My neighbor says star charts are a waste of time, just use a phone app. I think he's wrong.

3 comments

3 Comments

Astro-47 star chart is my go to and I've been using the same one for 3 years now. Phones die or lose signal way too easy when you're out in the middle of nowhere. I've been in spots where my phone had zero bars and the battery was at 10%, but my paper chart still worked fine. Plus there's something about actually drawing the constellations with a red light that helps you learn them way better than a screen ever could.

the_julia1mo ago

Paper charts don't need a charger or signal, so maybe they're the real high-tech tool... Right up until you drop it in a puddle of dew. But hey, at least a soggy star chart still beats a dead phone screen.

victorcoleman1mo ago

Yeah I feel that. I use a laminated Celestron Sky Maps chart that I picked up for like eight bucks. I've dropped it in wet grass more times than I can count and it just wipes off. I keep a red headlamp around my neck and a pencil in my pocket. Tracing the stars with my finger on that chart really locked in the patterns for me. Nothing beats the feel of paper under a dark sky.