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Category >> | Getting Started in Sky Watching | |
There's no better way to learn about skywatching and the night sky than with a good book. | ||
Nightwatch -- New 5th Edition (2023) A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe by Terence Dickinson (Author), Ken Hewitt-White (Author), Richard Tresch Fienberg (Foreword) 208 pages, 5th Edition, September 2023. Revised 5th Edition updated for use through 2035. Level: Beginner to Intermediate Highly Recommended List Price: Amazon Price: Click Here & Save Average customer rating: More info (Concealed Wiro-Bound Hardcover): click here Also available at: Amazon.co.uk (UK) Stargazing enthusiasts of all levels of experience will discover much of value in an enduring reference conceived by one of the most respected names in amateur astronomy. This must-have Fifth Edition includes:
Much has happened in this popular hobby since the revised Fourth Edition of NightWatch was published in 2006. In response, the text has been substantially revised and updated throughout all 13 chapters. Moreover, the book has been completely redesigned and most of its many photographs have been replaced. A noted feature is the variety of superb astrophotos of star clusters, nebulas, galaxies and other celestial phenomena taken by accomplished amateur astronomers. Lavishly illustrated sections on the Moon and planets will inspire novice observers of the solar system. To accommodate the extensive revisions, NightWatch has grown from 192 pages to 208 pages. With the release of the Fifth Edition, we are also launching a new website, NightWatchBook.com, that will offer links to additional resources and will be regularly updated with information on new celestial events and equipment. Since the First Edition of NightWatch was released in 1983, the most significant transformations in amateur astronomy have been in optics and technology. For all the latest on gadgets and gear, renowned astrophotographer Alan Dyer, Dickinson's coauthor of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, has contributed an entirely new chapter on basic digital astrophotography. Dyer has also modernized a key portion of an enlarged chapter on stargazing equipment, creating a welcoming place in NightWatch for today's computerized telescopes.
Amazon.com Customer Comment (previous edition): The overwhelming number of reviews for this book on Amazon is a testimonial to its stature as a classic introductory stargazing book. The fact that the reviews are uniformly positive testifies to its exceptional quality. Now in its fourth edition, Nightwatch has been introducing amateur astronomers to the night sky for over two decades. Terence Dickinson is a prolific astronomy author and this is one of his most important and enduring works. more» |
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The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Terence Dickinson (author), Alan Dyer (author), and Sara Seager (foreword) 416 pages, 4th Edition, September 2021 Level: Beginner to Intermediate Highly Recommended
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More info (Hardcover): click here Technology and astronomical understanding are evolving at a breathtaking clip, and to reflect the latest information about observing techniques and equipment, this massively revised and expanded edition has been completely rebuilt (an additional 48 pages brings the page count to 416). Illustrated throughout with all-new photographs and star charts, this edition boasts a refreshed design and features five brand-new chapters, including three essential essays on binocular, telescope and Moon tours by renowned astronomy writer Ken Hewitt-White. With new content on naked-eye sky sights, LED lighting technology, WiFi-enabled telescopes and the latest advances in binoculars, telescopes and other astronomical gear, the fourth edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is sure to become an indispensable reference for all levels of stargazers. New techniques for observing the Sun, the Moon and solar and lunar eclipses are an especially timely addition, given the upcoming solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024. Rounding out these impressive offerings are new sections on dark sky reserves, astro-tourism, modern astrophotography and cellphone astrophotography, making this book an enduring must-have guide for anyone looking to improve his or her astronomical viewing experience. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide also features a foreword by Dr. Sara Seager, a Canadian-American astrophysicist and planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an internationally recognized expert in the search for exoplanets.
Amazon.com Customer Comment: After having this book for a couple of months, I can honestly say that it is one of my most prized astronomy possessions. I cannot think of any case where I got so much really useful information about a subject that I love for so little money.
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National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas The Ultimate Guide to the Night Sky by Andrew Fazekas and National Geographic 432 pages, October 2022 Level: All
List Price: Combining science, exploration, and storytelling, National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas invites readers to roam the night sky for constellations, planets and moons, eclipses, comets and meteor showers, auroras, and deep-sky treasures including nebulae and galaxies?many visible to the naked eye and all with binoculars or a backyard telescope. Beginning with basic space science and including a complete set of night sky maps for all four seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, this fascinating book guides the reader toward the most rewarding observations. A unique chapter on astrotourism highlights ancient observatories, dark-sky preserves, and other global destinations for the sky-seeking traveler; a final chapter details current and future space missions and what they might discover. Richly illustrated with awe-inspiring imagery including photos from space missions and telescopes, science-based artists' interpretations, and explanatory graphics the book also contains 170 maps and charts of planets, moons, and constellations, from Earth's moon to moons of Saturn. Practical advice throughout helps readers see what they have been reading about, building key observational skills such as "star hopping" from easy-to-find stars to fainter deep-sky objects and focusing on "deep sky treasures" areas rich in observable phenomena. Approachable and authoritative, gorgeous and fascinating, National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas will intrigue all who love to gaze up in wonder at the night sky and find themselves wanting to know more.
Amazon.com Customer Comment: Visually rich information and advice for stargazers.
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The Total Skywatcher's Manual Skills and Tricks for Exploring Stars, Planets, and Beyond by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 272 pages, February 2019 Level: Beginner
List Price: With fully illustrated star charts, gorgeous astrophotography and step-by-step project instruction, this family friendly book is the only guide you'll ever need to navigate the nightsky. Learn about the phases of the moon, how to conduct your own deep-sky observations, how the universe is expanding, our search for life on other planets, meteors vs. meteorites, sunspots and solar flares, best eclipse-viewing techniques -- everything you need to know to appreciate the wonder of our universe. Based in San Francisco, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific has a 125-year history of providing resources, tools, and information to astronomy enthusiasts, including amateur astronomers, families, and science educators (K-16). Join the ASP on this journey through the nightsky and beyond.
Amazon.com Customer Comment: I have looked at every page, and what a great assortment of tips and techniques, of how-tos and actually useful information -- all accompanied by detailed drawings, photos, and illustrations. This is truly a one-size-fits-all manual on how to skywatch.
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50 Things to See with a Telescope A Young Stargazer's Guide by John A. Read 72 pages, August 2018 Level: Beginner
List Price: About the Author: John A. Read volunteered at hundreds of stargazing events as a member of the Mount Diablo Astronomical Society in California, teaching people of all ages how to use a telescope and find objects in the sky. John is a telescope at the Burke-Gaffney Observatory and a board member at the Halifax Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Amazon.com Customer Comment: This book was our savior: it's simple and objective, with the essential information for a beginner to perform their first steps stargazing. The perfect companion for our first telescope.
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The Stars A New Way to See Them by Hans Augusto Rey 160 pages, December 2016 Level: Beginner Highly Recommended
List Price: This updated version includes revised facts and figures for planets, and new scientific information has been added. Charts indicate planet locations through the year 2026 and a website for finding locations well into the twenty-first century has been provided.
Amazon.com Customer Comment: This is my all-time favorite book from my youth. I have many, many memories of me and my dad spending hours up on the roof at night, looking at this book through our red-painted flashlight, naming the stars and tracing the constellations.
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365 Starry Nights An Introduction to Astronomy for Every Night of the Year by Chet Raymo 240 pages, January 1990. Reissue Edition. Level: Beginner Highly Recommended
List Price: This simple yet substantial text is full of critical information and helpful hints on how to observe the stars; describe their position; calculate their age, brightness, and distance; and much more. Whether you observe the sky with a telescope or the unaided eye, 365 Starry Nights makes the infinite intimate and brings the heavens within your grasp. Keep this invaluable, informative guide close at hand, and you'll find that the sky is the limit 365 nights a year.
Amazon.com Customer Comment: This lovely book is for all of the folks who swear that one picture is worth a thousand words. The beautiful, romantic illustrations make it possible for novices to easily discern what stars are in their sky on whatever day of the year it happens to be.
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Constellations of the Northern Skies National Audubon Society Pocket Guides by Gary Mechler, Mark R. Chartrand and Wil Tirion (illustrator) 192 pages, April 1995 Level: Beginner
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Amazon.com Customer Comment: This tiny book packs the only most useful information into the smallest usable size, small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. I keep mine in my binocular case. It has compact overview maps showing constellations and a few selected objects by season, then constellation by constellation maps with greater detail and many objects which can be seen in binoculars or a small telescope.
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Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide by Dinah L. Moché 388 pages, 8th Edition, July 2014 Level: Beginner
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Amazon.com Customer Comment: I am a college professor and have used earlier editions of this book as a required text and also as a recommended text for an introductory astronomy course. I like this book because it has the information that is needed and is not overloaded with extraneous information or pictures. It gets to the point.
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Skymaps.com/store -- Recommended Books & Products for Skywatchers |
New Books
Star Atlases
Planispheres
Getting Started
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Telescope Books
Kids Books
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Almanacs History & Artistry Star Map Prints AstroPhotography Telescopes & Binoculars Media Astro Calendars |
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