This atlas is a bargain at $20 and I recommend it to every amateur astronomer. I consider it an essential element in my "ready bag" of observing equipment. (Posted on 10/4/2019)
I love the layout of this atlas with its spiral lay flat design. The charts are easy to read with black stars on white background. Really like the degree scale on the inside cover which makes star hopping easier - I plot out my star hopping using the 5° fov of my finder. The chart layouts tell you when each section is sky high depending on months and evening, midnight, and morning. Plenty of DSO objects shown to keep you busy for a lifetime. I first bought the Jumbo edition because a "pocket size" sounded too small to use. But then I decided to get the Pocket size version also - plenty big enough to really use in the field and small enough to easy pack in a carry-on bag when flying. Mine stays in my eyepiece/equipment case - readily available there when I travel to a dark sky site. I don't leave home without it. This is a handy detailed sky atlas everyone should have. (Posted on 9/16/2019)
This was my first book on astronomy and even it retrospect it is hard to imagine making a better choice. The enthusiasm of the author is contagious and the information is educational. It is very well suited to a beginner but also comes in handy as your understanding grows. Highly recommended.
(Posted on 9/9/2019)
By the measurement of how often it gets used, this is easily the best star atlas I've ever had. Never leaves my eyepiece case and gets used on every observing trip. Every chart is thoughtfully laid out and well illustrated. Easy to read by dim red LED. Small enough to go everywhere.
Only complaint is that it doesn't have an index for the charted carbon stars which it calls special attention to in the introduction. This is a shame because that's otherwise a fantastic inclusion! (Posted on 7/24/2019)
Review by: James Schwartz
I have used everything from the large and heavy book size atlases to one page all sky star maps. This is the perfect compromise between light weight and completeness. The 80 plus pages of star charts and close-up maps show an incredible number of stars, nebulae, galaxies and other interesting objects. The scale is excellent--definitely not too small-and the individual charts include extras such as red carbon stars and clearly marked double stars. The perfect atlas for me and, I would guess, at least 90% of amateur astronomers out for an evening's viewing of the sky. (Posted on 7/22/2019)
I went without a Pocket Atlas for 15 years...and I don't know how I survived those 15 years! It's got most of what you need for a night outside for most astronomers. Will you need something that goes deeper at a dark sky site with a 25" telescope? Yes. But this atlas is a great bang for the casual observer's buck. (Posted on 7/22/2019)
Got this when it was first released. Outstanding work. Easy to read charts with enough stars and detail to make it worthwhile without being cluttered. As is mentioned in other reviews it is easy to read under the sky in low light. Overall this is the best all around atlas I own, which includes Nortons, Popular Sky atlas as well as the historical AAVSO Variable Star atlas. I even prefer this atlas to my 3 volume set of Uranometria! (Posted on 1/11/2019)
I moved away from this type of atlas after the phone apps caught and surpassed them. I now use the SkySafari app, the Pro version that costs less than this paper book.
My wife is a librarian, and trust me, I understand the sentimental attachment to paper. But in the field, the phone apps blow these away. Just hold up your screen, and see what you see.
I could only see a use case for this atlas in pre-planning a session. But then again, Stellarium is free, dude! (Posted on 1/2/2019)
I love this sky atlas. It is portable and provides plenty of targets for modest aperture telescopes. It is very easy to locate the correct page for your target area and while small enough to be portable it is also large enough to be easily read. The binding and pages are durable. Objects are color coded to make it easy to identify which type you are looking at and symbols are the standard symbols used in other atlases. The pages are group by the constellations visible in roughly 2 month periods. There are also several close up charts for more detailed study of several showpiece targets. (Posted on 12/2/2018)
I use this pocket chart at almost every observing session. Small enough to pack easily, with enough detail to make finding the more significant objects easy. I like the messier listing at the back - pints tot he correct map page for easy access. (Posted on 10/24/2018)
Sturdy, compact, and easy to use in the field. The white background and black stars are quite visible under a red flashlight. (Posted on 10/10/2018)
I enjoy the S and T pocket sky atlas. It's a good size, has lots of objects (galaxies, messier, NGC, double stars systems, etc). It uses a metal ring type binding as the spine for easy open and close. The inner pages seem water resistant ( they may be completely waterproof, I don't personally know since I haven't used it in harsh dewy conditions, at least not yet that is). The outside cover/back page is slightly susceptible to water in that it curls a little bit on corners and outer edge but this doesn't bother me. Seems like a great sky atlas to me. CW (Posted on 8/4/2017)
I love this atlas. It is small, which is important to me because it fits in my toolbox eyepiece case. It also opens up flat so I don't have to wrestle with it to keep it from closing. The pages are sturdy so it takes a lot of abuse. And the maps themselves are sufficiently detailed to keep me busy for years to come. (Posted on 8/4/2017)
I have had this atlas for years, it is well made and detailed. The atlas has been very handy to use when star hopping and imaging. Print and objects are easy to see in low red light. This atlas will help the novice observer become more familiar with the night sky. (Posted on 8/4/2017)