Speaking of mapping the stars...
Remember this web site by Richard Powell? He recently did some updates on it: Last updated: 2 Nov 2001
13 Oct: I redrew the Milky Way yet again to make it even more accurate and incorporate new information about the shape of the central bar.
1 Nov: Added this diagram that zooms out from the Earth to the nearest stars.
2 Nov: Revised and redrew the other picture of The Galaxy.
Very nice, labor-of-love-intensive site. :)
Marcia