)

I also sometimes find it helpful to have a non-variable star chart or atlas to provide a wider sky context to the 15 or 5 degree AAVSO charts, to help me match chart to sky. In star-poor regions of the sky - Camelopardalus, for instance - such an atlas can be helpful when there are no obvious constellation patterns or bright stars in the 15 deg AAVSO chart. Two atlases that I have been using for this purpose are the Mag 7 Star Atlas (free pdf's for download) and the Pocket Sky Atlas.

/Gustav Holmberg, HGUA

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
OK,  
Once again that's for

OK,  

Once again that's for all the advice. 

 

I hoping I'm making this more difficult than it really is?! 

Is Del Cep one of the stars that make up the constellation? I was looking at some star charts and it looks like Del is one of the 2 or 3 stars that make up the foundation of the house ?

Thanks for your help. 

David