How to Use a Constellation Map to Find the Star on Your Star Certificate

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How do I read a constellation map?

How to Use a Constellation Map to Find the Star on Your Star Certificate

Before locating a particular star, be it a gift star listed on star certificates or a famous celestial body, it's best to search for it with the aid of a constellation map.

Learning how to use your constellation map is easy if you remember one simple technique: don't try to read the map the way you would read a geographical map. When you look at a road map, you put it flat on the table and read it with your eyes facing downward. When you use a star map, do the opposite; face north, hold the map over your head or vertically with north at the bottom.

When viewed in this way, the sky will correspond to the bottom part of the map, which is north. The round border of your constellation map will represent the horizon and the very middle of your star map should be considered what's directly overhead. It takes a bit of getting used to, but when reading a constellation like this you will discover many new things as you study the stars.

   

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