OITH anyone?

[pakarinen]

Anybody have / used one of these? I wonder if it would be a useful addition to an atlas although my Cambridge and Norton's both have object lists. I use SS scopeside, but maybe for planning or a quick wider detailed view?

https://birrendesign.com/astro.html
https://birrendesign.com/astro-spread.html

[kt4hx]

Anybody have / used one of these? I wonder if it would be a useful addition to an atlas although my Cambridge and Norton's both have object lists. I use SS scopeside, but maybe for planning or a quick wider detailed view?

https://birrendesign.com/astro.html
https://birrendesign.com/astro-spread.html

I have one autographed by Peter Birren. I looked through it of course, but it is not something that I've ever used in the field nor thought about using. I bought it simply to add to my bookshelf of atlases and observing guides. I prefer an actual atlas for my observing sessions as I can prepare observing lists if I wish to using various sources.

I appears that it covers 717 objects as faint as mag 10.5. It does have a section about lunar observing highlighting features as the phase changes during the month. There are various informative tables in the front of the book and basic seasonal charts. The objects are listed by constellation (alphabetically) and cover those constellations that would be typically visible to the mid-northern observer. In the back there are are a small number of sketching and note pages. The charts are very basic, and the author likely designed it for use along with a normal atlas.

It is well suited for binoculars and small aperture scope users. While it is a nicely laid out book, its not something I would use myself. For smaller apertures, I would simply use something like the S&T Pocket Sky Atlas. It sort of depends on what the individual is trying to achieve and what their observing style is. For me, its not a good fit. But for someone else, it may be the bee's knees. All that said, it is a welcome addition to my library and I am glad I bought it for that purpose. Hope that helps Olen.