Star chart

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This article is about the astronomical instrument. For the fictional object in the Star Wars Universe, see Star Map (Star Wars).

Image:Planisphæri cœleste.jpg

A celestial map from the 17th century, by the Dutch cartographer Frederik de Wit.

Image:Su Song Star Map 2.JPG

Star chart of the south polar projection for Chinese scientist Su Song's (1020–1101) celestial globe, from the horology treatise Xin Yi Xiang Fa Yao published in the year 1092 during the Song Dynasty of China.

A star chart is a map of the night sky. Astronomers divide these into grids to easily use them. They are used to identify and locate astronomical objects such as stars, constellations and galaxies. They have been used for human navigation since time immemorial. A planisphere is a type of star chart. Note that a star chart differs from an astronomical catalog which is a listing or tabulation of astronomical objects for a particular purpose.