Hello everybody. I love to look at the stars at night and am thinking of learning my way around the night sky using a star chart. I have a phone app with them that is good but do you think a paper or cardboard printed star chart is helpful? I know they are not expensive, but I wonder how many people use them or who has never used them. I would love to hear what you think of this.
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Interesting thought. It has never occurred to me to get printed materials such a Star Charts. With readily available Apps, which are of course, portable, I never thought of it lol. Having a really nice chart on the wall would be something I might consider but it would be more for decoration than actual use outside. I like the notion though.
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I don’t use printed star charts. I use Stellarium on my phone which is enough for me. I can find anything using that. The ASIAIR app also has a star chart but you need to be logged into the ASIAIR to use it.
I think printed star charts are a very dated idea but I can see some advantages in that they don’t need power and you can view a chart while keeping the phone free for something else, like imaging, so I guess there are some advantages of using printed star chars.
But realistically it is too easy not to learn something new and I have never used a star chart so I don’t see myself doing that 
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During outreach or at star parties, I will print my own paper charts to give out and share. Then I tell people during the conversation about free star apps for further discovery. I get the free PDFs at the following link: Night Sky Tools - Astronomical League
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As a primarily visual backyard astronomer, I much prefer to use printed star charts and planispheres to assist me in my starhopping pursuits. I have little use for anything that requires the need for internet connections, wifi, batteries, or running cables.
I find the ability to follow charts and utilize coordinates in order to locate targets is both beneficial and necessary for proper learning.
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Beginning in 1961 … Griffith Observer m4 centerfold charts. Edmund Scientific Planisphere. Sky and Telescope centerfold charts. Norton’s Star Atlas (epoch 1950). Skalnate Pleso Atlas of the Heavens (epoch 1950). Sky Atlas 2000. Uranometria 2000 / deep sky field guide. 1st, 2nd editions. MEGAStar v. 5 (outstanding detailed printed charts!). Millennium Star Atlas. Uranometria 2000 All Sky Edition and deep sky field guide.
I currently use an Explore Scientific ED127 Triplet APO, a Meade 14" LX200 GPS/SMT and an Obsession 20" f/5 Classic (using only a Telrad). By far, I use the 14" most frequently. It has 144,000+ pre-programmed objects in it’s database. GOTO was necessary in ALT-AZ mode. I have not used GOTO since permanent installation in a 10’ T/I Pro Dome and very precise polar alignment (2006). I say, LEARN THE SKY !!! It’s much more fulfilling than mashing buttons. Also, dark adaptation of the eye is so important for critical observation. Turn the phone off!
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MEGAStar5 custom chart. Galaxy Cluster Abell 347 in Andromeda. 20" f/5 Obsession Classic with an Explore Scientific 14mm / 100° eyepiece: fov 33’ at 181X.
For this chart I set the stellar magnitude limit at 14.4 and the limit for galaxies at 14.0.
Abell 347 is richness class 0 (sparse) and distance class 1 (240 million light years).
It’s very helpful to know exactly where to look while pushing the limt trying to locate faint galaxies in the field of view.
I still use star charts at my telescope.
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