It was created by Denis Ibaev using the program PP3 on 21st September 2005. At PP3's homepage, you also get the input scripts necessary for re-compiling the map.
The yellow dashed lines are constellation boundaries, the red dashed line is the ecliptic, and the shades of blue show Milky Way areas of different brightness. The map contains all Messier objects, except for colliding ones. The underlying database contains all stars brighter than 6.5. All coordinates refer to equinox 2000.0.
The map is calculated with the equidistant azimuthal projection (the zenith being in the center of the image). The north pole is to the top. The (horizontal) lines of equal declination are drawn for 0°, +10°, +20° etc. The lines of equal rectascension are drawn for all 24 hours. Towards the rim there is a very slight magnification (and distortion).
Магадо хӀара документ копеш йан, йаржо йа хийца а хӀокху GNU Free Documentation License лицензица верси 1.2 йа цул хьалхарниг, маьрша программа латточу фондас арахецна, хийца цалуш долу дакъошца, тексташ йоцуш, цхьалхачу а, тӀаьхьарчу а мужалтан тӀехь. Лицензин копи йу дакъа чохь GNU Free Documentation License.http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.htmlGFDLGNU Free Documentation Licensetruetrue