A Field Guide to Stars and Planets (Field Guide to the Stars and Planets) (Paperback)

~ Jay M. Pasachoff Professor of Astronomy (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Editor), Wil Tirion (Illustrator) "I hope you will use this book to become familiar with the sky..." (more)
Key Phrases: monthly sky maps, oth magnitude, atlas charts, Atlas Chart, Milky Way, Double Stars Variable Stars (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent introduction to astronomy for beginners and a field guide for experts." -- -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"An excellent introduction to astronomy for beginners and a field guide for experts." -- Review

"Brimming with dazzling celestial photographs and timely astronomical information, the newly revised Peterson Field Guide to the Stars and Planets is a must-have resource for any amateur stargazer." -- -- Country Living Gardener

Review

"Brimming with dazzling celestial photographs and timely astronomical information, the newly revised Peterson Field Guide to the Stars and Planets is a must-have resource for any amateur stargazer." Country Living Gardener

"An excellent introduction to astronomy for beginners and a field guide for experts." St. Louis Post-Dispatch

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Paperback: 592 pages Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 4th,Updated edition (November 23, 1999) Language: English ISBN-10: 0395934311 ISBN-13: 978-0395934319 Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.6 x 1.2 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,090 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #60 in  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Star-Gazing

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
I hope you will use this book to become familiar with the sky. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
monthly sky maps, oth magnitude, atlas charts, midnorthern latitudes, galactic equator, rich open cluster, eclipsing variable, partial phases, star atlas, arc min, partial lunar eclipse, arc sec, seen initials, emission nebula, apparent solar time, globular cluster, barred spiral galaxy, moon map, solar filter, variable stars, dark nebulae, total brightness, double cluster, total lunar eclipse, planetary nebula

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Atlas Chart, Milky Way, Double Stars Variable Stars, Ursa Major, Constellation Bright Nebulae Boundaries, Big Dipper, Upsilon Open Clusters Globular Clusters Quasar, Canis Major, Upsilon Quasar, Akira Fujii, Local Standard Time, Orion Nebula, Virgo Cluster, Beta Kappa, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Large Magellanic Cloud, Sky Map, Graphic Timetable, North America, Daniel Good, South America, Great Red Spot, Local Daylight Time, Wil Tirion

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 21 books:

• The Solar System (with AceAstronomy™, Virtual Astronomy Labs Printed Access Card) by Michael A. Seeds in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• The Caldwell Catalogue by Patrick Moore on page 205
• The Guide to Amateur Astronomy by Jack Newton in Back Matter
• Star Atlas by Rh Value Publishing in Back Matter
• Astronomy on the Personal Computer by Oliver Montenbruck in Back Matter

See all 21 books this book cites

 

55 books cite this book:

• Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects by Christian B. Luginbuhl on page 3, and Back Matter
• The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Terence Dickinson on page 229, and Back Matter
• Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order by George Johnson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• Complete Idiot's Guide to the Sun by Jay M. Pasachoff in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
• The Stargazing Year: A Backyard Astronomer's Journey Through the Seasons of the Night Sky by Charles Laird Calia in Back Matter

See all 55 books citing this book

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook by Arthur P. Norton

Discusses:

• galactic equator
• rich open cluster
• eclipsing variable

Turn Left at Orion by Guy J. Consolmagno

Discusses:

• eclipsing variable
• star atlas
• arc min

The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Terence Dickinson

Discusses:

• atlas charts
• midnorthern latitudes
• galactic equator

Astronomy by Dinah L. Moché

Discusses:

• midnorthern latitudes
• star atlas
• emission nebula

Astronomy For Dummies by Stephen P. Maran

Discusses:

• galactic equator
• partial phases
• star atlas

Deep-Sky Companions by Stephen James O'Meara

Discusses:

• midnorthern latitudes
• rich open cluster
• emission nebula

Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook by Arthur P. Norton Discusses: galactic equator rich open cluster eclipsing variable Turn Left at Orion by Guy J. Consolmagno Discusses: eclipsing variable star atlas arc min The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Terence Dickinson Discusses: atlas charts midnorthern latitudes galactic equator Astronomy by Dinah L. Moché Discusses: midnorthern latitudes star atlas emission nebula Loading...

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews 5 star:  (15) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (3) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 64 of 66 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Great reference but poor for use in the field, September 24, 2001 By  Colin Banfield "colin_banfield" (Kanata, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews This review is for the softcover version. I feel almost bad to give this great guide 3 stars. The book contains a lot of very good information - more so than many books several times larger. As such, it's an excellent reference for beginner and more advanced user alike. However, the book fails miserably for field use, which, ironically, it is supposed to be designed for. The cover frays and acquires "dog-ears" in a relatively short time of field use. In contrast, the Audubon field guides use a much more resilient plastic softcover. The pages smude easily from finger oils - remember, this is a guide you should be able to use for 8 years or so (until the next edition) so these are unacceptable shortcomings IMHO. By far the biggest gripe I have with this book, however, is the the choice of red to identify galaxies, star clusters etc in the atlas charts. These marks completely disappear under red light(!!!), making the charts useless for finding deep sky objects in the field. Finally, how are you supposed to operate equipment and keep the book open? Because it lacks spiral binding, the only way to use it hands-off is to put a weight on the page you're referencing. If you're looking for a great reference to use at home, this guide is hard to beat - in fact, I highly recommend it. However, look elsewhere for more useful star charts with deep sky objects to use in the field. 20 of 21 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Bigger and Better than ever, November 25, 1999 By  Bruce Appelbaum (Yorktown Heights, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    The new 4th edition of this field guide has been expanded by 100 pages, and the star maps are now in color. It has been updated, with new and better photos. A little more pricey than the previous edition, but the added and enhanced content makes it a tremendous value. A terrific introduction to astronomy that deserves a place in every star-gazer's library. 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my "desert island" books., May 6, 2004 By  Gavin Scott (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Amazon Verified Purchase If I had to choose a small number of books to take with me into exile on some deserted island somewhere, this would definitely be one of them (and offhand I'm not sure I can name any others). An entire astronomy library packed into a single portable field guide, Jay Pasachoff's entry in the Peterson Field Guide series is a delightful introduction to, and reference for, the universe revealed in the night sky. If you have any interest in astronomy at all, you can always find something in here to look at or just to sit and ponder about. Besides the obvious things like monthly star charts for both northern and southern hemispheres, the book contains a complete 52 chart atlas of the sky put together by Wil Tirion with notes on objects in each chart, clever finder charts and tables for the planets for a ten year period, history and lore of the naming of the constallations, many, many photographs of astronomical objects taken by Hubble and other telescopes, an atlas of the moon, and many enlightening charts and tables of things like details of the brightest/nearest stars, the planets and their moons, and so on. There's a section on each of the planets, and of course lots of coverage of the sun and eclipses of the sun and moon. It always surprises me that this book doesn't seem to get as much respect in astronomical circles as I think it deserves. While you can certainly fill a library with astronomical books and atlases that are better than this field guide in any one area, you will not do better than this book in stuffing all of that information together in one "to go" package. An excellent gift for a child starting to get interested in science and the world at large. I could go on, but you should just buy the book and see for yourself :-) G.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Guide to the Stars Well written and very descriptive! Easy to understand! Beginners might be a little overwhelmed, but can still find it useful, especially if you intend to continue with astronomy. Published 1 month ago by John, CO 5.0 out of 5 stars Learning the night sky. The Petersen Field Guide to Stars and Planets does not disappoint. I have read quite a few books about what we see and what to look for in the night sky, but this one is the best... Read more Published 3 months ago by Paul Updike 5.0 out of 5 stars A must have book This book is the foundation of my astronomy books. Until now, I have been using an earlier (around 1980 I think) edition that I bought in college. Read more Published 17 months ago by oldwolf 3.0 out of 5 stars I am sorry I bought this book and I wish I'd paid more attention to three-star reviews. The good news is that A FIELD GUIDE TO STARS AND PLANETS is a dynamo of facts, figures and photos and an amazing value... Read more Published 18 months ago by Allen Smalling 4.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference! This is a great, little reference book for stargazers. It contains nice images and lots of information. Read more Published 20 months ago by Arcturus70 5.0 out of 5 stars perfect This guide was used, but it looked brand spanking new to me. Arrived on time & worked great for my Astronomy class. Great color pics & good price. thanks! Published 22 months ago by A. Pacheco 4.0 out of 5 stars excellent guide to astronomy I found this book has a lot of interesting and useful information. It also shows planetary positions till 2014. The atlas is a little crammed at ~2. Read more Published on May 12, 2006 by Tim 5.0 out of 5 stars It had what I wanted! It had, specifically, the moons of the planets that I had been working on; it saved me a lot of hunting around for them. Now I have it for future reference. -- Ray Tetrault Published on October 5, 2005 by Raymond Tetrault 5.0 out of 5 stars Supreme writing and wonderful pictures This was a great astronomy book that i used countless times with my telescope. without this book i would not be able to know where almost half the stars in the sky are. Read more Published on May 22, 2004 by Clinton Edminster 4.0 out of 5 stars For those serious about learning astronomy For the very new to star charts and guides, this was a bit daunting at first. It is not a quickie guide. Read more Published on January 12, 2004 by Cym C. Mitch Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 4th,Updated edition (November 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395934311
• ISBN-13: 978-0395934319
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,090 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #60 in

  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Star-Gazing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great reference but poor for use in the field, September 24, 2001

By	Colin Banfield "colin_banfield" (Kanata, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is for the softcover version. I feel almost bad to give this great guide 3 stars. The book contains a lot of very good information - more so than many books several times larger. As such, it's an excellent reference for beginner and more advanced user alike. However, the book fails miserably for field use, which, ironically, it is supposed to be designed for.

The cover frays and acquires "dog-ears" in a relatively short time of field use. In contrast, the Audubon field guides use a much more resilient plastic softcover. The pages smude easily from finger oils - remember, this is a guide you should be able to use for 8 years or so (until the next edition) so these are unacceptable shortcomings IMHO. By far the biggest gripe I have with this book, however, is the the choice of red to identify galaxies, star clusters etc in the atlas charts. These marks completely disappear under red light(!!!), making the charts useless for finding deep sky objects in the field. Finally, how are you supposed to operate equipment and keep the book open? Because it lacks spiral binding, the only way to use it hands-off is to put a weight on the page you're referencing.

If you're looking for a great reference to use at home, this guide is hard to beat - in fact, I highly recommend it. However, look elsewhere for more useful star charts with deep sky objects to use in the field.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bigger and Better than ever, November 25, 1999

By	Bruce Appelbaum (Yorktown Heights, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The new 4th edition of this field guide has been expanded by 100 pages, and the star maps are now in color. It has been updated, with new and better photos. A little more pricey than the previous edition, but the added and enhanced content makes it a tremendous value.

A terrific introduction to astronomy that deserves a place in every star-gazer's library.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my "desert island" books., May 6, 2004

By	Gavin Scott (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

If I had to choose a small number of books to take with me into exile on some deserted island somewhere, this would definitely be one of them (and offhand I'm not sure I can name any others).

An entire astronomy library packed into a single portable field guide, Jay Pasachoff's entry in the Peterson Field Guide series is a delightful introduction to, and reference for, the universe revealed in the night sky.

If you have any interest in astronomy at all, you can always find something in here to look at or just to sit and ponder about.

Besides the obvious things like monthly star charts for both northern and southern hemispheres, the book contains a complete 52 chart atlas of the sky put together by Wil Tirion with notes on objects in each chart, clever finder charts and tables for the planets for a ten year period, history and lore of the naming of the constallations, many, many photographs of astronomical objects taken by Hubble and other telescopes, an atlas of the moon, and many enlightening charts and tables of things like details of the brightest/nearest stars, the planets and their moons, and so on.

There's a section on each of the planets, and of course lots of coverage of the sun and eclipses of the sun and moon.

It always surprises me that this book doesn't seem to get as much respect in astronomical circles as I think it deserves. While you can certainly fill a library with astronomical books and atlases that are better than this field guide in any one area, you will not do better than this book in stuffing all of that information together in one "to go" package.

An excellent gift for a child starting to get interested in science and the world at large.

I could go on, but you should just buy the book and see for yourself :-)

G.