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The Planisphere
A planisphere is a visual aid to astronomers and stargazers.
It consists of two disks: One displays all of the visible
constellations in the night sky, and the other covers the first
and contains a window that indicates the portion of the sky currently
visible. The second disk is then rotated to match the current date and
time. Planispheres come in a variety of sizes and types. The important
thing to remember is that you must have a planisphere that matches
the longitude of your stargazing location.

On the right is an online planisphere. It consists of two images laid on
top of one another. The top image is the viewing disk of the planisphere. The
bottom image contains the sky map. This planisphere is
automatically rotated for you, displaying the current date and time
and visible constellations for observers at a longitude of
40° North. To use a planisphere, hold directly overhead with
the arrow facing north as indicated on the viewing disk.

March 1, 2018 4:53 PM

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