Can you remember being impressed by a clear starry sky? Look at the Milky Way through binoculars and it will reveal its many hundreds of thousands of stars, double stars, stellar clusters, and nebulae. If you are a new observer, it is not that easy to ?nd your way in this swarm of stars, but this atlas tries to make it as easy as possible. So now it is not just experienced amateurs that can enjoy looking at the heavens. Two additional observing aids are recommended. The ?rst is a planisphere, where one can dial in the time and day in order to see which constellations are visible and where they are in the sky. The second is an astronomical yearbook listing the current positions of the planets and all important phenomena. So, let us begin our journey around the night sky, and see what the universe can reveal to us! Sky Atlases Most sky atlases can be classi?ed into one of two major groups according to the number of stars they contain. Some atlases only show the stars visible to the nakedeye. As there are not more than a few thousand such stars, such charts can be simple and clear and can be arranged in a handy format. They are ideal for all naked-eye Facing page, top: The constellation Cygnus (Swan) in the midst of the northern Milky Way. Praise for the previous editions: "the most informative little sky guide in the business." ASTRONOMY "The more experienced observer will find this slim volume useful at the telescope and packed with interesting observing projects." SKY & TELESCOPE The Observer's Sky Atlas contains star charts and information for all those who observe the night sky with unaided eyes, with binoculars, or with small telescopes, and also for those who just wish to look at constellations and interesting objects. Equally useful for the beginning observer and the old hand, the atlas presents: - A short introduction into observing the sky and a thorough description of the star charts and tables - Clearly arranged charts of all the stars (to 6th magnitude) visible with the unaided eye - Enlarged chart sections (to 9th magnitude) for binocular observation, highlighting 250 interesting nebulae, galaxies, and stellar clusters This new third edition features: - 32 additional pages with images of all the 250 nebulae covered in the atlas - An updated calendar for the next 20 years - Double star ephemerides from 2005-2020, including updated tables accompanying star charts - Predictions for datesand times of variable star minima/maxima based on recent observations The Observer's Sky Atlas is an indispensable and handy companion for every observer and has already appeared in four languages. Some praise for previous editions: "...The most informative little sky guide in the business." -Astronomy "The more experienced observer will find this slim volume useful at the telescope and...packed with interesting observing projects." -Sky & Telescope