Out of the Blue: A 24-Hour Skywatcher's Guide [Hardcover]

John Naylor (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521809258 | ISBN-13: 978-0521809252 | Publication Date: November 18, 2002

Why is the sky blue and why are sunsets red? When can I see a rainbow? Why is the moon sometimes visible in daylight? In Out of the Blue skywatcher John Naylor offers practical advice about where and when you can expect to see natural phenomena, what you will see and how to improve your chances of seeing it. Naylor takes in both the night and the day sky, and deals only with what can be seen with the naked eye. Drawing on science, history, literature and mythology, and assuming only basic scientific knowledge, Out of the Blue is for everyone who enjoys being outdoors and who feel curious or puzzled about things optical and astronomical. John Naylor was born in England, but spent his childhood in Peru. A graduate of London University with a degree in philosophy, he teaches physics at a secondary school in London.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This a great book for anyone who is interested in the sky, day or night...in addition to it being wonderfully written, it is packed full of colour photographs and illustrations..." Edmonton RASC Stardust

"A rich blend of description and explanation..." Science News

"Naylor's forte is providing practical advice.... The excellent color images and diagrams illustrate phenomena that many people may have seen without knowing a name or cause.... Recommended." Choice

"...useful and educating...well thought out and presented...brilliant presentation...this reviewer highly recommends this book to anyone who has an interest in visual phenomena." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Book Description

Why is the sky blue and sunsets red? Why is the moon sometimes visible in daylight? Skywatcher John Naylor offers practical advice about where and when you can expect to see natural phenomena. Taking in both the night and the day sky, he deals only with what can be seen with the naked eye. Drawing on science, history, literature and mythology, and written in a popular style assuming only basic scientific knowledge, Out of the Blue is for all those who are curious or puzzled about things optical and astronomical.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521809258
• ISBN-13: 978-0521809252
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have Read and Reference for Sky Watchers, June 26, 2008

By 

Sunny (Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of the Blue: A 24-Hour Skywatcher's Guide (Hardcover)

I first read this book over five years ago, and have kept it handy ever since. Yesterday, I saw my first circumhorizontal arc in the sky over Port Townsend, WA. Naylor's Out of the Blue had a beautiful picture of this phenomenon and a great description. Every atmospheric condition you could imagine is discussed and illustrated here. It is written for an educated layperson and its description of the physics will not offend a real physicist nor confound an amateur. The topics covered include daylight effects, shadows, mirages, sunset and sunrise phenomena, rainbows, the night sky, planets, stars, comets and meteors.

I bought this book on amazon several years ago, and have recently recommended it to a friend. Revisiting its listing on amazon, I find that no one has reviewed this wonderful book. Hard to believe! If you are a student, amateur astronomer (like me), or just a curious person you would enjoy this book.