What is a planisphere used for?
A planisphere is a rotating star locator. It shows you the view overhead any night of the year. All you have to do is to turn the wheel until you’ve aligned your date with the time of night you want to look. The stars and constellations on view on the wheel are the same as those above your head.
What is a planisphere for kids?
A Planisphere can be defined as an astronomical instrument which is used to display the location of stars. … It shows which stars would be visible in the night sky at any specific date and time. It can be designed with the polar azimuthal equidistant projection method or the stereographic projection.
How do you make a planisphere?
Instructions
- 1Carefully cut out the star wheel and planisphere pieces.
- 2Fold the planisphere along the dotted lines and tape the edges in place to form a pocket.
- 3Slide the star wheel into the pocket so that the stars are visible.
- 4Align the current date on the star wheel with the current time on the planisphere.
How is the planisphere used in the UK?
Hold the planisphere in front you like a reading book. Rotate it so that ‘south’ on the planisphere is pointing towards the southern horizon you’re facing. Make a note of your zenith view ((overhead) and compare to the planisphere. Now compare the southern horizon view with the planisphere.
Will a planisphere work anywhere on earth?
Using a southern hemisphere planisphere in the northern hemisphere will not provide accurate data. The same is true if a northern hemisphere planisphere is used in the southern hemisphere. Some planisphere models are designed to work in a specific latitude range which means they will lose accuracy of used elsewhere.
What is a planisphere in English?
Definition of planisphere : a representation of the circles of the sphere on a plane especially : a polar projection of the celestial sphere and the stars on a plane with adjustable circles or other appendages for showing celestial phenomena for any given time.
Will your planisphere work anywhere on earth?
Using a southern hemisphere planisphere in the northern hemisphere will not provide accurate data. The same is true if a northern hemisphere planisphere is used in the southern hemisphere. Some planisphere models are designed to work in a specific latitude range which means they will lose accuracy of used elsewhere.
Who invented the planisphere?
Claudius Ptolemy
The word planisphere (Latin planisphaerium) was originally used in the second century by Claudius Ptolemy to describe the representation of a spherical Earth by a map drawn in the plane. This usage continued into the Renaissance: for example Gerardus Mercator described his 1569 world map as a planisphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZgfrDMQFas
How long do Planispheres last?
Planispheres only show the stars visible from the observer’s latitude; stars below the horizon are not included. A complete twenty-four-hour time cycle is marked on the rim of the overlay.
Who invented planisphere?
The word planisphere (Latin planisphaerium) was originally used in the second century by Claudius Ptolemy to describe the representation of a spherical Earth by a map drawn in the plane. This usage continued into the Renaissance: for example Gerardus Mercator described his 1569 world map as a planisphere.
What is planisphere and how does it work?
- Planisphere is an astronomical tool that shows the night sky from any point on Earth. Planisphere allows you to identify the constellations and planets in the sky now or at any other time.
What is the best planisphere for You?
- Many sky watchers believe The Night Sky is the best planisphere available because it reduces this type of sky distortion. We agree, and recommend the larger 8.5-inch diameter planisphere design as the more useful of the two sizes.
How do you use a planisphere for kids?
- Holding the planisphere up to the sky, the stars marked at the bottom of the viewing window should match up with those that you see in the sky in front of you. Turn to face east or west, and rotate the planisphere so that the word « East » or « West » is at the bottom of the window.
How do you set the planisphere to display the sky?
- To set the planisphere to display the sky for a specific date and time, rotate the “sky” until the desired date and time are aligned. In Figure 4, one date and time at which the sky will appear as shown on the planisphere is April 20 at 9:00 PM(local standard time; 10 PMlocal daylight time).
