The Lawrence Hall of Science

The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.

Activity

Star Wheels

Activity

Star Wheels

Make your own Uncle Al’s Star Wheels to find constellations at any time of night throughout the year. These free, adjustable star maps, called planispheres, are available for northern and southern latitudes and in several languages. Specialty wheels show stars with known exoplanets, Messier objects, and pulsars. Developed for the Hands-On Universe project and NASA’s Kepler Mission, the wheels build on the Lawrence Hall of Science’s original Sky Challenger design. The original Sky Challenger is no longer in print; its six disks and holder are available as a free DIY Sky Challengers PDF.

Topics: Earth & Space Science, Astronomy

Grade Level: Grade 3 and up

Activity Type: Outdoor Activity

Make your own Uncle Al’s Star Wheels to find constellations at any time of night throughout the year. These free, adjustable star maps, called planispheres, are available for northern and southern latitudes and in several languages. Specialty wheels show stars with known exoplanets, Messier objects, and pulsars. Developed for the Hands-On Universe project and NASA’s Kepler Mission, the wheels build on the Lawrence Hall of Science’s original Sky Challenger design. The original Sky Challenger is no longer in print; its six disks and holder are available as a free DIY Sky Challengers PDF.

Topic: Astronomy

Kepler Star Wheel

Instructions

To Use the Star Wheels

  1. Set the date and time.
  2. Find the horizon closest to the constellation you want to locate, and hold that horizon near the bottom of the wheel.
  3. Look closer to the center of the map for constellations higher in the sky.

Download a Star Wheel for your area

For the latest downloads and information, visit Global Systems Science: Planispheres. The newest addition is the Messier Star Wheel, updated in February 2026, for finding Messier objects that are well placed for observing.

Assembly instructions are included in the PDFs. Print on 8½ × 11-inch paper or heavy cardstock. For a larger wheel, enlarge to 130% on 11 × 17-inch cardstock. Use a red light to read the wheel at night and preserve your night vision.

Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere

For more ways to make and use star wheels, see Investigation 2.1: Using Star Maps in the Global Systems Science book A Changing Cosmos.