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Spark & Whetstonethe grown-up commons

← Spark & Whetstone · The Night Sky

The star wheel

A paper planisphere. Turn the date on the star disc until it sits beside the time on the cover, and the window shows the sky at that moment. Hold it over your head with the direction you face at the bottom edge of the window. It is drawn for the northern half of the world and shows the brightest stars only.

Try it here

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPolarisBetelgeuseRigelSiriusProcyonAldebaranCapellaPolluxRegulusArcturusSpicaAntaresVegaDenebAltairFomalhautmidnight1am2am3am4am5am6am7am8am9am10am11amnoon1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm9pm10pm11pmsouthnorth

Make one

  1. Print this page. The disc and the covers print on their own pages.
  2. Cut out the star disc, and the cover for your latitude. Cut away the window in the cover.
  3. Push a split pin or a drawing pin through both centres (Polaris on the disc, the cross on the cover).
  4. Turn the disc until today's date sits beside the time on the cover's edge.

Star places are for the year 2000, which is close enough for decades yet. The clock hours are local standard time; in summer time, read the hour one earlier. The chart reaches 40° south of the celestial equator, so the lowest southern stars are left off. Nothing is stored or sent.