A celestial map from the 17th century, by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit.

Star chart of the south polar projection for Chinese scientist Su Song's (1020–1101) celestial globe, from the horology treatise Xin Yi Xiang Fa Yao published in the year 1092 during the Song Dynasty of China.

A star chart is a map of the night sky. Astronomers divide these into grids to easily use them. They are used to identify and locate astronomical objects such as stars, constellations and galaxies. They have been used for human navigation since time immemorial. A planisphere is a type of star chart. Note that a star chart differs from an astronomical catalog which is a listing or tabulation of astronomical objects for a particular purpose.

See also

• List of constellations by area
• Lists of astronomical objects
• List of stars by constellation
• Asterism (astronomy)
• Astrology
• Star atlas
• Stellar cartography
• Timeline of astronomical maps, catalogs, and surveys
• Magnitude (astronomy)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

star charts

• SFA Star Charts - free star charts
• An online guide to using a star chart
• An online star chart
• The world's earliest manuscript Star Chart from Dunhuang on the Silk Road
• Monthly sky maps for every location on Earth

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