Review
From the reviews:
"Most astronomy books focus on one particular area of observing. Michael Maunder’s book covers virtually everything. Subtitled Identifying and Understanding Astronomical and Meteorological Phenomena, it not only covers the usual suspects like galaxies, comets, meteors and satellites, but also a whole range of weather-related phenomena such as aurorae, noctilucent clouds and solar effects. … We did find the book useful-and it certainly makes you pay mare attention to the sky in the hope of spotting something different." (Paul Money, BBC Sky at Night, March, 2008)
"A book … about things one sees in the sky. Amateur astronomers and others who scan the night sky with regularity will find the book very useful and instructive … . deserves to be one of the books on practical astronomy included in the series recommended by eminent English astronomer Sir Patrick Moore, and it would be an asset to any library. Filled with illustrations, mostly in color, it should be educational for any inexperienced stargazer. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty." (A. R. Upgren, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (9), 2008)
"The author has made a sincere attempt to cover every possible facet of the subject. With a systematic approach, all aspects are listed – atmospheric, meteorological, optical illusions, aircraft, you name it. … In fact, the pictures are uniformly good and nearly all in colour … . the illustrations alone will qualify it for a place on my bookshelf." (A J Mullay, Astronomy Now, July, 2008)
"Lights in the Sky is essentially a field guide to natural sky light – 14 chapters of the whys and wherefores of everything from auroras to zodiacal lights. … People who look at the sky are big-picture people anyway. If you’re one of those types, this book is for you." (Jeff Kanipe, Sky and Telescope, October, 2008)
"The book describes the myriad glows, bows, halos, and glories that grace the daytime and night sky. For convenience these are divided up into the dawn glows, daytime glows, dusk glows, and night lights. … This book provides a useful and practical guide to observing a wide range of atmospheric and astronomical phenomena — and understanding what produces them." (Chris Lloyd, The Observatory, Vol. 129 (1209), April, 2009)
From the Back Cover
Amateur astronomers spend a lot of their time observing the sky, but not everything up there is necessarily an astronomical phenomenon. Nor is everything immediately identifiable. How many people can tell the difference between a Sun Dog and a Glory - both meteorological phenomena? Or between the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein, which are astronomical?
Lights in the Sky is a truly comprehensive guide to observing, identifying, and imaging sky glows and other unusual atmospheric/astronomical phenomena, in both the night and daytime skies.
If, as a practical observer, you want to be able to identify what it is when you are faced, for example, with the Specter of the Brocken - or with an unidentified flying object that is...well, unidentified...then Lights in the Sky will provide all the practical scientific information you need.
