Best united states atlases & maps according to redditors

Here's one from 2012, although due to recent events I'd really hold off the purchase.

Bad seeing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_seeing

Take a look at this site:

http://cleardarksky.com/csk/

Find a location nearest your place. Look at the third row in the diagram, the one called "Seeing". It's a seeing forecast. Try and look again at Antares when the little squares in that row are dark blue. Then it should look much better.

Also, pick another big star at the same elevation (distance to horizon) and compare it with Antares. It should be the same. Now look at a big star closer to horizon. It should look worse. That's just seeing.

---

BTW, Antares is actually a double star. Its companion is very small and pretty close to the primary, but it could be seen in at least 6" of aperture in good seeing. It looks "faded green-ish" to most people, although that's probably just due to contrast with the red primary (there are no green stars). Try and locate the companion - if seeing is good enough you should be able to see it. Perhaps, part of what you're seeing is the ghost of the companion bouncing around the image of the primary in bad seeing (but most of it should be just the primary distorted by seeing).

If you can't see the companion in a 15" scope, seeing must be pretty bad, or there's some problem with the optics.

Make sure the telescope is well collimated. If collimation is a problem, the image distortion would be static, it would not bounce around, but it's always worth checking it, to make sure the scope is in top shape.

http://www.cloudynights.com/documents/primer.pdf

http://www.stark-labs.com/craig/llcc/llcc.html

http://legault.perso.sfr.fr/collim.html

A 15" reflector would certainly benefit from active cooling:

http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/55

http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/69

---

To remove any doubt as to the location of Antares, perhaps you should get some paper-based charts. The electronic stuff is useful for quick and rough identification, but paper can actually be more precise. A simple planisphere would give you an instant confirmation for big objects like Antares:

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Stars-Ken-Graun/dp/1928771017/

A more detailed atlas can be useful for smaller things:

http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317/

I would say that the best thing that you can probably do is to join a local astronomy club. They're more than likely going to have "star parties" where they all bring different telescopes and look at different things in the night sky. It should give you a good taste of what you can see, the pros and cons of different telescopes, and real world experience. You're also going to have a ton of experienced observers who you can ask questions and talk with.

Besides that, I would probably pick up a book called Turn Left at Orion and a star atlas (my personal favorite is Sky and telescope Pocket Sky Atlas). Turn Left at Orion is essentially a beginners guide to amateur astronomy. It tells you what the best things to observe are during different times of the year, descriptions of them, how to find them, and other things. A star atlas is essentially a map of the night sky. I would also look into Stellarium. It's a free program that shows you what your night sky looks like based on your date, time, and where you live. It's pretty much an interactive star atlas. Also, if you have any book money left over, you might consider getting RASC's 2017 Observer's Hand. It tells you, in detail, what important things are going to be going on above our heads in 2017. It also has some nice articles for beginning astronomers, a bunch of nice maps, and a lot of helpful charts. I wouldn't call it a necessity, but it's really nice to have.

I would also recommend joining an online astronomy forum. Cloudy Nights is my favorite. The folks there are all passionate about astronomy, very nice, and very knowledgeable.

Lastly, and this is the most important piece of advice I can give, is to just get out there and start observing. You don't need a telescope or even binoculars. Go out and try to find constellations or try to find where the planets currently are or see if you can see some of the brighter Deep Sky Objects (those are essentially anything that isn't a planet or the moon). The Pleiades and the Orion Nebula are great first things to look for, for instance. Just enjoy being out there under the stars. It's a great feeling.

Clear Skies!

If you need some help, there's a planetarium program called Stellarium that shows you most objects in the night sky. You can put information like your telescope and eyepiece to simulate your field of view and magnification.

You can also buy a sky atlas, such as the Sky and Telescope's Pocket Atlas. I've used the Pocket Atlas to find the crab nebula and some small galaxies with my 10 inch dobsonian, so it really helps.

The gold standard for these is Arrow Street Maps. Here's a link to the RI state book, which will have special pages just for PVD:

https://www.amazon.com/Rhode-Island-Street-Atlas-Official/dp/1557514054

You could either pull those pages out and carry them in page protectors, or photocopy them.

And yes, The Map Store up on Main Street should carry this book. This appears to be the current version of it: http://mapcenter.com/store/rhode-island-street-atlas-w-se-mass-se-conn/dp/5771

A $50 first telescope is a great thing. You've got a minimal investment in it so you don't have to worry about messing things up.

You get to learn a bunch of things (e.g., how to balance the scope, how an equatorial mount works, how to collimate a Newtonian telescope, etc.) This guy has lots of great helpful video. Some are more advanced but he covers balancing a scope and cleaning mirrors. He even covers making a finder scope. Here's an excellent tutorial for beginners and those new to equatorial mounts.

The scope is 900mm focal length and 114mm in diameter. This means, if it were a camera lens, it would be about f/7.9 (900/114=7.895). This is a pretty standard f-ratio for a Newtonian.

The bottom most adjustment should have degrees listed for latitude. You say you're in central AL, so you'll set it to something close to 33 degrees (Birmingham, AL). You can then roughly polar align the mount and then you'll be moving in right ascension and declination somewhat accurately.

Now that you're polar aligned, you will be able to find objects listed in various star charts. I highly recommend Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas. It's about $15 and everybody (beginner through advanced) I met at a recent star party had one in their kit.

Most important, have fun and enjoy. As I mentioned initially, you've only got $50 invested so don't be afraid to experiment a bit. Soon enough you'll be prepared to drop $500 on a new scope/mount!

I think Sky and Telescope's pocket atlas is a good resource.

Theres a nice poster-length, high quality map of the trail from i think natgeo. Amazon might have it for sale.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Pacific-inches-Reference/dp/1597755826. They also have at and cdt maps linked from the same page.

Hmm, I've slowly learned from many sources, mostly books. And more about Washington/Seattle, since I live there—although Oregon has a rich tradition of being interested in its history. For online stuff there's

• HistoryLink; Washington-centric; has hundreds of articles on many topics.
  
  
• Oregon Historical Society; (OHS) Oregon-centric.
  
  OHS publishes the Oregon Historical Quaterly. I think at least some of that is online. They also publish a mighty place name tome, with more detail than you probably ever want to know about Oregon place names: Oregon Geographic Names. But it isn't online and is expensive to buy new. I found a used copy for cheap though.
  
  
• BC Geographic Names is BC's place name database. Some pages have tons of info about a particular place name. Some pages have very little. Kinda hit and miss.
  
  
• The Volcanoes of Lewis and Clark is a surprising detailed USGS website about more than just volcanoes.
  
  
• Columbia River History.
  
  
• Center for Columbia River History.
  
  For books, some of which are previewable on Google Books:
  
  
• Historical Atlas of the Pacific Northwest, by Derek Hayes, is very good and covers the whole PNW, from Alaska to California to Montana and more.
  
  
• The Atlas of Oregon is very good, although it is only has a couple of history sections. Also it is expensive (again, can be found used for not too much). Obviously Oregon-centric.
  
  
• Murray Morgan's Skid Row and Puget's Sound are about Seattle and Tacoma respectively (or more generally north and south Puget Sound area).
  
  
• Native Seattle, by Coll Thrush, is an excellent Seattle-centric book about the long history of Indians and Seattle (and beyond, ie, the famous totem pole in Pioneer Square is from Alaska).
  
  
• Range of Glaciers, by Fred Beckey, is a hugely detailed history focused on the exploration and survey of the North Cascades. Everything you could possibly want to know about the US-Canada border survey through the mountains—exciting, right? But also lots of stuff about early fur traders, gold prospectors, railroads, etc.
  
  
• The Great Columbia Plain, by D.W. Meinig, focused on eastern Washington and northeast Oregon.
  
  There are many books about the very early history of Spanish exploration, British fur trading, and so on. Many are poorly written or very scholarly. A few I've liked:
  
  
• At the Far Reaches of Empire, by Freeman Tovell. Focused on the life of Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, who was the Spanish commander on Vancouver Island in the late 1700s, when war with Britain almost broke out over events there, and when George Vancouver came by, etc. This book gives a good picture of the peak of Spain's reach into the PNW. Spanish PNW history kinda got the shaft by British and American historians. We remember Captain Cook and Vancouver but not people like Bodega y Quadra and Malaspina. Yet Bodega y Quadra's accomplishments exceed Vancouver's, I think, and he was all around a better person; and Malaspina's was similar to Cook in many ways.
  
  
• The Nootka Connection, by Derek Pethick, is a somewhat drier, and more British/Canadian-centric account of the late 18th century ship-based stuff, detailing the Russian, Spanish, British, American, French, etc, ships that explored the PNW coast. He wrote another book, First Approaches to the Northwest Coast, that covers a slightly earlier period.
  
  
• Trading Beyond the Mountains, by Richard Mackie, focuses on the land-based fur trade that dominated the PNW from the 1790s to the mid-1800s. Mackie focuses on the British fur traders, who basically controlled the PNW until about 1840.
  
  Finally, there are hundreds of good references on some Wikipedia pages, like Columbia River and Maritime Fur Trade.

Great choice! You won't be disappointed. Have a look at this site to get a primer on how to use your scope: http://eyesonthesky.com/Blog/tabid/80/EntryId/179/The-Ultimate-Beginners-Guide-to-Telescopes-and-Amateur-Astronomy.aspx

You'll most likely want to get yourself a star chart too, I recommend the Pocket Sky Atlas: http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317

And finally, here's a couple articles I wrote about getting the most out of your telescope, both for high-power (planetary) and deep-space observing (there are different techniques for each):

• A Treatise on Optimizing Planetary Views
  
• A Treatise on Optimizing DSO Observation

I thought they said that there was no way of knowing when the page had been torn out because it also covered the area she would be driving most. I'm pretty sure had one of those map books and it is often easier to just rip out a page (or after awhile it comes out) that you use a lot rather than trying to juggle the whole book. This is a link to that on Amazon. LOL if you read the review it says I have a much used one in the car. http://www.amazon.com/Baltimore-City-County-Maryland-Street/dp/087530043X

Right here.

They offer a laminated one, which I purchased initially, but had to send back because there was always a huge glare across it no matter where you viewed it from.

• Turn Left at Orion book
  
  
• You can print out free skymaps at Skymaps.com. They create a new one every month, have different versions for different viewing latitudes, and show where the planets are as well.
  
  
• A $12 Planisphere
  
  
• Nightwatch book
  
  
• Pocket Sky Atlas
  
  

It is not illegal in most states as long as you are not out on the freeway. Stay at the BOTTOM of the entrance ramp and out of the roadway and you're legal. Stay on the shouler of the entrance ramp and most cops will leave you alone. Don't go out on to the highway unless you're in Oregon, Iowa, or Wyoming. In Wyoming, don't fly a sign, stick out your thumb, or stop walking and you're legal. Staying all the way at the bottom of the ramp is much more likely to be enforeced on a toll road.

In Utah, it's just plain illegal, possibly unconstitutionally so. In Nevada, Idaho, Delaware, New Jersey, and possibly Hawaii, you can't be on the Highway (including the shoulder). I don't remember what the deal is with standing on the sidewalk or private property in view of the highway is.

Whoever told you hitchhiking in New York is illegal doesn't know what they're talking about. Exception is on the toll roads, that thing I wrote about toll roads above? You need to stay entirely off the toll road authority's property in New York.

As far as route goes, New York to Chicago sounds like a TERRIBLE first hitch in the states. To successfully complete this route, I would consider having a good book map of the USA that clearly marks toll roads to be essential. I personally like the ones from Rand McNally. You don't necissarily need the super thick one with the spiral binding, though if you want to dedicate the pack space to it, it's not a bad decision. When I was doing this full time, I used an older edition of this one, which can be found at most truck stops.

With that said, if I had to do it, this is what I'd do:

Take Metro North Railroad from New York City to Port Jarvis. It doesn't cost that much, and it gets you out of the city. Don't even bother trying to hitch out of NYC -- there's nowhere safe to do it because there's no room for a shoulder.

Take I-84 west to I-80 south to I-80 east.
If your ride west on I-84 is eventually going to I-80 east, they're probably taking a different route, and that's great. Your twisting and turning is surving two purposes here.

1. Avoiding even the remote possibility of getting accidentally dropped on I-476 (a toll road)
   
2. Avoiding Scranton. The culture of that town is not the worst in the country towards hitchhikers, but it's bad enough that I avoid it if I can.
   
   Do be aware that getting a ride along I-380 can be a little bit rough because there's a prison in the area that some otherwise reasonable people will be scared you've escaped from. You're also dispoportionately likely to get picked up by people who are or associate with sketchballs, because they're returning from visiting said sketchball in prison. Once you get to I-80, this stops being true. Normally I don't recommend taking short rides, but in this case, the further down I-380 you can get, the less this affects you, so I'd say take whatever rides you can get. Do whatever you can to not look like an escaped prisoner. This is not the time to break out that styling orange onsie you're packing.
   
   This is where the route gets really stupid. Hopefully by now you've caught a ride all the way to Chicago, because if you haven't you're taking a stupid route to avoid the Ohio Turnpike (see my discussion of toll roads above). This means that none of the cars are going where you are, so the chances of catching that great ride that's going exactly where you are are slim to none for awhile.
   
   With that disclaimer aside, there are several places to cut south to I-70. Consult your map to see them all, but the thing to be aware of is that your LAST real opportunity before getting dumped onto the turnpike is I-71.
   
   Take I-70 west to Indianapolis. From here, the route I take would likely depend on the ride I had. If I could get to the far side of Indianapolis in my current ride out on to either I-65 or I-74, I'd take it. If you don't, you're going to have a hard time getting through Indanapolis. I would probably just take the city bus from wherever I was to somewhere along one of those two highways.
   
   From I-65, by the time you're past Lafayette, most of the rides will be going all the way to Chicago. I'd find a truck stop and hitch from the entrance there, and turn down any rides that aren't taking you all the way to Chicago -- if you take a series of short rides, you run the risk of winding up on the tollway.
   
   From I-74, I would head to Champaign-Urbana and get on I-57 north. This route has the downside of being slightly longer, but the upside of being culturally better. If my ride was turning up I-57, but not going more than an exit or two, I would have them drop me off at exit 238 in order to catch the folks headed out from Champaign. If they're going at least as far as exit 250 on I-57, I'd have them drop me there, because that's wher you're going to get the traffic from Urbana, which is culturally better. If your ride isn't going up I-57, I would get off of I-74 at exit 184 and hitch north on US-45 until you get to US-136 AKA Champaign Ave in Rantoul. I'd ask my ride to take me to I-57 from there, but if they won't, I wouldn'tbother hitching through Rantoul, I would just walk the mile to the highway entrance. That entrance is exit 250 on I-87, which I mentioned above. Again, I wouldn't take a series of short rides, I'd wait for someone headed all the way to Chicago for fear of somehow winding up along the side of a toll road.
   
   Alternatively, pick basically any other two cities for your first hitch. That's a particularly bad route.

Astrophotography is a hobby in its own right.
For the budget you have listed, you would most likely end up buying a mount that is not up to the task.

I would suggest a nice pair of 10x50 binoculars and this book first.

If you are committed to getting a scope, then this is my suggestion assuming the $1000 budget is all inclusive meaning scope, accessories, and books.

1. Get a dobsonian. 8inches F4.5-5 10" or 12" would be nice but would blow your budget for the necessary accessories. Something like this would be a great place to start. Also nice would be the 10" Meade Lightbridge.
   
   2)The skywatcher comes with 2 eyepieces (25mm and 10mm IRC) THe light bridge comes with one. In either case I would invest in a NICE barlow like this one Barlows are an inexpensive way to improve your options. A 24 mm EP in a 2x barlow becomes a 12mm a 10mm becomes a 5mm. Its not as great as discrete eps in those sizes, but it is an economical way to get more versatility out of your existing eyepieces. I also can't talk enough about the Televue Panoptic EPs. They are affordable and incredibly nice. Eyepieces are something that will last through many scopes. I have 10 or so but only ever use about 3 of them.
   Get a Telrad or a Rigel finder. The Skywatcher has a finderscope, the meade has a red dot finder. Personally I hate red dot finders. I think they are complete junk. Telrad is the defacto standard for zero magnification finders, I prefer the rigel for its smaller size and built in pulse circuit. They are both about the same price. You will need to collimate your scope, a cheshire works great, or a laser collimator will do as well. Many folks use a combination of both. I have gone both ways, cheshire is fine, laser is fine, a combination of both is also fine. Accessories can go on forever, the only other must have that I can think of is a redlight flashlight. This is a good one or you can add red film to an existing flashlight you have or you can do what myself and many others have done and get an LED headlamp and replace the white LEDs with red ones.
   
   
2. books
   
   

• Nightwatch
  
• Turn Left at Orion
  
• The Backyard Astronomers Guide
  
• The Pocket Sky Atlas
  
• The Collins Guide to stars and planets as a pocket field guide I prefer this to the petersen field guide.
  
• The Ultimate Messier Object Log Its free! Has Telrad charts for all the Messier objects and you can download a PDF and print it out. A few years ago I printed a portion of the PDF out, laminated it and took it to kinkos and had it spiral bound. FANTASTIC resource and is my goto for finding messier objects.
  
  I would start with the backyard astronomers guide. Buy that first before you buy anything. It has some very good sections on scopes and observing that can help you answer some questions.
  
  

4. find a local club. Join it. ask questions and goto meetings. Check out Cloudynights.com. Remember that this is something you are doing for FUN.
   
   Lastly I always say go with a dobsonian scope. They are easy to setup and use and they force you to learn the sky. Once you are comfortable operating a scope and moving around the night sky, then I would think about investing in an equatorial mount and scope for astrophotography use.
   
   Good luck and Clear Skies!

By far my favorite area of the sky to explore with binoculars is Sagittarius, as another commenter said below.

Buy yourself a good sky atlas (the de facto standard for my club is http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317) and get to know how the charts map to the sky. That book is good because it holds up to the elements, is spiral-bound, and if you hold it at arm's length, the distance scale should be about the same as what you see in the sky.

Cruise around the sky and find some of the easier objects and that will give you a good feel for star-hopping and what you can expect to see from your equipment.

Clear skies!

a map is probably the most boring thing I've got, until this morning the answer would have been a single No 2 pencil.

To follow up on my earlier comment: in the atlas I referenced, a 5-degree FOV is nearly identical to the diameter of a quarter - so if you go this route, use a quarter to form your circle of wire.

Also -- from my suburban neighborhood (orange according to your map, but probably more likely yellow at the small scale), last year I was able to barely see the Leo Triplet with my 8" Dob so it is possible under your conditions. Just don't expect more than a fuzzy blip for the non-Messier member.

I'd go for any map from National Geographic. I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0792283090/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466813745&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=national+geographic+world+map&dpPl=1&dpID=61p5k71NQ-L&ref=plSrch

Highly recommended. Has enough information that you can see something new every time you look at it.

Reviews say the magnets fall off easily. Paper maps with pushpins work much better: https://www.amazon.com/Decorator-Laminated-National-Geographic-Reference/dp/0792283090/ref=pd_sbs_201_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BPQ30V68HS9ZA2EKCQ2P

Getting your first scope is so exciting! I'm very much an amateur and casual observer myself, but my dad and I have been into astronomy for about four years now.

First, I recommend looking into some space/astro societies in your area, there's Tacoma Astronomical Society and Rose City Astronomers in my area for example! Each club has different resources, but they can be super helpful. You can meet locals and see if they have resources you can rent- like telescopes, or books and whatnot. It's saved me a dime or two. Sometimes they have online forums too. I also highly recommend going to star parties, it's where I've learned the most! You can see other people's set ups, ask loads of questions, and get a better sense for what you might want. We did this for about 6 months before getting our first scope, and before that we nabbed a pair of nice binoculars .

Now, you have to consider, when you get a scope you aren't just getting a scope. You're probably getting filters, eye pieces, protective gear, batteries, red lights, etc. etc. and then probably a tool box to carry all of this- which you might want to customize with foam or something to keep everything safe and tidy. It's an Investment. Now, looking at jupiter and saturn won't require much, but eventually you might want to look at the moon (needs filters), or special eyepieces that let have more magnification, or there's even filters that let you see some colors, etc!

I, personally, would highly recommend getting a manual (specifically, Dobsonian *) scope for your first one- not computerized. Learning the sky and it's constellations is part of astronomy, and having to find stuff yourself is really helpful- and rewarding! Plus, computerized scopes require pretty hardy batteries, especially if you want to take it out to darker skies which usually means more rural aka no plugs. They also require certain stars to be be visible to be able to calibrate. Manual scopes require no plugs, no consistent power source, and no learning computer programs-NexStar can be a pain imo, some reading required (plus Jupiter and Saturn are pretty easy to spot with the naked eye anyways). Plus it's fun being able to point out stuff to friends just by knowing where a few stars are. We only got a computerized equatorial mount (meaning it tracks objects) when we wanted to try out long exposure astro- photography. This 8in dob was our first scope, and I still love it- it's the go-to (Craigslist, amazon used, and other shops are worth a gander too).

*I'm 99% sure dobsonian and newtonian telescopes are the same, except for the mounts they're on (newtonian is tripod, dobsonian is a base that can move up down and in a circle)

Also, I consider Sinnott's Sky Atlas a must!

Lmk if you have any questions!

(Edit: sorry if this is repetitive- reddit says there are four comments, but isn't letting see me them atm.)

This is an awesome thing to look at if you're baked. Excuse me for assuming you smoke bud; hookahs smokers usually get down with that.

Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas is great if you're just looking to identify constellations. Turn Left at Orion is geared towards people with/wanting telescopes but is great for showing you how to navigate your way around the night sky.

Pacific-centered World Map

the TIMES do a pretty fantastic atlas: http://www.amazon.com/Times-Atlas-World-Tenth-Comprehensive/dp/081293265X

You can find them cheap on ebay and most bookshops will have a copy as it's an international release.

The history section isn't really in there but there is a cool solar system map and some cool 3D infographic / geology visuals.

For a starter book to get the basics of stargazing, I would recommend Nightwatch: A Practical Guide To Viewing the Universe or Turn Left At Orion. They don't have real detailed sky maps, but they give good representations of some of the major constellations and names.


For star maps, I use Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas or Orion's DeepView Star Map. These ones are good for more detailed star maps and require a few basics to figure out. Or you can just match the stars up to known stars and just stumble your way around (which is not a bad learning method either).

go for it! I used this map; it's 24"x36" but they have larger sizes too. And if you're only interested in Europe, they have a Europe specific map. I would watch a few videos about modge podge if you haven't done it before because it can get messy, especially when dealing with larger prints. Also, make sure your cork board isn't too thick for the frame; I think I used 1/4" thick cork board. This was the original inspiration for my map

Hi there, I have this map on my wall and I love it. It has South Sudan and pretty sturdy paper (it's not plastic by any means, though.) It's quite large, about a meter lengthwise.

While winters in CA are pretty mild, they can be pretty wet for the SF Bay Area. I doubt you'll be where snow falls, so tire chains probably won't be a necessity unless you're planning on going towards Tahoe or into the High Sierras.

Most Americans only take a week or so of vacation time when they do get away from the grindstone, so 7-10 days is pretty much what we're used to.

A travel tip to help you orient yourself: Even numbered highways run East/west, Odd numbers are North/South, for example Interstate 5 goes through California, Oregon and Washington, while Interstate 80 crosses entire the country, pretty much coast-to-coast. (In Sacramento, there's the 80/80 split - Business Route 80 runs through Sacramento, I-80 cuts around it for a shorter trip).

If you want to save a few bucks, consider renting a car that's long enough for you to sleep in. Car Camping isn't an uncommon practice, and your car will probably be better insulated than a thin nylon-skinned tent.

Also consider buying a Thomas Brothers guide, as relying on your phone for maps/directions can be an issue in the more remote areas (and using a phone internationally can be very expensive).

I can indeed. I did the experiment myself a few months ago as a part of my course so I have the activity handbook. I'll go back and read it again tomorrow my time to refresh my memory and post some details at some point tomorrow. If you don't have one, try to get a star atlas. Stellarium is useful but I find using a book easier.

I use this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520534912&sr=8-2&keywords=pocket+star+atlas


Will post details of the experiment tomorrow. Am just going out for dinner.

Wow, I have no idea what that scope is, but it seems like a great deal for $50. Grats!

Definitely collimate it while at home. You'll have to recollimate at your destinations, but hopefully it will be minor, and you don't want to waste precious dark sky time learning how to do it or realizing there's a problem.

As far as gear goes, ergonomics are important! You'll need a good chair, preferably one with some height adjustment. Also, I personally like to use an eye patch for extended viewing sessions. Just pick up a cheap one at a dug store.

Print out a sky map for the month you will travel.
http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

Google sky is good, but you should also get a good sky atlas. It's a good investment. Sinnot's Pocket Sky Atlas is excellent:
http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317

Check the weather report and what the moon will be doing during your trip. And one thing about the desert is that high winds can ruin your viewing (vibrates your scope), so you might want to choose a sheltered camping/viewing spot.

As far as the actual viewing, planets are pretty easy targets in general, even in light polluted places, so I would take advantages of those dark skies to see some DSOs. Then again, it all depends on what the skies will be showing during your trip.

Good luck and have fun!

For some reason, Im drawn to these black trees for some sort of decoration, depending on how tall they are, they could be centerpieces maybe?

I like this wristband bracelet for bridesmaids to wear, if you have some, or even yourself, depending on your dress color.

I like the idea of black candelabras everywhere, I feel like they are very romantic/dark, if done right. Something like this minus the fake spiders, and these Bleeding candle sticks are very cool.

If you're serving punch, an intricate black punch bowl would look great. Maybe a bowl on every other table, since they're little?

Satin flower girl basket, but I think there is a whole set for this, with a guest book and ring pillow. The gems are white, but it looks like you could easily pop them out, and place them with purple.

Instead of having guests sign a guest book, you could frame this Map of Europe and take the glass out and have people sign it. It would look amazing with all the well wishes on it, but still have a neat background to it.

A set of these Apothocary jars, filled with candy or matches, placed at the bar, or around the cake table, just as little accents. And you could wrap them with a band of purple ribbon to help tie your colors together.

And lastly, I always love candles at a wedding I feel like they are the symbol of romance. Lots of candles, everywhere. They give off just the right amount of light.

Good luck, hope Ive helped just a little. <3

Thanks for the contest! I hope to see pics of how the wedding decorations look!!!

Others have already mentioned it but join an astronomy club and download Stellarium. Here's a couple book suggestions:
Turn Left at Orion will get you familiar with some of the more interesting objects to look at in the night's sky. This is definitely a good place to start. You also want to pick up a star atlas to help you navigate the sky and find some of the dimmer objects in the sky. A favorite is Sky and Telescope's Pocket Star Atlas. Another favorite for new astronomers is Nightwatch which will educate you a bit more about astronomical bodies and the night sky.

I cant find the exact, but I ordered it off of Amazon for like ~$11. This is similar and I think the same seller/maker.
http://www.amazon.com/Rand-Mcnally-World-Classic-Wall/dp/0528934767/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418401746&sr=1-12&keywords=world+map

Hi Everyone OP here. This project is something I wanted to do for years but I wanted it done right. I'm not super skilled in the DIY area so I wanted to make this process as simple as possible and I think I accomplished that! Feel free to post any questions about this and I will respond as quickly as possible. However, here are the very high level steps outline below.

How to Make a Framed Corkboard Map
1.Purchase corkboard, map, and map pins from Amazon or somewhere else
2.Unscrew corkboard frame
3.Tape map every 2 to 3 inches to the corkboard on all four sides
Note: Start at the top, and then move clockwise.
4.Place frame back on corkboard. Be careful not to snag the map
Note: This process may take a little finesse and time. For me it was easier to put the top and bottom on first the fit the sides.
5.Screw the corner brackets back in
6.Apply pins as you wish!

Edit: formatting
Edit2: links

I want this stellar poster so bad. I figure the odds of winning are astronomical.

If you want something more practical, this is an AC power supply for my telescope.

buy yourself one of these. go with camping gear, and avoid major highways at all costs. aim for national parks and/or scenic roads, and you'll have yourself a blast.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0792293193/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_5ecxxbJXDEAHY

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1597750603/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_bgcxxb58NFPDS

GoTo mounts (counterintuitively) aren't useful until you're somewhat familiar with the sky, but they are absolutely fantastic when trying to share your views with a group.

I'll second the book recommendations above (I own TLAO, and borrowed Night watch). In my opinion, Nightwatch did a better job explaining the hardware, though they're both great.

After going out a few nights, if you enjoy it, I emplore you (and everyone else here for that matter) to pick up Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas. When you outgrow the beginner books, and get fed up picking random objects from the GoTo, this thing is absolutely brilliant.

Oh.. I forgot. My all time favorite:

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Wall-Map-tubed/dp/0792280946

"The Earth's Moon" as published by National Geographic around 1967. I had one of these on my wall for almost my entire lifetime. I remember seeing it as a major prop on the old "Mary Tyler Moore Show," it was on the wall behind Lou Grant's desk. My map became so old and decrepit with age, it finally fell apart. And then somehow, almost like magic, I came across an untouched copy of the issue of NatGeo that it came in, complete with map. I'm going to hang it on my wall again someday.

National Geographic maps are totally awesome. I particularly like their modern Earth map with oceanographic features of the bottom of the sea. I have a copy of that in a drawer somewhere, haven't had it up since I moved to this apartment. My friends used to always call my office "The Map Room."

I have the same scope and I use the Telrad as well as the 8x50 included with the scope.

If you can't see any constellations with the naked eye, and you don't plan on doing to darker sites, then the Telrad won't be very useful to you. If the constellations are visible but you can't make out what ones they are, the best advice I can give you is to purchase a star chart like this and use it in conjunction with monthly star charts you can print off. those will help you identify the major constellations visible to you on that particular night and the Telrad can help you move from star to star until you find what you need.

And this would be right on its heels:
http://www.amazon.com/Rand-Mcnally-2015-Road-Atlas/dp/052801143X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416181742&sr=1-2&keywords=rand+mcnally+road+atlas+2015

I have regularly read both books annually for at least the last 55 years.