Thames & Kosmos TK1 User Manual page 26

VIEWING
How a rotating star
wheel will help you
with your viewing
With a rotating star wheel — also known as a
planisphere — you will easily be able to adjust
your view of the starry sky to any time of night
and any time of year. All planispheres are a
little different, so read the instructions on yours
to make sure you are using it correctly.
YOU WILL NEED
› Rotating star wheel (planisphere)
HERE'S HOW:
1. Rotate the star wheel's cover disk so the
current time is lined up with today's date. If,
say, it is 9 PM on February 10, turn the 9 PM
mark on the cover disk's scale to February 10
on the bordering date scale.
2. Now the wheel is correctly set. The see-
through oval section shows all the
constellations that you will be able to see in
the sky at this time.
3. Turn the wheel — without changing its
setting — so the word "South" is oriented to
the bottom of the transparent part of the
cover disk. Stand so you are facing south.
24
Date and time
1
2
South
3
Oval