Advanced Skywatching: The Backyard Astronomer's Guide to Starhopping and Exploring the Universe (The Nature Company Guides) [Hardcover]

Alan Dyer (Author), Robert A. Garfinkle (Author), Martin George (Author), Jeff Kanipe (Author), Robert Burnham (Author), David Levy (Author), David H. Levy (Author, Introduction), Dr. John O'Byrne (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

Picking up where Skywatching left off, here is an invaluable, advanced observer's primer and field guide to the night sky.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA?Intended as a companion to David Levy's Skywatching (Time-Life, 1995), this volume contains a wealth of material that will be of interest to dedicated amateur astronomers and effectively stands on its own. Apt quotations from literature sprinkled about the pages are a nice bonus. As in so many nonfiction titles these days, most topics are treated on two-page spreads. However, captions are brief and sidebars used carefully, resulting in a clean, uncluttered format. Introductory chapters discuss the various types of equipment that may be used for conducting skywatching projects. While many of the items will be beyond the financial means of most students, the authors stress that much can be done with just a good pair of binoculars and careful record keeping. Additional chapters provide information on the various observable phenomena, with an emphasis on what to look for and how to get the best views possible. The last third of the book consists of 20 "telescope tours" through various regions of the sky. Each area is presented first via star maps, with constellations noted in simplified insets, then with photographs of some of the more interesting features to be found in that region. The extensive bibliography includes videos, Web sites, software, and a list of organizations. Report writers are not the primary audience for this book although information can be extracted for that use. However, anyone with a serious interest in astronomy will benefit from the instructions and advice it provides.?Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Time Life Education (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783549415
• ISBN-13: 978-0783549415
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but could and should be better, January 25, 2000

By 

secondadd "secondadd" (Dublin, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Skywatching: The Backyard Astronomer's Guide to Starhopping and Exploring the Universe (The Nature Company Guides) (Hardcover)

1/3 of this book - the starhopping section - is excellent. Just the right amount of commentary and detail for intermediate observational astronomy. The maps are also very good. Here's the problem: Only 1/2 of the sky is covered in the starhopping section! Why go halfway? A good number of interesting regions aren't covered at all. Instead, they clutter up the first 2/3 of the book with the usual info about types of telescope, stars, pictures of planets, etc. We've read and seen this before. Any library book tells you the same stuff. Use the pages to cover ALL regions of the sky. It's really a shame.

Another problem is the hardcover format, which makes the book difficult for field use. It's thin and tall, which doesn't help it to stay open. A spiral bound version would be better.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that anyone with an interest in astronomy should read, March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Advanced Skywatching: The Backyard Astronomer's Guide to Starhopping and Exploring the Universe (The Nature Company Guides) (Hardcover)

This book is very helpful, even if you are just an amiture astronomer like me. This book tells you how to navigate through the Heavens. It tells you what stars you can see, the dates that you can see them, even the times that you cansee them. This book tells you what to look for when buying a telescope, how to spot a trash scope, and what types are good to purchase for your needs. This book tells about anything that you need to know, from nebulas and double stars, to planets and black holes. Advanced Skywatching tells you almost anything you want to know. This is a book that no astronomer, begining, advanced, or professional, should be without.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and comprehensive, March 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Advanced Skywatching: The Backyard Astronomer's Guide to Starhopping and Exploring the Universe (The Nature Company Guides) (Hardcover)

The astronomy reference book I keep going back to time and again. Don't be intimidated by the title, it's not really "advanced" at all and is far more useful than the first book in the Skywatching series, which was too simplistic. The introductory chapter of this book is particularly nicely written.