The Starry Room: Naked Eye Astronomy in the Intimate Universe [Paperback]

Fred Schaaf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 6, 2002

Inspiring, enriching essays describe the amazing features of the night sky, telling beginning star-gazers where to look for and how to find specific celestial objects with the naked eye. No particular knowledge of astronomy is needed to understand the book and most technical expressions are explained as they appear in the text. 5 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With the unaided eye, it is possible to see moons of other planets, a touch of violet in the Great Orion Nebula or surface features of the moon. Beautifully written and illustrated, this primer on naked-eye astronomy reclaims the starry skies for the lay person. Schaaf, who writes on star-gazing for the Old Farmers Almanac and Mother Earth News , was formerly a columnist for Astronomy. With an amateur's enthusiasm and a professional's breadth of knowledge, he describes his firsthand experience watching meteor showers, fireballs, eclipses, comets, planets, rainbows and halo phenomena like mock suns. He dispenses practical advice on the best times and conditions to catch sight of these and other celestial sights. His easygoing essays are full of enchantment both for devoted watchers of the heavens and for those who don't yet gaze upward.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (December 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486425533
• ISBN-13: 978-0486425535
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern-day classic, April 14, 2005

By 

M. T. Fouts "tokyotodd" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Starry Room: Naked Eye Astronomy in the Intimate Universe (Paperback)

There are three books I read again every year: Baseball Anecdotes by Daniel Okrent and Steve Wulf; Be True to Your School by Bob Greene; and the Starry Room by Fred Schaaf. Only one of them moves me to tears on the very first page. If you have ever stood at the edge of the woods at night, gazed up at the stars, and trembled with reverence and awe, perhaps even fear - Fred Schaaf's prose will not only return you to that sacred moment but sweep you up and into the midst of that very sky. The intimate universe awaits.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and fascinating read for both new and seasoned star gazers, September 26, 2010

By 

cincosauces - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Starry Room: Naked Eye Astronomy in the Intimate Universe (Paperback)

I am surprised that this book has so far one review (well, now two!), since it is such a fascinating read for everyone interested in astronomy. Not only newcomers, but also seasoned stargazers will find this book interesting and inspiring. The book is structured as well written essays focusing in different phenomena that can be enjoyed with the naked eye, such as rainbows, meteors, planets, stars and comets. The author cheerfully conveys the message that there is a lot of pleasure and reward in observing the sky with the naked eye and tells you why and how you can also enjoy it. I have been an amateur astronomer for more than 25 years and I know that amateur astronomy can easily degenerate into a race for more sophisticated and expensive equipment. In the opposite side of that nonsense you will find this book raising awareness on the true value and pleasure of star gazing: that of finding awe, inspiration and enriching experiences through the knowledge of the skies. I am grateful to Fred Schaaf for that.