Edmund Scientific Star and Planet Locator

Headlines this date: 09262023 ; this version of the Star and Planet Locator is updated for years 2022 to 2025. The publisher is no longer Edmund Scientific, but is listed as Scientifics Direct.Astronomy began as a strong hobby and interest back in 1962, and I received an Edmundss Scientific 3" reflector telescope that year for Christmas. I'm not sure if the Star and Planet Locator came with the telescope that Christmas, but I had it from the very beginning. Almost identical to this one, though I'm pretty sure the stars were black and the background was white. It may have been a bit bigger. I'm pretty sure it came with the same or similar instruction booklet (it looks very familiar), which is an amazing little book for all the information it imparts. What really blows me away is that the chart back then had the same instructions and guide to punch two holes in the chart aand attach a string or thread between them to represent your median, which I dutifully did back then and will do again.I couldn't see stars all that well in Chicago, but some nights were not that bad. This chart got a lot of use, and I learned the stars and constellations that were visible, and I became very familiar with the sky. It is very accurate despite its simplicity. And while I know the starts pretty well at this point in m y life (can't see them as well), and have some star atlases like Norton's and the Will Tirion SkyAtlas 2000, a star wheel is still a handy device to have, quick to set the date/tilme and representing the whole sky at your location . Someone complained that this is overpriced. I don't really think so, as it is rich in its infoormation, features and layout which are second to none. I had just purhcased another star wheel when I found out that this one is still available, and I will be returning the former as it is clumsy and awkward to use. This one is just a gem and I can stroly recomend it. Also, the little user's guide may be small but it is packed with core information. Somebody really thought out the content quite well. This brought me lots of joy when I was 12-years-old, and I suspect it will do so for other kids of all ages as well.

Bought for my astronomy class and it came within the week.

A basic planisphere printed on weak stock. The rivet hasn't torn out yet but the corners of all the windows tear easily. A little tape and it's all good.

Bought one of these 50 years ago. Loved it then; love it now!!! For anyone interested in astronomy, this product is for you!

The star locator is a must for any amateur skywatcher. As far as being a planet locator, forget it. On the back is a chart which gives you the active month for the planet's appearance in the sky for out of date years. I bought the locator in 2010, but the planet chart was only good from 2003 to 2006. Not a big deal for me though since I use it only for the annual star locations. I highly recommend!

My just-turned 7-yr. old went to a presentation about the night sky and was fascinated. We are learning about moon rise and the moon cycle. Now we want to look for other things in the night sky when we are out by the campfire and are using this to help.

I teach a college level Introduction to Astronomy course and have my students purchase this for the course. It is very helpful in the planetarium sessions as well as outside observing. It is easy to read and understand. Excellent night sky reference!

easy to use. I had to get it for class and missed the day he taught us how to use it but it is so simple I figured it out on my own.