Customer Reviews

The Penguin Dictionary of Astronomy (Penguin Reference)

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This book is one of the first *serious* non-hardcover, no-pictures purse-size dictionary of modern Astronomy that I've yet found.

Although the entries can tend to be quite short, it lists entries from "AAO" (Anglo-Australian Observatory) to "ZZ Ceti star." As this is the Third Edition, Jacqueline Mitton has had time to refine, streamline, and update the information within.

This is a fun book to browse through; it's in a straightforward dictionary style. There are some helpful Tables in the back, the usual stuff of Astronomy books: Units of measurements and conversion factors; brightest stars in the night sky; full list of the Constellations; characteristics of the inner and outer planets, tables on the natural satellites and rings of the planets.

The entries are well written, and with a style that shows Jacqueline Mitton enjoys her work.

Note: The book is British (Look for "The Plough", "The Big Dipper", "Ursa Major", "Big Bear")

Recommended for people of any age and background who have even the slightest interest in Astronomy.