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63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
Plenty of information for the money., January 27, 1999
By A Customer
The subtitle "A Beginner's Guide to Observing the Cosmos" could have omitted the word "beginner's." This book packs a lot of information for the experienced amateur. The text goes much deeper than the little techniques we have seen in other observing guides, like averted vision and proper dark adaptation. It provides specific recommendations for most types of celestial targets suitable for amateur telescopes.The book reveals its age and could stand an updated edition. Technology moves quickly, and many of today's computer capabilities and newer telescope and eyepiece designs are not covered in the chapter on Astronomical Telescopes. Also, the Appendix lists the planet locations starting in Jan 1988 and ending in Dec 2000. This is forgivable, since the main thrust is not on the equipment, but how best to use it. The author stresses training the eye and a systematic thoroughness when at the eyepiece, and one starts to feel that the concept of "fun observing" would seem an oxymoron in this volume. Pardon my saying, but this does not seem inconsistent with his being English. On the other hand, he reveals his own romantic enthusiasm when describing celestial objects such as certain double stars. "A most beautiful double, clear white and pale blue, in a low-power field that includes several faint pairs. The whole effect is superb." Speaking of double stars, the book is worth the price if these are your only interest. At 59 pages, Observing Double and Multiple Stars is the book's longest chapter, and provides an excellent list with descriptions. The list and descriptions in the chapter on Clusters, Nebulae, and Galaxies is also well suited for amateurs, most visible with scopes of 200mm aperture or less and many with higher quality scopes of 75mm or less. There is also a chapter called Windows into space, which includes ten sample star charts to the 7th magnitude and lists of double stars, Clusters, and Nebulae (heavy on the double stars). In the end I must admit that the often-wearisome training to becoming proficient with observing techniques does allow one to see beauty where others only see "faint fuzzies."
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