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Originally published in 1915, By the introduction of a complete series of star maps, drawn specially for the use of the amateur and distributed through the body of the work, thus facilitating consultation, it is believed that this book makes a step in advance of its predecessors. The maps show all of the stars visible to the naked eye in the regions of the sky represented, and, in addition, some stars that can only be seen with optical aid. The latter have been placed in the maps as guide posts in the telescopic field to assist those who are searching for faint and inconspicuous objects referred to in the text. As the book was not written for those who possess the equipment of an observatory, with telescopes driven by clockwork and provided with graduated circles, right ascensions and declinations are not given. All of the telescopic phenomena described are, however represented in the maps...Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now ex ... Read more

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Chapters: Patrick Moore, John Broughton, Robert Todd Lincoln, John Dobson, Richard Dunthorne, Karl Guthe Jansky, Russell W. Porter, Andrew Lowe, Scott W. Roberts, Jack B. Newton, Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen, Steve Mandel, Kamil Hornoch, Robert Evans, Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Michael D. Reynolds, Michiel Daniel Overbeek, Oscar Monnig, Gregg Thompson, Albert F. A. L. Jones, Edward A. Halbach, William D. Ferris, Anton Vamplew, Jay U. Gunter, Aarne Arvonen, Judica-Cordiglia Brothers, Hugh Percy Wilkins, Terence Dickinson, Stephen J. Edberg, Donald C. Parker, Nik Szymanek, Axel Firsoff, Richard D. Lines, Tim Hunter, Agnes Giberne, Arthur Butler Phillips Mee, Otto Kippes, Tippy D'auria, Walter H. Haas, Philipp Johann Heinrich Fauth, Gao Xing, Francis Charles Mcmath, P. Devadas, Helen Calvert Lines, Ben Mayer, Christoph Arnold, Paul Baize, Richard Huziak, Arto Oksanen, James Mcmahon, Paul Boltwood, William Tyler Olcott, Peter Francis Williams, Leslie Peltier, William Radcliffe Birt, Mel Bartels, Walter Frederick Gale, Casimir Marie Gaudibert, Kyle E. Smalley, Chuck Shramek, Stefano Valentini, Yuji Hyakutake, Arthur Francis O'donel Alexander. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 212. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: John Broughton is an Australian astronomer. He is a prolific discoverer of asteroids. His observations are done at Reedy Creek Observatory in Queensland (IAU Observatory Code: 428). Broughton discovered a Near Earth Object (NEO), , on 11 April 2004. This is considered the first amateur discovery of a large, potentially hazardous NEO. He discovered two comets, now designated P/2005 T5 (Broughton) and C/2006 OF2 (Broughton), on 3 November 2005. He has produced two software applications, scantracker and scanalyser, for the Drift-Scan Timing of Asteroid Occulations. These are ava...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=758950 ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Sports ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A revival of a classic title
GP Serviss was a science fiction author & science journalist at the turn of the last century, so this is a revival, as opposed to the release of a new work. The lessons on optics are still among the better I've seen. As a guide to what you can see with a 75mm aperture telescope, it's pretty good, but just keep in mind that this was written before the First World War, so what GPS thought a given object might be may not be what we believe it is today. ... Read more

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With Forty Diagrams Of The Constellations And Eight Of The Moon. ... Read more

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From prehistoric times, mankind has looked up at the night sky, and puzzled at the changing positions of the stars. How far away they are is a question that has confounded scientists for centuries. Over the last few hundred years, many scientific careers – and considerable resources – have been devoted to measuring their positions and motions with ever increasing accuracy. And in the last two decades of the 20th century, the European Space Agency developed and launched the Hipparcos satellite, around which this account revolves, to carry out these exacting measurements from space.

What has prompted these remarkable developments? Why have governments been persuaded to fund them? What are scientists learning from astronomy's equivalent of the Human Genome Project? This book traces the subject's history, explains why such enormous efforts are considered worthwhile, and interweaves these with a first-hand insight into the Hipparcos project, and how big science is conducted at an international level. The involvement of amateur astronomers, and the Hipparcos contributions to climate research, ‘death stars' passing close to the Sun, and the search for extra-solar planets and even intelligent life itself, are some of the surprising facets of this unusual space mission.

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An illustrated guide to watching the stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Good Gift
8 yr old grandson loved this book as it was an excellent companion to the newbee telescope we gave him for Christmas.

Great Reference Book!
Don't let the small size fool you, this is a complete college level introductory textbook on Astronomy!

For amateur astronomers, you won't need anything else for theory. Using it in the field, might be rather cumbersome, as it is so loaded with information, it might be hard to sift out what you want "On the Fly".

Excellent book!

Very basic
This book covers the basics on a wide range of topics.The maps are nicely done and easy to read.I have read a number of astronomy books, and this book is among the easiest to understand.The pictures are well done and compliment the text nicely to assist in the particular lesson being learned. If you've had a hard time understanding some other astronomy books, you might want to try this book.I found 3 drawbacks with this book.1.)The RA/DEC coordinates given for objects in a number of the tables are epoch 1900.More current coordinates certainly could have been used.2.)The binding is insufficient to be used as a "field guide" for any length of time.3.)All tables at the back of the book that give times/dates for upcoming events are out of date.They end at 2006 or before.

If you're looking for a basic book on astronomy that covers a wide range of topics AND is easier to understand than most other astronomy books, you should consider buying this book.

Add this to your collection (but NOT as your ONLY book)
Great Book, GREAT Charts (the grey section), but I had to drop a star due to a lack of Messier Photos and the terrible binding.I don't know HOW the review can say "4th - 8th grade reading level".If you find a 4th grader who can absorb this excellent material, he/she's in the wrongclass!This book takes you from ignorance to comprehension painlessly.Iteven lists wonderful items which can be seen with only a pair ofbinoculars.It explains everything in the charts, listing the Messierobjects and describing them, ie. "9th magnitude open-armedgalaxy".Includes solar system, moon, stars, and deep space.A welldone book, lacking nothing as a "text book", but as a "FieldGuide" the above listed deficiences are intolerable.Well worth thesmall price.

A very Handy Little Reference
This little book is a great reference that handles most any issue an amateur astronomer might encounter in his gazing exploits. There is a thorough yet concise treatment of Basic Astronomy, followed by sections onAstronomical Instruments, Stars, The Various planets, and other celestialbodies. The illustrations and charts are wonderful and there is a verythorough treatment of each constellation, many tables, a good bibliography,and index of observatories and planetariums. It amazing what has beenpacked into this very small book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The first chapters are enough to stop anyone sleeping
the moon is a gripping and scary thriller from start to end, the first chapter of the dark is the most gruesome and detailed ive ever read,so intruiging its hard to put the book down, you might need to sleep with thelight on for the first 5 chapters or so. The book is a master piece allwayswith a twist that makes the book even more worth reading, if it is at allpossible ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses how to select and use binoculars and telescopes, how to observe planets, meteors, comets, and other celestial bodies, and how to use star charts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Old, but still invaluable for the amateur astronomer!
I bought my first edition back in the late 1970's.I bought this copy for my nephew.This book covers the basics of optics, teaching you how to calculate magnificaton with your objective's focal length, and the eyepiece focal length; it covers the basics of planetary, and interstellar objects; it covers safe, solar observation techniques; it gives a basic overview of astrophotography (film based, but film offers advantages over CCD's -- many techniqes apply to both approaches anyway); it even includes some star charts to get the amateur started.

For the basics of amateur astronomy, this book cannot be beat.I recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.Cheers!

Excellent for learning about Astronomy
If you just want a working knowledge of Astronomy, and you want it quickly and easily, read this book first.I think you'll be impressed with how much information is there, and how understandable it is.I know I am!

If you want comprehensive up-to-date coverage of the meterial, you can find other sources later.

When my children have a question about the sky, this is where we go.We were driving home one night and my son asked me if I had ever seen a shooting star.Actually, I was surprised he HADN'T ever seen one.I explained about Meteor Showers and asked if he wanted to know when the next one was.We got out this book and looked it up.He was so interested he read the entire book, and now I catch him explaining things to his brothers and sisters.This book has a TON of information.

An extremely concise intro to amateur astronomy
I first read this book at the age of 13, just getting into astronomy.I would agree that the book could use a little updating: sections on catadioptrics, newer eyepieces, apochromats, and Dobsonians would behelpful.However, the core of the book -- how to navigate the night skywith a telescope and actually see stuff -- remains a very thorough andclassic work.I re-read my dog-eared copy probably twice a year just toreview the fundamentals.You really can't find as concise a introductorytext to amateur astronomy anywhere.

Dated, but still one of the best beginners guides
I've been a pretty active amateur astronomer for the past 34 years. I would agee with the first reviewer "The Sky Observer's Guide" is dated and in need of new material covering Catadioptric systems(Schmidt-Cassegrain,Maksutov)and the just as popular Dobsonian now soubiquitous among those who like me build their own systems. This has notoccured I believe because possibly all the original authors have passed on. But after saying that, if your just getting into astronomy, this is stillone of best guides to getting started with a small telescope around.Ittells you what you can observe, how to do it, and what to expect.Youcould easily buy a dozen other popular guides now on the market that won'tcover as much material, as clearly, as the Mayalls, Jerome Wyckoff,and JohnPolgreen put into the 160 pages of this little book.I still have the 1965edition I bought when I was 12 in 1966, and though I've gone way past thematerial covered, I've kept it as a sentimental favorite because I proboblylearned as much from it early on as I have from any other single sourcesince then. So Golden Guide, if your looking at these reviews, addsomething about the two telescope types I've mentioned above and maybesomething about CCD cameras too, but please don't drop anything from thisstill great little book!

Very good astronomy introduction, but now out of date.
We used this book for many years in our college introductory astronomy laboratories.Provides an an excellent introduction to astronomical observing.Well illustrated and includes star maps and positions ofobjects.However, the book needs updating.The positions are given in1950 coordinates, planetary positions are listed only for years near thepublication date, and no mention is made of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopesthat are now popular with amateurs. ... Read more