Once you get far enough away from the ever spreading glow of urban areas and allow your eyes to adjust, a so-called "dark night" looks more like an explosion of illumination. Ancient astronomers peered into the night sky and imagined glittering jewels set in a crystal sphere slowly revolving around Earth from east to west.

Every culture has drawn pictures in the stars, creating constellations that represent animals or mythical figures. This map of the sky as seen from the northern hemisphere features the 88 constellations today recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). These constellations are not just pictures but basic units that partition the sky. As seen on this map, main stars in a constellation have Greek letter designations - alpha for the brightest, beta for the second brightest, and onward. Galaxies, star clusters and nebulae are designated by the letter M, for Messier Catalogue objects, or NGC for New General Catalogue, followed by their number designation.

This map is an attractive product for the stargazer and budding astronomer. It makes an essential companion to Southern Sky: Charting the Heavens, and its size makes it perfect for a gallery wall.

This map is found in National Geographic's 11th Edition World Atlas and is now available as a stand alone product.

Page Size: 31.5 x 24 in (798 x 610 mm)