Stargazing is a wonderful family night activity to bond with your children and appreciate the beauty of creation. It’s even more meaningful when you know what you’re seeing and can track the movement of the stars. Below, based on the time of the year, are some great free star charts to help you understand the heavens.
| North of declination +65 | PDFPDF | RA 12h to 16h, Dec +20 to -20RA 11.5h to 13.5h, Dec +20 to 0 | |
| RA 0h to 4h, Dec +65 to +20 | RA 16h to 20h, Dec +20 to -20 | ||
| RA 4h to 8h, Dec +65 to +20 | RA 20h to 0h, Dec +20 to -20 | ||
| RA 8h to 12h, Dec +65 to +20 | RA 0h to 4h, Dec -20 to -65 | ||
| RA 12h to 16h, Dec +65 to +20 | RA 4h to 8h, Dec -20 to -65 | ||
| RA 16h to 20h, Dec +65 to +20 | RA 8h to 12h, Dec -20 to -65 | ||
| RA 20h to 0h, Dec +65 to +20 | RA 12h to 16h, Dec -20 to -65 | ||
| RA 0h to 4h, Dec +20 to -20 | RA 16h to 20h, Dec -20 to -65 | ||
| RA 4h to 8h, Dec +20 to -20 | RA 20h to 0h, Dec -20 to -65 | ||
| RA 8h to 12h, Dec +20 to -20 | South of declination -65 |
Thanks to CloudyNights.com for permission to reprint these.
RA (Right Ascension) corresponds to east-west direction, similar to longitude. DEC (Declination) corresponds to north-south direction, similar to latitude. RA is measured in hours, minutes, and seconds whereas DEC is measured in degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds.
