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These color maps were made in 1996 from cross referenced data. Original still exists. They are posted today for cross reference to published, digital renditions circa 2006, and to old star maps published black and white, circa 1940's to date.
Star maps are drawn in a variety of forms. Two of the forms are circles and (uncut) ovals.
Circle star maps come in pairs (Northern and Southern hemisphere views), and then in sets of four or twelve (or more&$41; for the different seasons, months, weeks or days of the year. A complete set of circular star maps which shows us the whole surrounding universe includes the northern and southern hemisphere views and at least four seasons for each hemisphere. Pairs of circular maps divided into the Northern and Southern hemispheres only show us one eighth of the whole universe in one night. If we reside year after year in the same hemisphere, all we can ever see of the universe is one half of it. Each individual circle map shows us one quarter of the universe.
This interpretation or mapping method is relevant to residents of the Temperate Zones and the Polar Zones of the planet. Residents of the Equatorial and Tropical Zones of the planet may view most or all of the Milky Way Galaxy surrounding us, with only the northern and hemisphere circles as blind spots.
Oval shaped star maps (referred to as mosaic maps) sometimes place the Milky Way Galaxy (our galaxy) on an axis, or horizontal line through the center of the map. In a single view this map shows a full year, northern and southern hemisphere views. Putting the Milky Way Galaxy through the horizontal axis forces the Solar System axis to make a one cycle sin wave through the map. This is because the Ecliptic rotates on a plane tilted 23 plus degrees to the Milky Way plane.
Other axes may be placed on the horizontal line of an oval star map, for example the Solar System. Placing the Solar System through the horizontal line of the map would force the Milky Way axis into a one cycle sin wave through the map.
Selection of any plane of celestial bodies causes the other planes to take the form of a sin wave path through the map.
The oval map would stretch around you and surround you completely. Viewed from inside the map with it stretched around you, the Solar System sin wave would become a flat disk, or a plane tilted a just over 23 degrees to the Milky Way Galaxy.
As Earth orbits the Sun, it traces a path through the skies known as the ecliptic. Along the line of the ecliptic you will find the commonly known constellations of the Zodiac.
The above map shows (in the smallest print possible of course) where these constellations are relative to the Milky Way. The precise stars themselves are not mapped here, only the general locations of the constellations.
The cusps of Gemini and Taurus are particularly interesting. On a crisp, winter night, you may be able to view the very outer rim of the Milky Way Galaxy at this cusp. There you are looking directly away from the Milky Way core.
This list of constellations shows the constellations that make up the Milky Way Galaxy.
This crude sketch overlay shows where the largest documented galaxy super clusters reside relative to the Milky Way Galaxy
These are just a few of the brighter, more commonly known stars local to our Milky Way Galaxy.
