<p>Pretty useful website is spaceweather.com. It features an archive, which is available <a href="https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&amp;day=09&amp;month=08&amp;year=2021" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here for August 9, 2021</a>, when they published an article about the nova. Right before the 'Update' section there are 3 star charts, one of them being the one @JohnHoltz posted.</p>
<p><strong>Skymaps:</strong> <a href="https://spaceweather.com/images2021/09aug21/skymap_easy.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">simple</a>, <a href="https://spaceweather.com/images2021/09aug21/skymap_detailed.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">detailed</a>, <a href="https://spaceweather.com/images2021/09aug21/skymap_reallydetailed.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>really detailed</em></a></p>
<p>I found it following these arrows:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hmN2B.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hmN2B.png" alt="Star chart" /></a>
Ophiuchus is pretty dim constellation, so I tried starting with Sagittarius (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_(constellation)#Visualizations" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Teapot</a>) and following the blue line. The black triangle might help.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T21:59:57.660Z
Ah, just what I needed!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T15:08:32.747Z
2021-08-14T15:08:32.747Z
User123
<p>Part of the fun of variables stars is watching them fade or brighten and have an idea of the magnitude of the variable. The AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) website can create custom plots of variable stars. See <a href="https://app.aavso.org/vsp/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AAVSO Variable Star Plotter</a>. Here is a binocular-friendly chart I made for RS Oph.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qmp7I.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qmp7I.png" alt="AAVSO Chart for RS Oph" /></a> (The numbers are the visual magnitudes with the decimal point removed. 33 indicates magnitude 3.3 and so on.)</p>
<p>You will need a regular star chart to navigate to this area of sky. The 3.3 magnitude, 4.6 magnitude, and unlabeled star to the west that forms a nice triangle around RS Oph should be a good guide.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-12T22:32:42.373Z
2021-08-12T22:32:42.373Z
JohnHoltz
<p>You could generate one with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellarium_(software)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stellarium</a>.  Using the tools in the top right you can create a &quot;telescope&quot; with the right field of view.  I used one with a 50mm diameter, and a focal length of 210mm, with the standard Ocular #0, and I turned off the vertical and horizontal &quot;flip&quot;. This gives a field of view of 8.2 degrees</p>
<p>The bright star in the lower left is the third magnitude <span class="math-container">$\nu$</span>-Oph.  Only one of the stars in the astrophotograph in your question is visible, and that is extremely faint.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/EyYA5.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/EyYA5.png" alt="simulation of an 8° FOV centered on Nova RS Ophiuchi generated with Stellarium" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-12T22:31:38.223Z
Oh that's cool! "Stellarium is a free and open-source planetarium" so I'll go download it and give it a spin. *Thanks!*
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-14T14:37:03.873Z
@uhoh You won't regret it.
User123
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-12T21:34:29.863Z
2021-08-12T22:30:22.667Z
2021-08-12T22:30:22.667Z
James K
<p>I'd like to find or generate a map that will be useful for <a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/34026/7982">someone with an 8° FOV pair of binoculars</a> to locate the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS_Ophiuchi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi</a>.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/58870708#58870708">linked in The Observatory</a> Science alert's <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/a-rare-recurrent-nova-star-just-blew-up-and-you-can-see-it-with-the-naked-eye" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Epic Nova Eruption From Rare Star Is So Bright You Can See It With The Naked Eye</a> tells us that it is currently about magnitude 4.5.</p>
<p>That links to this <a href="https://twitter.com/mizuho73700856/status/1424718454595092492" rel="nofollow noreferrer">tweet</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>S Ophiuchi OUTBURST</p>
<p>Taken by Ernesto Guido, Marco Rocchetto &amp; Adriano Valvasori on August 9, 2021 @ Remotely from Australia through TELESCOPE LIVE network
<a href="https://telescope.live" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://telescope.live</a> recurrent nova RS Oph is in Outburst. The last large outburst of RS Oph occurred in Feb. 2006, →</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Question:</strong> How can I find or generate a binocular-friendly star map to find the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi?</p>
<hr />
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cQC51.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cQC51m.jpg" alt="recurrent nova RS Oph is in Outburst https://twitter.com/mizuho73700856/status/1424718454595092492" /></a> <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/r8NJe.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/r8NJem.jpg" alt="recurrent nova RS Oph is in Outburst https://twitter.com/mizuho73700856/status/1424718454595092492" /></a></p>
<p>click images for full size</p>

<amateur-observing><star-maps><nova>
Binocular-friendly star map to find the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi?
uhoh
# Binocular-friendly star map to find the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-12)

I'd like to find or generate a map that will be useful for [someone with an 8° FOV pair of binoculars](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/34026/7982) to locate the [Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS_Ophiuchi).

As [linked in The Observatory](https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/58870708#58870708) Science alert's [Epic Nova Eruption From Rare Star Is So Bright You Can See It With The Naked Eye](https://www.sciencealert.com/a-rare-recurrent-nova-star-just-blew-up-and-you-can-see-it-with-the-naked-eye) tells us that it is currently about magnitude 4.5.

That links to this [tweet](https://twitter.com/mizuho73700856/status/1424718454595092492)

> S Ophiuchi OUTBURST
>
> Taken by Ernesto Guido, Marco Rocchetto & Adriano Valvasori on August 9, 2021 @ Remotely from Australia through TELESCOPE LIVE network
> <https://telescope.live> recurrent nova RS Oph is in Outburst. The last large outburst of RS Oph occurred in Feb. 2006, →

**Question:** How can I find or generate a binocular-friendly star map to find the Recurrent Nova RS Ophiuchi?

---

[![recurrent nova RS Oph is in Outburst https://twitter.com/mizuho73700856/status/1424718454595092492](https://i.sstatic.net/cQC51m.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/cQC51.jpg) [![recurrent nova RS Oph is in Outburst https://twitter.com/mizuho73700856/status/1424718454595092492](https://i.sstatic.net/r8NJem.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/r8NJe.jpg)

click images for full size

**Tags:** amateur-observing, star-maps, nova

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-08-14. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Pretty useful website is spaceweather.com. It features an archive, which is available [here for August 9, 2021](https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=09&month=08&year=2021), when they published an article about the nova. Right before the 'Update' section there are 3 star charts, one of them being the one @JohnHoltz posted.

**Skymaps:** [simple](https://spaceweather.com/images2021/09aug21/skymap_easy.png), [detailed](https://spaceweather.com/images2021/09aug21/skymap_detailed.png), [*really detailed*](https://spaceweather.com/images2021/09aug21/skymap_reallydetailed.png)

I found it following these arrows:

[![Star chart](https://i.sstatic.net/hmN2B.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/hmN2B.png)
Ophiuchus is pretty dim constellation, so I tried starting with Sagittarius ([the Teapot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_(constellation)#Visualizations)) and following the blue line. The black triangle might help.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ah, just what I needed!  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-08-12. Score: 2

Part of the fun of variables stars is watching them fade or brighten and have an idea of the magnitude of the variable. The AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers) website can create custom plots of variable stars. See [AAVSO Variable Star Plotter](https://app.aavso.org/vsp/). Here is a binocular-friendly chart I made for RS Oph.
[![AAVSO Chart for RS Oph](https://i.sstatic.net/qmp7I.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/qmp7I.png) (The numbers are the visual magnitudes with the decimal point removed. 33 indicates magnitude 3.3 and so on.)

You will need a regular star chart to navigate to this area of sky. The 3.3 magnitude, 4.6 magnitude, and unlabeled star to the west that forms a nice triangle around RS Oph should be a good guide.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-08-12. Score: 1

You could generate one with [Stellarium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellarium_(software)). Using the tools in the top right you can create a "telescope" with the right field of view. I used one with a 50mm diameter, and a focal length of 210mm, with the standard Ocular #0, and I turned off the vertical and horizontal "flip". This gives a field of view of 8.2 degrees

The bright star in the lower left is the third magnitude $\nu$-Oph. Only one of the stars in the astrophotograph in your question is visible, and that is extremely faint.

[![simulation of an 8° FOV centered on Nova RS Ophiuchi generated with Stellarium](https://i.sstatic.net/EyYA5.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/EyYA5.png)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Oh that's cool! "Stellarium is a free and open-source planetarium" so I'll go download it and give it a spin. *Thanks!*  
> **username_1**: @uhoh You won't regret it.  

---

