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Planispheres

Kosmos Glow-in-the-dark planisphere (83065)

A large rotating star chart with glow-in-the-dark printing, covering the constellations visible from Germany and described by the maker as suitable for children.

Kosmos glow-in-the-dark rotating star chart

Kosmos Glow-in-the-dark planisphere (83065)

A large rotating star chart with glow-in-the-dark printing, covering the constellations visible from Germany and described by the maker as suitable for children.

Latitude band
All constellations visible from Germany, as the maker states it · Described, never quantified
Disc size
Rotating star chart — a planisphere
Readability
Luminous, so the chart can be read after exposure to light
Printed subjects
Not published by the maker.
Material
Not published by the maker.
Trade reference
Sold as a book — ISBN 978-3-440-17701-3 rather than a B0 marketplace code
Audience
Beginners; the maker states it also suits children
Amazon reference
3440177017 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
9783440177013
  • Luminous printing means it can be read without a torch at all
  • A large format, which makes the constellation shapes legible in poor light
  • The latitude band is described by country rather than as a figure

Best for: A beginner at northern European latitudes learning the constellations

≈ £14 / €17
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Latitude band
All constellations visible from Germany, as the maker states it · Described, never quantified
Disc size
Rotating star chart — a planisphere
Readability
Luminous, so the chart can be read after exposure to light
Printed subjects
Not published by the maker.
Material
Not published by the maker.
Trade reference
Sold as a book — ISBN 978-3-440-17701-3 rather than a B0 marketplace code
Audience
Beginners; the maker states it also suits children
Amazon reference
3440177017 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
9783440177013

The instrument that costs nothing to run

A planisphere is two discs. Line up the date against the hour and the window shows the sky as it is at that moment. No batteries, no screen, no software, and nothing to go out of date within a human lifetime.

The luminous printing

Charge it under a light and it reads in the dark for a while afterwards. That is the feature that makes this one suit a beginner: the most common reason a planisphere goes unused is that reading it costs the dark adaptation it was meant to protect.

The latitude question

It is described as showing everything visible from Germany. A planisphere is cut for a latitude band, and one used well outside its band puts the horizon in the wrong place. A figure in degrees would be more precise; the country is what the maker gives.

Sold as a book

ISBN 978-3-440-17701-3. That is how it is found, ordered and replaced — and it means a new edition may supersede it rather than it simply disappearing.

Availability

German, French, Italian and Spanish Amazon stores sat at about 17 € on the day of the survey.

American and British Amazon stores list it in local currency, which the euro range above sets aside.

Figures as Keepa reported them on the day this page was last updated. Stock and pricing shift without warning.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 17 September 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.

What this fits

More planispheres

  • Rotating star chart for the northern sky with planet pointer

    Verlag f. Lehrmittel Pößneck Rotating star chart with planet pointer

    A rotating star chart for the northern sky with an added planet pointer, published as a book and listed without any description.

    Latitude band
    Northern sky, from the title · Not stated
    Disc size
    Rotating star chart with a planet pointer
    Readability
    Not published by the maker.
    Printed subjects
    Included, from the title — planets are not printed on a planisphere
    Material
    Not published by the maker.
    Trade reference
    Sold as a publication — ISBN 978-3-7493-0244-4
    Audience
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    3749302448 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    9783749302444
    • A planet pointer addresses the one thing a planisphere structurally cannot show
    • The cheapest item on this entire shelf
    • The listing contains no description whatsoever

    Best for: A second chart, or a first one bought on price

    ≈ €8
    Check price on Amazon
  • Night sky guide book with rotating star chart

    Bassermann, Edition Entdecke den Nachthimmel! with rotating star chart

    An illustrated guide to the night sky for readers from eight, supplied with a rotating star chart for identifying constellations.

    Latitude band
    Not stated
    Disc size
    An illustrated guide supplied with a rotating star chart
    Readability
    Not published by the maker.
    Printed subjects
    Recognising constellations; exploring planets and galaxies, per the title
    Material
    Not published by the maker.
    Trade reference
    Sold as a book — ISBN 978-3-8094-4993-5
    Audience
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    3809449938 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    9783809449935
    • A chart and an explanation of how to use it in the same purchase
    • Aimed at an age where the sky is best learned
    • No description in the listing at all

    Best for: A child from eight who has just been given a telescope or binoculars

    ≈ £12 / €15
    Check price on Amazon

The rest of this rack

  • Explore Scientific polar scope for the iEXOS-100 mount

    Explore Scientific Polar scope for iEXOS-100 (0456103)

    A polar scope for the iEXOS-100, listed with a clear explanation of when precise polar alignment is needed and when it is not.

    Reticle pattern
    The listing gives none
    Illumination
    Not published by the maker.
    Dimming
    Not published by the maker.
    Mount compatibility
    iEXOS-100, from the title
    Fit
    Not published by the maker.
    Retention
    Not published by the maker.
    Focus adjustment
    Neither is published
    Hemisphere support
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B085HRSCC6 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4007922062532
    • The listing explains the physics rather than only describing the part
    • It states plainly when a polar scope is not needed, which costs a sale and earns trust
    • No accuracy, magnification or field figure

    Best for: An iEXOS-100 owner moving from visual observing to photography

    ≈ £87 / €76
    Check price on Amazon
  • iOptron SkyGuider Pro tracking mount with counterweight

    iOptron SkyGuider Pro

    A tracking mount for cameras and small telescopes, published at five kilograms of capacity, with a thicker RA axis and a counterweight that can be swapped for a second camera.

    Reticle pattern
    Not published by the maker.
    Illumination
    Not published by the maker.
    Dimming
    Not published by the maker.
    Mount compatibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Fit
    Not published by the maker.
    Retention
    Not published by the maker.
    Focus adjustment
    Not published by the maker.
    Hemisphere support
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B07199QMR6 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    6943831501855
    • A published payload of five kilograms, which is the figure that sizes a tracker
    • The counterweight can carry a second camera, so two focal lengths run at once
    • It is a mount, and the family heading says polar scopes

    Best for: Tracked wide-field photography with a substantial lens, or a small telescope

    ≈ $359 / €496
    Check price on Amazon
  • Omegon MiniTrack LX3 Essentials mechanical tracking mount

    Omegon MiniTrack LX3 Essentials

    The entry version of a purely mechanical tracking mount, which replaces the optical polar scope with a simple sighting tube.

    Reticle pattern
    Not published by the maker.
    Illumination
    Not published by the maker.
    Dimming
    Not published by the maker.
    Mount compatibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Fit
    Not published by the maker.
    Retention
    Not published by the maker.
    Focus adjustment
    Not published by the maker.
    Hemisphere support
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B096ZB2FGB (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4049467708254
    • The maker states exactly what has been removed to reach the price
    • Mechanical drive, so nothing to charge and nothing to fail in the cold
    • A sighting tube is far coarser than an optical polar scope, which limits exposure length

    Best for: Wide-angle tracked photography where a coarse polar alignment is enough

    ≈ $222 / €150
    Check price on Amazon

All planispheres