With a comprehensive table outlining when to watch for meteor showers and a special mini-almanac pinpointing the solar and lunar eclipses of the planets, this updated book is the amateur astronomer's essential guide. Fully updated to include the latest information on forthcoming comets.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
nice, simple, clear beginner's guide,
By ltp1 "ltp1" (Manchester, NH USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Your Guide to the Sky (Paperback)
This is one of those books from which you can take as much or as little as you want. Shaffer is not intent on making an in-depth astronomer out of everyone (although if that's what you're bound for, this book will be a fine first leg up). His presentation is clear and friendly, good for browsing, for reference, or for reading straight through. Use it however suits you.The first three chapters cover basics -- longitude and latitude and why they matter; how to read sky maps; paths of the sun, moon, and planets; basic terms; how telescopes work; etc. These might sound like intimidating topics but they're covered in just enough depth and not a bit more (e.g. "A Very Short Primer on Light"). A nice feature is on page two, a section titled "If You're in a BIG Hurry, What to Read First" (i.e. what parts of this book). After discussion of telescopes, including how to choose one and what to do with it, there are five chapters on sky-watching. First there's the close stuff: artificial satellites, the moon... and then there's the farther away stuff: planets, stars, nebulas, groups of galaxies. There's a sky map for each month; the maps are easy to read. Beginner that I was, with this book I was able to identify a few stars I'd noticed several nights in a row -- turned out to be one side of Orion. The fact that what I saw in the sky was recognizable on the map here is a big plus. This is a book that will last you long past the very-beginner stage.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great place to start,
This review is from: Your Guide To the Sky (Paperback)
If you're new to backyard astronomy and are seeking a guide, here's the ticket. This covers all the bases, from the moon, sun, planets, and constellations to the locations of deep-sky objects, from lunar and solar observations to how to pick and set up the appropriate telescope (good information from a man who has designed award-winning telescopes). Shaffer starts at the beginning with the basic layout of the night sky and continues into greater detail without getting overly technical or confusing the neophyte. Every topic is presented in a friendly and engaging manner, with touches of dry humor, that eases the unfamiliar into the techniques of backyard astronomy without overwhelming them. Along the way he adds details about general scientific concepts as needed (such as explaining photons and spectrums) and includes sky maps, charts, graphs and other things to help guide the reader.An altogether excellent guide.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great guide to the sky!,
This review is from: Your Guide To the Sky (Paperback)
If you're looking for a book that gives clear, consice information/advice about what telescope or binoculars to get, this book is for you. If you already have a telescope or binoculars, this book will tell you how to use them. Even if you just want to know more on how to stargaze, or what things are in the night sky, this book is for you. When I got into astronomy, this was the first book I read, and it was very helpful in getting me started.
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