Atlas

In 2004, it became obvious that Henry Hatfield’s original atlas wasn’t suitable for all current commercially-made amateur telescopes. Newtonian telescopes and astronomical refractors – for many years the only choice for amateurs – invert the observed image. The standard Hatfield Atlas therefore follows the IAU (International Astronomical Union) convention of having maps (and photographs) with South at the top and West on the left: an inverted image.

The 144 pages atlas is the result of a three-year collaborative project with partners from northern EU countries, as well as Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA and Russia and gives a detailed overview of circumpolar soil resources relevant also to agriculture, forest management, water management, land use planning, infrastructure and housing and energy transport networks. In a clear style, the atlas describes the origin and major characteristics of the different soil types that can be found in this environment. The atlas is a visually stunning publication using striking maps, informative texts and dramatic photographs to explain and illustrate the great diversity of soils in northern landscapes.

A picture atlas that takes young readers on a visual journey around the world, from Spain and Portugal to China and Mongolia.

SCT and Maksutov telescopes - which of course includes the best-selling models from Meade, Celestron, and other important manufacturers - reverse the visual image left for right, giving a "mirror image". This makes it extremely difficult to identify lunar features at the eyepiece of one of these instruments using conventional atlases, which show the Moon "upside-down" with south at the top.