Maps
How can a person learn about the night sky? There are lots of online resources, accessible by a Google search. Here are paper resources which are time tested and worth a look.
A little explanation of night sky naming systems needs to be explained. Bright stars can have common names. Like the North Star is called Polaris. It is also called alpha Ursa Minoris. Alpha is because Polaris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, ccommonly known as the Little Dipper. Ursa Minoris comes from the Latin language. It is the genetive form of Minor. It means "of Ursa Minor." So alpha Ursa Minoris means "the brightest star of the constellation Ursa Minor." Many star charts and astronomy publications use these designations. There are other naming systems for stars that you might see in an app. Your local library has books to get you started. Magazines like Sky and Telescope are really helpful for observers. skyandtelescope.org/
Here are some useful books. Following the Greek Letter and Genetive lists, a Skymap www.skymaps.com/ free monthly star chart is shown. Links for some books:
Pocket Sky Atlas and Norton's Star Atlas and Edmund's Mag 6 Atlas
A great resource for learning and taking it to the next level is the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's annual Observer's Handbook. It is crammed full of information useful to both a casual and a serious observer. www.rasc.ca/handbook
