Customer Reviews

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You should not consider buying this book. You should just buy it. I held off purchasing it since I already knew a fair bit (or so I thought) about amateur astronomy, had already bought a great telescope and a bunch of accessories, and I knew of many other more specialized resources for specific topics (what to look at, astrophotography, physics of the objects we look at, where to find star parties and so on). Plus, published in 1991, it seemed like the book was bound to be outdated soon. However I ended up purchasing it, and reading this thing is a truly eye-opening experience. It is hard to imagine a more well-rounded, well-written, enjoyable and authoritative text on amateur astronomy. It covers many topics but somehow manages to avoid treating them superficially. Sure, if you get deeply into photography or optical design you'll want to get single-topic references. And you still need a star chart! But this book will help you get off and running in all phases of amateur astronomy. If you read this, you'll be transformed immediately from a beginner to one of the people "in the know" in your astronomy club and your enjoyment of the hobby will be heightened greatly.

Terence Dickinson is perhaps the leading writer of English-language amateur astronomy books; his Nightwatch is rightly considered one of the best introductions to the night sky and how to observe it. It covers the broad range of amateur astronomy admirably, from science to equipment to observing tactics. One of the only glaring drawbacks to the book is that it is simply too short.

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is an able sequel. Written with fellow Canadian amateur Alan Dyer, it goes further in depth than does Nightwatch. Because it also goes into specifics in recommending telescopes and accessories, however, it quickly grew out of date. A somewhat updated and revised edition came out in 1994, but more than eight years have passed since then, and most of the models described there have been discontinued, although a few workhorses have continued to the present day.

Now, at last, this book is available in a true second edition. The changes are at once obvious and subtle. Obvious, in that the production is stunning: the old photos, mostly black-and-white, have been replaced by beautiful full-color images of the night sky and detailed diagrams of equipment. Subtle, in that the table of contents reads almost the same; it's not so much the inherent content that has changed so much as how it's presented.

One chapter from the first edition that has disappeared is one entitled "Ten Myths About Telescopes and Observing." In the first edition, this chapter was praised by reviewers and readers alike (and excoriated by some other readers, too!); it undoubtedly surpassed Dickinson and Dyer's expectations in terms of the amount of discussion it engendered. Whether you agree with them or not, they have at least educated their readers about the dispute over these myths. It's hardly the case that anyone makes claims like "Images Appear Brighter in Fast Telescopes" (Myth #2 from the 1994 edition) without being challenged.

Perhaps because of that, and also because Dickinson and Dyer may have felt that it was more important to make sure that beginners (who might buy this book without buying Nightwatch first) were able to use their equipment effectively, the myths chapter has been replaced by an introduction to using telescopes. Like all the other chapters, this one is lavishly illustrated and finely detailed, enough so that one can follow along, step-by-step, in assembling and orienting a telescope and its mount. For example, nearly a full page is devoted to getting a telescope on a GEM, or German Equatorial Mount, to cross the meridian, a tough task for beginners to figure out on their own.

Also substantially changed in presentation is the chapter on finding your way around the night sky. The vagaries of navigation, the celestial sphere, and the nightly movements of the planets, are here illustrated by several pages of diagrams, printed from a number of different planetarium programs. This book has definitely felt the impact of computer visualization of the sky.

Elsewhere, the material has been updated more than changed. New equipment has replaced old equipment, and some of that old equipment now appears in a "classics" category--things to look for in the used telescopes bin. There is a new spin on the chapter on accessories: these have been divided into must-haves, nice-to-haves, and don't-haves. (Much to my surprise, the two-dollar eye patch that I find so handy to relieve strain on my right eye--I'm left-eyed--has been unceremoniously dumped in the don't-have category.)

Should you buy this book? If you don't have it yet, and you'd like a comprehensive, easy-to-understand reference, this is the one. There really is nothing else like it on the market today. If you have one of the older editions, the decision is harder. Certainly, there's enough overlap that you can probably find out newer information from various sources without spending the same amount of money. But it's hard to get it all in one place, and the new edition certainly is a visual treat.

I picked this book up and didn't put it down until I had read it from front to back. It covers everything from equipment and star atlases, to techniques for finding objects and photographing them. Every page has wonderful illustrations, all photographed or drawn by backyard astronomers

Rather than spreading itself too thin, "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide" concentrates on backyard astronomy as a hobby, staying away from much of the science behind the objects we view. This is one of the book's best qualities. The science and naturalization of objects in the sky is important, but there are plenty of other books dealing with this subject.

The authors have a lot of experience in backyard astronomy, and it shows.

1. Nightwatch -by the same author- provides an introduction and star maps.

2. A pair of good 7X50 or 10X50 binoculars.

3. A red flashlight.

4. A subscription to Astronomy or Sky and Telescope.

5. This book. Period.

A definitive guide to amateur astronomy and probably the best available anywhere at any price.

My only small gripe with this book is that it repeats verbatim several chunks of Nightwatch, Dickinson's first book. Overall, this book provides more depth to subjects like buying telescopes, lenses, and more detailed descriptions of what you can see. I didn't find the format as visually pleasing as the spiral bound Nightwatch. Still, the pictures are great, the information written in the same clear style as Nightwatch -- there's something here for everyone. Beginners have a lot to learn, but even the advanced sky enthusiasts will pick up new and useful information. A good overview.

After purchasing a telescope and having absolutely no clue on what to do with it, I got this book. I found it to be written with a novice in mind and therefore the explanations weren't too technical. I enjoyed the book immensely.

I have bought around ten books on astronomy and this one is my favorite. It is a joy to read. It is written in a style of english that is understandable and a pleasure to read. It has hundreds of high quility pictures of state of the art information to date. It covers everything that you could possibly want to know about astronomy. It covers types of telescopes and which ones to stay away from buying to how to observe planets and deep sky objects. It covers the basics on how to use your first telescope. I love this book so much that I would recomend to anyone that want to know about the fun stuff that one would want to know on this subject. I'm not kidding this book is beautiful and I spend more time on this book reading over and over subjects that I want to know more about. If you want my honest opinion you will be very happy with this fine book.

Whether you are just getting into the hobby of astronomy, or a long-time observer, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is an excellent reference for:

buying telescopes or binoculars
learning the skies
any natural phenomenon, like the green flash
daytime observing
buying accessories for telescopes and binoculars
finding how the different types of telescopes work and what to look for in purchasing one

This book has detailed descriptions on every aspect of astronomy along with spectacular pictures of various Messier objects, daytime phenomenon, the Milky Way, famous nebula, star clusters, galaxies, and everything you could ever wonder about astronomy. I very strongly recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in astronomy.

Because Dickinson is such a well known writer on the subject of astronomy I ambled to this book with the feeling I was in the midst of a herd of heat-seeking sheep. And because I'm familiar with his work, I felt somewhat delinquent for waiting so long to join the crowd. I'm glad I finally did.

A book like this is not only perfect for the beginning novice who hasn't a clue about astronomy or the tools to engage it, but will also serve to enlighten the veteran observer, either by filling gaps in general knowledge, or by enhancing stale techniques.

There is nothing left out. Both basic and advanced perspectives, and everything in-between, including a comprehensive glossary of terms. Want to know the true definition of an Airy disk in easy to understand language? How about Wave analysis? Is 1/20th wave really that much better than 1/4? Several times I have gone back to this book to clarify an issue, or to answer a question, either for myself or for the benefit of a fellow observer. There are useful things here - for everyone.

It's a big book; an armful with which to unwind in a sofa or with a reading lamp in bed. It finds a place comfortably as a coffee table book, or something for the footstool until you arive - a great companion to that easy chair in the corner - and makes for cozy relaxation in almost any venue. It's a nice book to return to, and one that should maintain a place in the center bookshelves of our homes for decades to come.

There used to be five books on my list of essential reading for the amateur astronomer. Now there are six.

I picked up this book to learn about astronomy, because I knew very little at the time. This book is a great resource for those people who know next to nothing and want to learn a lot more about everything. Terence Dickinson's book provide information for all aspects of stargazing. Everything from picking and purchasing the right telescope or binocular and accessories, to introductory nighttime viewing under various conditions, with even some information on more advanced astronomical activities, such as astrophotography, are all covered in an easy to read, informative format. A great read for anyone wanting to break into the hobby, and a great reference for those with unanswered questions. Highly recommended.