I am interested in learning how to read star charts, and in familiarizing myself with at least some of the various constellations. Does anyone here know how I can use the internet properly, in order to accomplish this?

 

Thank you

try googling "star charts"

Here you can find an easy to use star chart generator

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/

Does anyone know what "right ascension means" and "declination"?

 

Thank you

polar co-ordinates?

polar co-ordinates?

 

Yes, I think that's what they are. I have a specific star chart that I am trying to understand.

 

SC2 constellation chart

Northern Circumpolar region- Epoch 1925

From 30 degrees north latitude to 90 N

 

At the center of the star chart is polaris.

 

Then there is a series of concentric circles.

 

The first circle, the one with the smallest radius, is labeled 80 degrees.

 

Within that circle are two stars which are part of ursa minor.

 

Polaris is labeled [math] \alpha [/math].

 

Then the closest star to polaris is labeled [math] \delta [/math].

You will find a good description of the coordinate system used in astronomy.

 

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/coordinates.html

 

The letter of the greek alphabet denote the stars of the constellations in descending order of apparent brightness. So alpha polaris is the brightess star in the polaris constellation. Brightess is mesured with unit of magnitude.

http://www.heavens-above.com/gloss.asp?term=magnitude

 

Often the size of the dot representing the star on sky chart represent the magnitude