Binocular Stargazing [Paperback]

Mike D. Reynolds (Author), David H. Levy (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2005

A guide to viewing stars, the moon, planets, meteors, comets, and aurora through binoculars

Features a foreword by renowned astronomer and writer David Levy

Includes a complete guide to current binocular brands and models and explains what to look for in each season

Many people assume that amateur stargazers must invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars in equipment before they can enjoy the wonders of the night sky. The truth is, though, that all you need is a simple pair of binoculars. This handy, easy-to-follow guide explains how to observe everything from the moon to meteor showers with binoculars and provides safety tips for viewing eclipses. It also includes separate sections for winter, spring, summer, and fall that give advice on what to look for and how to optimize your viewing. Ideal for budding astronomers of all ages, Binocular Stargazing is the perfect way to see the night sky through new eyes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike D. Reynolds is an astronomy professor and executive director emeritus of the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. He is the author of numerous scientific publications, as well as the book Falling Stars (0-8117-2755-6). He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811731367
• ISBN-13: 978-0811731362
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy & Space Science > Star-Gazing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stargazing, August 4, 2008

By 

A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Binocular Stargazing (Paperback)

The nighttime sky is truly a wonder to behold, and for a young boy just starting a lifetime of discovery, my dad's old binoculars were all I needed. When you read about the latest discovery with the Hubble space telescope, you might think that the only things worth looking at are with the biggest, best, and most expensive equipment, but it simply isn't true. If you are just getting interested in astronomy, you might want to consider Binocular Stargazing by Mike D. Reynolds.

Why start with binoculars? 1. A pair of binoculars of reasonable quality can be bought for under $[...]; a telescope of reasonable quality can cost twice as much, or much more. 2. Binoculars are easier to learn to use than a telescope. 3. Objects are easier to find with a standard pair of binoculars than a telescope, and allows a novice to begin to learn the night sky and navigate from object to object. 4. If you decide that astronomy is not for you, you can always use the binoculars for other things, and 5. Two eyes are simply better than one.

Many amateur astronomers keep a pair of binoculars when out observing. Binoculars can be useful for first examining a part of the sky before an object is located. And when that occasional fireball appears, a pair of binoculars is useful for examining the smoke trail, or train, often left behind--and if you are quick enough, the meteor itself.

Most of us have looked up at the night sky and seen what is commonly called a falling or shooting star. These momentary streaks occur when meteors, objects ranging from the size of dust particles to fist-size masses, enter the earth's atmosphere and are heated to incandescence. Few of these objects survive their encounter with our atmosphere.

What we see on earth is a streak of light that lasts about a half second on average -- generally speaking, the larger the material that enters the atmosphere, the brighter the meteor. Brighter meteors will occasionally leave a smoke trail in their path lasting a few seconds; trails produced by very bright meteors, referred to as fireballs, may last minutes. Fireballs that appear to break up, or produce sound, are called bolides.

One of the most prolific meteor showers known as the Perseids occurs in August. The Perseids are so called because the point they appear to come from lies in the constellation Perseus. Meteor showers occur when Earth moves through a meteor stream. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the greatest activity between August 8 and 14, peaking about August 12. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. To experience the shower in its full, one should observe in the dark of a clear moonless night, from a point far outside any large cities, where stars are not dimmed by light pollution-such as Cherry Springs state park.

If you are looking for a good introduction to the wonderful world of meteors and meteorite collecting, check out Falling Stars, A Guide to Meteors & Meteorites by Mike D. Reynolds. There are a number of good books out there on this subject, but this one is a handy quick reference guide for novices and those interested in learning about the origins of these interesting pieces of rock from space. It gives a brief overview of meteors and comets, descriptions of major meteor showers, major impact craters, and famous meteorite falls, as well as a breakdown of the various types of meteorites.

Backyard astronomy can be easy and fun. I'm going to make myself a big bowl of popcorn, drag my Barcaloungerä into the backyard and catch a FREE midnight show.

Kevin Coolidge wishes for clear skies at www.frommyshelf.blogspot.com

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars on this topic- its an ok book, May 5, 2010

By 

Karlton - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Binocular Stargazing (Paperback)

This book is all theory! It is not the book you take with you, it is the book you read to decide what objects you want to hunt for. This book is your pre game, the star chart (NOT INCLUDED) with your highlighted points is your main event. At first I thought this book was useless, and it might be, but I bought it so I figured I better use it, and there is a good 50 pages worth of potentially useful information. In particular he lists things to look for and tell you their location. There is also a good description of the size and brightness of objects so you know what you are getting into. The other 150 pages are just filler information- for example there is a bit on how the eye works! Oh yeah, Its that awesome! (there is a nice bit on the moon though) On the scale of books, if a Five-Star was a book that hovered in the air, held the binoculars to my face and turned my head, and a One-Star was a book that kept spontaneously catching on fire - I guess this would be some where in-between.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference, February 26, 2008

By 

J. Loud "Jacqueline L Loud" (Morgantown WV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Binocular Stargazing (Paperback)

I purchased this book as a gift for my husband. He was not extremely impressed but did mention that it was a handy book for reference on our frequent camping trips. I think most would enjoy it but it is a bit deep for me.