The Night Sky Observers Guide

The most detailed guide to observing the deep sky in one volume, now available in paperback.

'Deep Sky' refers to the universe beyond our own solar system. Using binoculars or telescopes, any sky-gazer can become a deep sky observer. Deep Sky Observer's Guide looks beyond individual stars to target: Star clusters Double Stars Nebulae Galaxies. The Deep Sky Observer's Guide introduces the basics of observing and explains what equipment is required. A chapter is devoted to each type of deep sky target. There are more than 200 such objects featured, with 126 color illustrations and star-finder charts. The Deep Sky Observer Guide is also available in a convenient pack (ISBN: 1-55407-025-2) that comes with deep sky charts and an observing calendar.

The Deep Sky Observer's Guide offers you the night sky at your fingertips. As an amateur astronomer, you want to know what's up tonight and you don't always have the time to plan ahead. Maybe the clouds have suddenly parted. Maybe you're at a star party. Maybe you want to challenge yourself with something new but don't know where to start. The Deep Sky Observer's Guide can solve these problems in a conveniently sized paperback that easily fits in your back pocket. Take it outside and let the guide suggest any one of over 1,300 deep sky objects, all visible with a small telescope and many accessible via binoculars. * Multiple stars with 2" or more of separation * Open clusters up to magnitude 9 * Nebulae up to magnitude 10 * Globular clusters up to magnitude 10 * Planetary nebulae up to magnitude 12 * Galaxies up to magnitude 12 * Includes lists of deep sky objects for the entire sky with R.A. and declination for each and accompanying images for many Whether you use a GoTo or prefer to star hop, no matter where you live in the world and no matter what time of year or night, the Deep Sky Observer's Guide is the indispensable companion for every adventure among the stars.

The Casual Sky Observer's Pocket Guide offers an observing program for occasional amateur observers looking for some quick, fun astronomy adventures under the stars. In the real world, where time for observing is limited, the weather is seldom perfect, and expensive equipment is not an option, amateur astronomy may not be seen as a worthwhile activity. However, portable and quick-to-set-up instruments are available. A pair of binoculars or a small telescope fills the bill. And the way to make the most of these instruments is described in the Casual Sky Observer's Pocket Guide. Not only does the book feature the best and brightest showpieces of the heavens; it also provides a great deal of physical and environmental data as well as lots of fascinating information and beautiful illustrations that provide a unique perspective on the many treasures within and beyond our home galaxy, the Milky Way--stars, star clusters, other galaxies, and nebulae, all within reach of binoculars or a small telescope.

To the naked eye, the most evident defining feature of the planets is their motion across the night sky. It was this motion that allowed ancient civilizations to single them out as different from fixed stars. “The Observer’s Guide to Planetary Motion” takes each planet and its moons (if it has them) in turn and describes how the geometry of the Solar System gives rise to its observed motions. Although the motions of the planets may be described as simple elliptical orbits around the Sun, we have to observe them from a particular vantage point: the Earth, which spins daily on its axis and circles around the Sun each year. The motions of the planets as observed relative to this spinning observatory take on more complicated patterns. Periodically, objects become prominent in the night sky for a few weeks or months, while at other times they pass too close to the Sun to be observed. “The Observer’s Guide to Planetary Motion” provides accurate tables of the best time for observing each planet, together with other notable events in their orbits, helping amateur astronomers plan when and what to observe. Uniquely each of the chapters includes extensive explanatory text, relating the events listed to the physical geometry of the Solar System. Along the way, many questions are answered: Why does Mars take over two years between apparitions (the times when it is visible from Earth) in the night sky, while Uranus and Neptune take almost exactly a year? Why do planets appear higher in the night sky when they’re visible in the winter months? Why do Saturn’s rings appear to open and close every 15 years? This book places seemingly disparate astronomical events into an understandable three-dimensional structure, enabling an appreciation that, for example, very good apparitions of Mars come around roughly every 15 years and that those in 2018 and 2035 will be nearly as good as that seen in 2003. Events are listed for the time period 2010-2030 and in the case of rarer events (such as eclipses and apparitions of Mars) even longer time periods are covered. A short closing chapter describes the seasonal appearance of deep sky objects, which follow an annual cycle as a result of Earth’s orbital motion around the Sun.

A practical, easy-to-read stargazer's guide to the universe discusses observation techniques, how to use star maps, properly identifying stars, and choosing equipment, as well as presenting checklists, charts, sky maps, and a glossary of terms.