Customer Reviews

A Walk through the Heavens: A Guide to Stars and Constellations and their Legends

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Undoubtedly lots of beginning astronomers will be trying to decide between Rey's book "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" and Heifetz/Tirion's "A Walk Through the Heavens". I just wanted to point out something that could be a deciding factor for some people: "A Walk Through the Heavens" teaches you to find contellations which are drawn using the time-tested line segments between the stars of the constellations. In other words, the connections between the stars in any given constellation are the "traditional" connections. As an astronomy purist, this is the way I prefer to see them.

In contrast, H.A. Rey used his imagination to re-draw the line segments between the stars in his book "The Stars: A New Way to See Them". Put another way, Rey diverges from the accepted norm in that the connections between the stars in any given constellation are drawn differently than the accepted connections. That means if you look at a planisphere or any other observing aid, the constellations' connections will be drawn differently than in Rey's book (but will appear the same as they do in "A Walk Through the Heavens").

That said, some people find Rey's "new way" easier since Rey's constellation connections are more intuitive for some people to grasp. But if you learn from Rey's book then be prepared to re-learn the conventional constellation segments once you graduate to any other astronomical reference.

This little book is an excellent way for beginners to learn the relationships between common constellations and star groups, and the price is right! It has basic iformation on the legends associated with the constellations, and thus would be a good choice for a teacher who wanted to introduce the sky to students.

Those who consider this a really good beginners' book must not have seen Hans Rey's classic "Find the Constellations" or "The Stars: A New Way to See Them".
The latter book was "new" generations ago when my now grown children marveled at the heavens using our heavily worn hard copy of "The Stars" with Rey, and is now collecting grubby fingerprints from the frequent use by my grandchildren in our original and several paperback copies.
Part 2 of the Heifetz/Tirion book uses a labored method of originating and extending lines all over the sky from "Star n" of Asterism "m" through several other hard to define positions of far removed stars and further on to numbered or named stars in destination constellations for its "Walk Through the Heavens".
Too complicated for the purpose for beginners.
One could spend all night trying to imagine these lines in the sky while a few minutes with either of the Rey books would have the beginner naming and knowing half a dozen constellations and then star hopping to others.
Parts 1, 3 and 4 save the book. Part 3, the section on Legends of the Heavens, Milky Way, etc. is very good. Part 4, sort of a Misc. chapter has a small collection of good viewing information.
The book is a good buy, but the Rey books are a lot better for learning the constellations for any age group, and only slightly more expensive.
The Time-Life Skywatching/Advanced Skywatching volumes for a few more bucks are a little more advanced but orders of magnitude better for beginning teenagers, adults or advanced elementary schoolers and provide a lot more bang for your buck.

Very good introduction to visual stargazing, and a required orientation to the night sky. I used to recommend the Rey book first for beginner's, but after reading this one, I'd have to give it the nod, although the candor and increased detail in the Rey book make it worth owning as well. My only gripe with this book is the liberty taken with presentation of the constellation legends, where the author felt that he needed to "remove violence" from the stories! A little arrogant, I thought...

...Or at least, it will help you to identify them.

I have always been interested on space. However, I have never taken a single astronomy class, and there is a huge difference between knowing about astronomical objects and identifying them on the sky. I had seen some maps, but they were overwhelming.

This book changed it all. It starts with identifying one constellation, and from there it takes you to many stars. It is a very useful first step.

A great companion book for this one is "Secrets of the Night Sky". As I told in my review of that one, "A Walkthrough" will show you how to locate stuff. "Secrets" will let you know what you are watching.

I like to look at the constellations in my backyard. In other books, the constellations are presented separately, and you have to guestimate where they are. This book shows you one constellation, and then shows you how to line up the stars for the next one. For example, most people can find the big dipper, and from there most people can line up the stars on the front of the dipper part, and be directed to the North Star. Well, this book shows that if you follow the curve of the handle, you can find the star Arturus, in the constellation Bootes. All the constellations in this book are connected this way, so that you don't have to guess where they are anymore. Every constellation points to another.

Also, most books have the stars on a dark blue background with black writing. It's hard to read. This has the stars white, on a light lavender background, so the black and white writing stands out much better. All in all, it make the diagrams much easier on the eyes. I am going to try to learn one constellation each night.

This book makes finding constellations in the Northern Hemisphere(the author has a similar book for the Southern Hemisphere)an interesting and successful endeavor. It is not just for youngsters, but for anyone with an interest in learning how to find constellations and the names of the major stars. The diagrams illustrate the relationships between stars and constellations in simple drawings that make it like an easy-to-read roadmap. It builds from the pointer stars of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) to all the constellations and how to find them. Instead of frustration and doubt you'll feel the exhilaration of discovery.

Besides the stars and their relationships to each other, there is also a "Legends of the Heavens" section that tells the myths and stories of the major constellations. They are fascinating and not limited to children. This book can open up the heavens for anyone who wonders about the stars. It can lay a foundation by simplifying the sky. Once these basics are learned, the universe and hobby of astronomy can be pursued to whatever depth you want. This book is a MUST for anyone wanting to be successful in satisfying their curiosity about the locations of constellations and their relationships to each other.

A superb introduction to Astronomy. I would consider myself just shy of a subject matter expert and I purchased it to introduce it to my wife. It is a great introductory piece that covers the basics. It does not include all the detailed specifics that some people look for. It is short and to the point, but it will really keep the reader turning the pages. If only I could use this to teach from! I love the lore aspect of the book as it helps to also educate on Greek mythology.

This book is an excellent reference and supplement to existing materials. It gives not only constellations, but the major navigationsal stars (e.g. Arcturus, Capella, Spica, etc.) assoicated with the asterisms. It also gives good tips about locating these objects. I give this book a good recommendation.

One of the best, if not the best, book I have found to easily teach you the night sky and how to find and identify the Constellations. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to learn the night sky easily and complete. A++++