The Modern Moon: A Personal View (Hardcover)

by Charles A. Wood (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Charles Wood’s Exploring the Moon column in Sky & Telescope magazine delights readers each month. Now Wood brings his insightful and clear prose about our closest celestial neighbor to you in this new book. Drawing on both traditional telescopic observations of the Moon and the modern explorations of the Apollo, Clementine, and Lunar Prospector missions, The Modern Moon: A Personal View is an authoritative guidebook that tells readers both what to look for and why to look. Set up your telescope and let Wood unravel the Moon’s complex past as you gaze at lunar vistas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Sky Publishing (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933346999
• ISBN-13: 978-0933346994
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #369,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best lunar guide for amateur astronomers, June 18, 2004

By	Zhimbo "zhimbo" (New Hampshire USA) - See all my reviews

Readers of Wood's Sky and Telescope columns won't be suprised that this is a great book.

The Moon is a spectacular telescopic object, but the wealth of detail is overwhelming, and the amateur observer is likely to simply say "Wow", look, then move on. Wood's book does a terrific job of bringing meaning to chaos, describing the science behind the spectacular features everyone has seen, and pointing out the subtle but interesting features a casual observer is likely to miss.

Instead of being a simple encyclopedia of visual features, the book is organized such that "stories" about the moon's geology emerge. It isn't fully comprehensive, and so would be complemented well by a detailed atlas/encyclopedia, but as a guide for the interested amateur astronomer, it can't be beat.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern moon, November 3, 2006

By	Descarte (Olathe, Kansas USA) - See all my reviews

The title of this book suggests that the reader will be regaled by the author with possibly some off-beat notions and theories, quite the opposite is true. This reference contains an accurate review of lunar geography from a historical perspective, giving a fair airing to the lunar volcanist theories that existed up until quite recently and then launches into a very descriptive examination of the lunar surface. The book is divided into sections which relate to the lunar geography and take the reader be they casual or serious through the features and structures of our nearest neighbor. If you read Charles Wood in Sky & Telescope you will know of his feelings towards NASA and some of the recent decisions that NASA have taken do not fit with Mr. Woods outlook, however he does not allow these views to over color this otherwise excellent reference. Do buy it withAnton Rukl's moon atlas as the two dovetail perfectly if you are a serious moonologist(!)
A greta reference and a good pick up casual read as well. Highly reccomended.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enlightened view, March 18, 2006

By	Needtono - See all my reviews

The author takes no prisoners in this refreshiing review of the exploration of the moon and significant scientific understandings that have occurred with the various lunar expeditions. A good read that makes the science easier to digest.